# Pay phone, "no incoming calls" - why is the number on it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-phone-no-incoming-calls-why-is-the-number-on-it/481145>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 13, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-phone-no-incoming-calls-why-is-the-number-on-it/481145 "2009-01-13T20:37:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-phone-no-incoming-calls-why-is-the-number-on-it/481145/21 "2009-01-15T18:07:30Z")

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My info may be out of date, but can remeber people in the 90’s setting up pay phone calls with “friends and associates” by agreeing to call a pay phone at a specific time. It didn’t ring but when you picked it up they were on the line.

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