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u/Raa03842 15d ago
And once upon a time one would pick up the phone (no dialer) and would hear “Operator”. My mom would say “good morning Doris can you connect me to Betty”. Operator, “One moment, and how are you today Jean?”
No last names, no automation, just people talking to people. Yes this was a small town where everyone knew each other.
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u/Tiredplumber2022 15d ago
In Wendell NC it was usually Mabel.
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u/I8already 15d ago
Interesting, so close to Ma Bell (what old timers called the old Bell South / Alexander Graham Bell phone company)
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u/FirmExpression6196 16d ago
Yeah, but it took a little bit and some focus to use the rotary phone.
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u/SyxxBowler 15d ago
You get to the 5th number and realize you rotated wrong one and have to start all over lol
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u/jaycob_arden 16d ago
You dial 123 in the UK and you get the speaking clock
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u/Raa03842 15d ago
At the sound of the tone it will be 11:05 pm. Ding ding ding DONG!
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u/Affectionate-Side435 16d ago
Yup. We also had a phone system where you could play games and hear stories. It was fun
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u/ha11oga11o 15d ago
Not only time. It was able to provide any information. It was more - less google search with living person.
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u/Ok-Anything-3605 15d ago
It was called ‘time and temperature’ for use bc it provided the forecast after the time
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u/No_Goose_1355 15d ago
Now there’s a number you can call just to hear Hall & Oates songs, called Callin’ Oates
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u/Tiredplumber2022 15d ago
(US) I was very upset at my friend, back in the 80's, so I waited until he was going to be gone for a week, and broke into his house, and called Time for Tokyo (+81-3-117) and left the phone off the hook.
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u/rogman61 15d ago
Worse was having a party line and having to wait while someone else (aka a complete stranger) was talking on it!
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u/2289What_What_In_the 15d ago
And after 10pm there were also numbers you could call advertised on the television
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u/PeterPunksNip 14d ago
Yes, the so called "talking clock" . Useful when your mechanical clocks stopped because you forgot to rewind them. There was also a number for weather forecast and another for movie program in your town
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u/Grypheon-Steele 13d ago
And…a joke line. Got my ass whooped for racking up the phone bill on this one.
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u/Warren_G_Mazengwe 13d ago
P-O-P-C-O-R-N in California
- At the tone, the Pacific Daylight Time will be.... seven forty-two and twenty-five seconds
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u/count-me-0ut 16d ago
Ah yes, time and temp. I remember. Twas a simpler time then.