# Pranks/Jokes that Technology has made Obsolete **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651 "2012-08-25T22:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/41 "2012-08-30T03:24:48Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > A friend of mine said he used to find two payphones side by side, and dial 0 on each of them for an operator. He’d then put the phones together and make the two operators talk to each other. > > Nowadays, around here, when you dial 0 you get an automated service instead of a real person, so this prank is probably not too possible anymore. You’re also lucky to find a payphone, let alone two side by side. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/42 "2012-08-30T12:43:32Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > You’re also lucky to find a payphone, let alone two side by side. Not to mention one that broadcasts sound loud enough to be heard by the mouthpiece of the other phone. Sounds like a friend of a friend (of a friend) story to me. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/43 "2012-08-30T13:03:16Z")
Not quite obsolete yet, but there are so many radiation detectors now that having some radioactive isotopes around isn’t all the great fun it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/44 "2012-08-30T13:46:46Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Not quite obsolete yet, but there are so many radiation detectors now that having some radioactive isotopes around isn’t all the great fun it used to be. Dropping some in somebody else’s pocket, however… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/45 "2012-08-30T17:15:10Z")
I never made a [Blue Box](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_box), but I did need to make hours-long calls to my friends out of state once I graduated from high school.😃 You simply grabbed a phone book at the pay phone, found a dentist or other business that was closed, but had a person’s name that you could use. Call the operator and tell her that you needed to charge this call to your business. She’d say “sure!”, connect your call, and Dr. Bronstein would get a bill next month with a 4 hour call to the payphone in the dorm of some college he’s never heard of.😕 Repeat as necessary. 2 or 3 times daily if needed.:eek: Nowadays? Not so easy. Plus every cell plan includes long distance, so why bother? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651/46 "2012-08-30T19:54:27Z")
Voicemail systems have pretty much replaced some autocalling systems that used to be available in offices. Autocalling was a feature where - 1. If you called somebody’s office (target guy) while they were on the phone 2. You could push a button 3. As soon as they hung up the autocaller would call your phone 4. As soon as you picked up your phone - 5. The autocaller would call the target guy’s phone So you would be sure to get the guy as soon as possible. It was a great feature to use for pranking. We had two guys who always took a smoke break together so we would - go to guy number one’s office and take his phone off the hook - go to guy number two’s office and call number one and activate the autocalll When they returned from their break, guy number one would notice his phone off the cradle and replace it. This would cause guy number two’s phone to ring. He would pick it up and say “hello”. This would cause the callback to call number one’s phone. He would pick it up and say “hello”. Both of these guys were within earshot of the main office floor. We would all get to listen to each of them heatedly argue for ten minutes with “I didn’t call you, you moron! You called me!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pranks-jokes-that-technology-has-made-obsolete/632651.md?page=2)