# Dr. Who question: What is a "Police box"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595 "2008-05-01T13:13:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/1 "2008-05-01T13:13:15Z")
Just bought the new Arifix kit of Doctor Who and the Tardis. Now, I understand what the Tardis is, so I’m good on that, but what is a police box? Is it just a place for a policeman to stand out of the weather, like a sentry box, or is it like a phone booth? Are there many of them around? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/2 "2008-05-01T13:15:26Z")
It was a public call box with a phone that connected directly to the police. As far as I am aware, there are none around these days. Here you go: [Police box - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_box) Looks like some modern equivalents are around, but none that look like the Tardis. Edited to add: Actually, on reading that article, it appears that the London call boxes were purely for the use of police officers, not for the public. And yet the TARDIS clearly says “POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX” on it. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/3 "2008-05-01T13:16:05Z")
One of [these?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_box) Before radios were small enough for an officer to carry around without hindrance, it was used to give them a direct phone line to their station to log in. > [@](#): > > The typical police box contained a telephone linked directly to the local police station allowing officers “on the beat” to keep in contact with the station, reporting anything unusual, requesting help if necessary or even to detain prisoners until a vehicle could be sent to transport them to the station or to jail. This was in the day when most police officers walked a beat or rode a bicycle rather than using a police car. A light on top of the box would flash to alert a beat officer that he was requested to contact the station.Members of the public could also use the phone (which was on the exterior) to contact a police station in an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/4 "2008-05-01T13:20:25Z")
More from Wikipedia on the [TARDIS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS): At the time of the series’ debut in 1963, the police box was still a common fixture in British cities. It provided a direct telephone link to the local police station, but contrary to popular conception, the telephone was on the exterior of the box, and the box itself was designed for use as a temporary holding cell. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/5 "2008-05-01T13:32:45Z")
[Mackenzie Trench](http://www.burton25a.force9.co.uk/policeboxes/pboxhist.htm) By the way, it’s always “Doctor Who” and never “Dr. Who”. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/6 "2008-05-01T13:36:16Z")
The fact that they were a common sight in the 60’s was significant inasmuch as the Tardis was supposed to adopt the look of it’s surroundings to blend in and become anonymous. This function broke when it took on the guise of a police box and it became fixed in this appearance. Yes, I saw it from episode 1. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/7 "2008-05-01T13:46:55Z")
Most of the ones in the centre of Edinburgh were sold off and have been turned into little coffee kiosks, and the remainder in the suburbs are mainly slowly rotting away… Except for one about 50 yards from where I work - it’s been standing empty for years, but as part of an area rejuvenation project (and to help bolster the police presence at night when the area’s full of drunks) it’s about to be restored and put back in use as a police box. Another one on the High Street has touchpad information screens fitted for visiting tourists… ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/8 "2008-05-01T13:50:24Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] Another one on the High Street has touchpad information screens fitted for visiting tourists… [/QUOTE] I’ll look out for it when I go to the Festival this August. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/9 "2008-05-01T13:50:27Z")
[The police call box of the USA was much smaller, but it also was a direct line to the local precinct.](http://www.policeguide.com/Photo_Galleries/Police_Call_Boxes/police_call_boxes.html) The doctor would have never gotten out of one in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/10 "2008-05-01T14:05:42Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] By the way, it’s always “Doctor Who” and never “Dr. Who”. [/QUOTE] I see you are not in The Inner Circle. 😉 As Tom Baker, the greatest Dr. Who said to me once… Oh, and a mate of mine says his Dad used to be a policeman decades ago. The Police Box had a phone on the outside for the public to call the police station, while the inside was for P.C. Plod to take a break. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/11 "2008-05-01T14:09:21Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] By the way, it’s always “Doctor Who” and never “Dr. Who”. [/QUOTE] Except of course in spoken dialogue, where it’s always ‘The Doctor’, never ‘Doctor Who’ (except by ‘accident’ when someone is asking a question, and in the non-canon movie). ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/12 "2008-05-01T14:20:10Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] [Mackenzie Trench](http://www.burton25a.force9.co.uk/policeboxes/pboxhist.htm) By the way, it’s always “Doctor Who” and never “Dr. Who”. [/QUOTE] Oops. “Doctor” it is. Great article. So they were little police offices. Fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/13 "2008-05-01T14:32:32Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] Except for one about 50 yards from where I work - it’s been standing empty for years… [/quote] Or _has it?!_ ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/14 "2008-05-01T14:56:49Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] I’ll look out for it when I go to the Festival this August. [/QUOTE] Feel free to drop in to the exhibition in Venue 326 and say hello! [QUOTE=Otto] Or has it!? [/QUOTE] You’re right, it hasn’t. But I’m not at liberty to say more. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/15 "2008-05-01T15:13:12Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] Feel free to drop in to the exhibition in Venue 326 and say hello! [/quote] Cool, I may just do that!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/16 "2008-05-01T15:16:31Z")
[Vwoorp! Vwoorp!](http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/sounds/tardis.mp3) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/17 "2008-05-01T15:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] More from Wikipedia on the [TARDIS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS): At the time of the series’ debut in 1963, the police box was still a common fixture in British cities. It provided a direct telephone link to the local police station, but contrary to popular conception, the telephone was on the exterior of the box, and the box itself was designed for use as a temporary holding cell. [/QUOTE] I’m really in doubt about that last part - is there a more authoritative cite than Wikipedia for the box being designed for holding prisoners in? I remember we had this very discussion on the Dope a few months back. Note that [this](http://www.eee.strath.ac.uk/r.w.stewart/boxes.pdf) ( **pdf** ) article makes no mention of any such function. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/18 "2008-05-01T15:27:22Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Except of course in spoken dialogue, where it’s always ‘The Doctor’, never ‘Doctor Who’ (except by ‘accident’ when someone is asking a question, and in the non-canon movie). [/QUOTE] Well, his name is “The Doctor” and the title of the show is “Doctor Who” but the absence of a question mark does confuse some people into thinking that it’s his name. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/19 "2008-05-01T15:28:54Z")
I certainly remember seeing people being _questioned_ in them (or maybe held before a police van arrived to collect a prisoner) but you wouldn’t lock somebody inside and leave them on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595/20 "2008-05-01T16:09:00Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] I’m really in doubt about that last part - is there a more authoritative cite than Wikipedia for the box being designed for holding prisoners in? [/QUOTE] The show itself makes the calim in at least one of the modern episodes, FWIW. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-question-what-is-a-police-box/447595.md?page=2)