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gentlemancaller2000 t1_iyhgy6z wrote

Why are we calling them pay phones if they’re free to use?

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benbalooky t1_iyhne3h wrote

Yeah wouldn't they just be "public phones"

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imforit t1_iyhncbd wrote

So we know at a glance what form factor they're talking about.

"Payphone" has a strong and specific meaning.

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Dzus t1_iyhxxzg wrote

Found Seinfeld's burner account

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sneaky_squirrel t1_iyhx0b5 wrote

It says no QUARTERS required.

And it says payphones.

There is a possibility that they meant you pay for these in some other manner, such as a card reader or credit card?

This is merely a mental exercise, I am not actually claiming nor seriously trying to figure out the actual event here.

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gentlemancaller2000 t1_iyhxsb8 wrote

And it says “…Making calls will be completely free of charge.”

“To ordinary callers, the phones will work the way they did in the analog era, minus the need to insert coins before making a call. There's a special circuit board that takes the place of the coin acceptor equipment. Making calls will be completely free of charge.”

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sneaky_squirrel t1_iyi3ysj wrote

So they are calling them pay phones because they repurposed existing hardware originally meant to be used as payphones.

I guess that explains it.

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