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Widow Rented Rotary Phone for 42 Years
The Associated Press ^ | Sep 15 8:17 AM US/Eastern

Posted on 09/15/2006 12:33:33 PM PDT by US Navy guy

A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now outdated phone.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: alreadyposted; att; mabell; rentasearch; stupidisasstupiddoes
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Makes ya go HUMMMM...
1 posted on 09/15/2006 12:33:34 PM PDT by US Navy guy
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To: US Navy guy

Stupid people are news why?


2 posted on 09/15/2006 12:34:42 PM PDT by Khepera (Do not remove by penalty of law!)
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1985 sounds about right. I recall that my parents were pretty happy about not having to rent a phone any longer.


3 posted on 09/15/2006 12:36:17 PM PDT by Rio (Don't make me come over there....)
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To: US Navy guy
Previous post:

Widow rented rotary phone for 42 years

 

4 posted on 09/15/2006 12:37:13 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Khepera
"I'd like to have my rotary back," she said. "I like that better."

Had this quote been put in the first line, the rest of the article would not have been necessary.

5 posted on 09/15/2006 12:37:35 PM PDT by SampleMan
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To: US Navy guy
Strogen says she's not a big fan of her new push-button phone... "I'd like to have my rotary back," she said. "I like that better."

She's 82 years old. The daughters ought to let her keep her old telephone.

She first leased this phone when she was 40. In 1985, when everybody had the option to opt of the lease, she was 61. It's not like the phone company went out to prey on 82-year-olds.

But, given the situation, the daughters should just find a way to buy a rotary phone and give it to their mother, or let her continue to use the phone she has always known. It is a lot to expect a 82-year-old to adopt new (to them) technology.

6 posted on 09/15/2006 12:38:59 PM PDT by gridlock (The 'Pubbies will pick up at least TWO seats in the Senate and FOUR seats in the House in 2006)
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To: US Navy guy

Gimme $500 on the Browns +10 vs. the Bengals in Cincy

7 posted on 09/15/2006 12:39:20 PM PDT by petercooper (It could be worse, it could be raining.)
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To: US Navy guy

I like old phones. I have a black rotary dial phone from the 1940s in my living room. In the kitchen, I have an oak wall phone, with a crank. In the den, there is a 1927 rotary dial candlestick phone.

The interesting thing is that they all work just fine, even the oak wall phone, except that you can't call out on it without hitting the receiver handle 10 times to get an operator.

That said, it is very sad that this old woman paid that lease fee for all those years. It is a shame.


8 posted on 09/15/2006 12:39:32 PM PDT by MineralMan (Non-evangelical Atheist)
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To: gridlock

"But, given the situation, the daughters should just find a way to buy a rotary phone and give it to their mother, or let her continue to use the phone she has always known. "

Her daughter can just drop into any thrift store. They always have a rotary dial phone or two for a couple of bucks. No problem.


9 posted on 09/15/2006 12:40:46 PM PDT by MineralMan (Non-evangelical Atheist)
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To: SampleMan
"I'd like to have my rotary back," she said. "I like that better."

Me like'm smoke signal. Heap good, many moon.

10 posted on 09/15/2006 12:47:57 PM PDT by Dracian
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To: US Navy guy

My father-in-law died 3 years ago, and afterwards I sat down with my mother-in-law to help her get her bills, etc... straight. I looked at her telephone bill(s) and I was shocked, they had been leasing two phones from AT+T for over 30 years. I calculated that they had spent in the thousands renting these common phones, and their long distance plan was a joke. They were under the most expensive plan AT+T had, a real disgrace. I called AT+T to cancel their lease plus their local/long distance service and switch everything to Verizon's unlimited plan. Some "friendly" AT+T operator offered my mother-in-law a discount to stay, and I got so mad at him I had to tell him off. How in the world could you knowingly take advantage of people for all those years who didn't know what they were paying for and think that I would recommend my mother-in-law stay with your company? It was disgraceful to put it politely.


11 posted on 09/15/2006 12:48:10 PM PDT by moose2004 (You Can Run But You Can't Hide!)
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To: MineralMan
The interesting thing is that they all work just fine, even the oak wall phone, except that you can't call out on it without hitting the receiver handle 10 times to get an operator.

You can “dial” any number using the same method.

Dial 4 tap the hook 4 times, pause, dial 8 tap the hook 8 times continue this process to dial any number.

12 posted on 09/15/2006 12:53:52 PM PDT by Pontiac (All are worthy of freedom, none are incapable.)
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To: Pontiac

"You can “dial” any number using the same method.

"

Yah, I know. That's how I know to click the hook 10 times for the operator. It's a lot easier to have the operator place the call on that phone.

Actually, though, I only use that phone for taking calls anyhow. It's got a terrific bell. You can hear it anywhere in the house.


13 posted on 09/15/2006 12:56:09 PM PDT by MineralMan (Non-evangelical Atheist)
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To: Dracian
I have a rotary phone and I find the sound fidelity to be superior to most of the modern phones I have used.

For indestructibility you can’t beat them. My two hundred and sixty pound stepson can stand on it all day and that phone will come out with out a crack or a whimper.

14 posted on 09/15/2006 1:00:10 PM PDT by Pontiac (All are worthy of freedom, none are incapable.)
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To: MineralMan
That said, it is very sad that this old woman paid that lease fee for all those years. It is a shame.

I would think that this could be such a PR disaster for the Baby Bell involved that they'd refund her money.

15 posted on 09/15/2006 1:09:34 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative ("An empty limousine pulled up and Hillary Clinton got out")
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To: US Navy guy
Until two months ago, Strogen was still paying AT&T to use the phones _ $29.10 a month.

To get to the 14k number they multiplied 29.10 by 12 by 42. I hardly think she was paying $29.10 a month back in 1964.

Makes for a good story though, huh?

Owl_Eagle

If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.

16 posted on 09/15/2006 1:11:34 PM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: All

Although they're not rentals anymore, two beige, rotary, wall-mount phones are still serving their purpose in my parents' home, just as they have been since 1963. During these 43 years, I don't think they've ever needed service.

The last time I used either of them, I had to chuckle at how out-of-practice I'd become at using the rotary dial. As a teen, I was quite a fast dialer, especially for radio call-in contests.


17 posted on 09/15/2006 1:14:53 PM PDT by newgeezer (In memory of Maynard Ferguson (1928-2006))
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To: Owl_Eagle

I'd have to agree with you on that. $29.10 seems a little high for back in those days. Maybe that included her phone service as well?


18 posted on 09/15/2006 1:17:53 PM PDT by sistabrista
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To: MineralMan
It's a lot easier to have the operator place the call on that phone. Actually, though, I only use that phone for taking calls anyhow.

All the companies I am familiar with charge for operator connected calls.

Unless of course you are disabled and can not physically operate a phone.

19 posted on 09/15/2006 1:18:40 PM PDT by Pontiac (All are worthy of freedom, none are incapable.)
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To: Dracian

I bought a cellphone. Couldn't stand it. I like my "out of touch" time.


20 posted on 09/15/2006 1:54:27 PM PDT by donmeaker (If the sky don't say "Surrender Dorothy!" then my ex wife is out of town.)
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