Telephone Booths According to Bob Quiz

Answer: Tardis

The TARDIS is a machine disguised as a British police callbox. It is Doctor Who's means of travel through time and dimensions. TARDIS stands for "Time and Relative Dimension in Space". Inside the TARDIS is a far larger interior than that presented to the external world. This is because it uses what is known as a "chameleon circuit" in order to be able to blend into whichever environment it finds itself. The reason why the TARDIS always appears as a telephone booth is that its chameleon circuit malfunctioned during one of Dr Who's trips to 1963 England. This was a period when booths of this kind were found on many street corners in that country. This malfunction could not be repaired, and so the Doctor's time and dimension machine always appeared as a telephone booth from that date on.

("Bob" I murmured, looking at my wristwatch, "I have a dental appointment I'm really looking forward to..." but it was no use. He was too interested in what he was saying.)

Answer: Yes

I always thought they were known as the 'Cone of Silence'. However, in many hotels, before the common name we know them as today came into play, these booths were indeed referred to by that name. Coin operated telephones placed inside buildings such as hotels used to suffer quite severely from background noise. This could include the sound of vacuum cleaners, people talking and walking to and fro, page boys being hollered for, bells ringing, doors opening and closing, and so forth. To combat this, cabinets were built around these phones to help block that noise out - leading to the original name of Silence Cabinets.

(I started to yawn, but this had no effect at all on Bob, and he kept right on talking.)

Answer: To provide greater access for people with disabilities

The United States was a leading country in this regard, but sadly, many other countries took much, much longer to follow America's example. During the 1970s a world wide movement began to gather force for all public places and facilities to be made more accessible for people with disabilities. This culminated in 1981 in the International Year of the Disabled. For the following decade, there was a strong emphasis on equal opportunity for, access to, and rehabilitation of, people with disabilities. Prevention of same was also a strong theme throughout this decade. Accordingly, many public buildings and facilities had, by law, to be made more accessible. This included the closed in telephone booth, which, for a person confined to a wheelchair, was anything but accessible. Unless of course every call was a long distance one - shouted from outside the doorway.

A tongue-in-cheek question I received from player Knud77 is worth noting here. It raises a most important point. "What will poor Superman do now?" Knud asks. This is a matter for grave consideration, ladies and gentlemen. Superman could in fact be arrested for wilful exposure.

("Sorry, Bob" I interrupted. "I have to attend a funeral, so really must dash away"...but he waffled on further.)

Answer: Mobile phones

The glorious invention of those ubiquitous little pests of things has indeed caused a sharp drop in the need for public telephones to be installed. They're mobile, can be carried in handbags or pockets, come with pictures and a three ring circus of tricks, and are very convenient. The unfortunate thing about them, however, is that they almost seem to be addictive for many people. The first mobile telephone appeared on the scene in 1973. It weighed over two pounds (a kilo), which is just a little bit comical. The birth of the bonny bouncing beeper in that year produced 5.6 billion descendants by 2011, "penetrating the developing economies, and reaching the bottom of the economic pyramid". What a fancy description. Translation: Just about everyone has one, even in third world countries - their own personal and portable telephone booths.

("Bob" I interrupted quickly, desperate to get away, "I think the house is burning down! I have to go!"... but it was no use.)

Answer: Phone phreakers who hack into phone systems

This is the name that has been given to these anti-social types. A phreaker is a combination of the words phone and freak. The term freak applies, not to oddities of natures, but the audio frequencies these people manipulate to break into the communication system. Their purpose of course is to make as many free phone calls as they wish, to whomever and wherever they wish.

("My mother needs me to pick her up from the undertakers, Bob"...but I got no further. He still kept talking.)

Answer: Telefonzelle

The first telephone booth was installed in London. This took place in May, 1903 and it was located in High Holborn Rd, a lovely area of that great city. This has been disputed now and then by claims from Germany that a telefonzelle was installed there twenty years earlier, in 1881. The booth in London was "installed and operated by the Grand Central Railway". This was a brilliant business move, considering the number of times people have to use a phone when arriving or departing from a destination.

("Bob" I said urgently, "I'm about to give birth!" but this didn't seem to register with him - and he talked on and on.)

Answer: Jordan

There hasn't been a pay phone service in Jordan since 2004. This is because of the "cellular phone penetration" in that nation. It's so high that the demand for the stationary phone in a public booth completely dropped off. The only two pay phone companies in the countries closed down in the early years of the 21st century, and no organisation has displayed the slightest interest in re-establishing another. In 2007, Finland followed suit.

(Strangely, I almost found this interesting, and made the mistake of asking him a question about it. He explained it for the next two hours.)

Answer: Smoke

A smoking ban was brought into law in England in 2007. This law states that "it is illegal to smoke in all enclosed work premises" and that these premises must display a No Smoking sign. The company that owns and operates phone booths in England, the BT Group, has accordingly pasted No Smoking signs in all telephone booths - as these are considered work premises. Work premises? There's no room for Board Meetings in there. No wait - silly me - they're only used by sole traders. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had already passed these laws in the previous twelve months. People who live in the Republic of Ireland, however, are still scratching their heads and thinking it's all goin' to be a bit of a squash, to be sure, to be sure.

("Gracious me, Bob!" I exclaimed, "Will you look at the time! I'm late for work and must rush off!"...but alas, he offered to give me a lift so he could talk to me some more.)

Answer: Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station

Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was born into a family of architects. He was the son, grandson, nephew and brother of well known architects, so it is no great surprise that he became one as well. He also produced a son who followed in his father's footsteps as well. Bob said Giles Gilbert Scott designed many of Britain's well known structures. These included the Liverpool Cathedral and the giant Battersea Power Station. He also designed quite a staggering number of churches throughout the country. During the First World War, he was involved in the design of the sea defences on the English Channel as well. He topped off a fine career by designing the Clare College at Cambridge, the Cropthorne Court mansion block in London...and the little red telephone boxes.

(I thought that was rather like following a parade of elephants with a chihuahua, but I didn't say that to Bob because it would mean another two hours of conversation.)

Answer: It was miles away from any areas of population

This booth was put in its present location in the 1960s by someone who must have either been an incredible optimist, or believed that the Mojave National Preserve was going to experience a population boom. It was 8 miles "from the nearest paved road, 15 miles from the nearest highway, and miles from any buildings" at all. When this was first announced on the internet, the Mojave telephone booth became an overnight hit. People tried to phone it, they visited it, and some even camped there overnight.

A reporter from the Los Angeles Times who went to the area in 1999 to write an article on this telephone booth, met a man who said he was directed by the Holy Spirit to go and find it and answer the phone when it rang. He stayed "32 days there, answering more than 500 phone calls, including repeated calls from someone who identified himself as Sergeant Zeno from the Pentagon". Pacific Bell, the company that owned this inspirational telephone booth, removed it in 2000, because the manager of the Preserve sent them a bill for "long-forgotten easement fees". And that was the end of the Mojave National Preserve's telephone booth's short career as a religious icon.

(Bob is coming over tomorrow to show me all his albums of telephone booth photographs. So I must go now. I have to phone up and book an overnight flight to Iceland.)