Was it simpler?

RajunCajun · June 2016

Wasn't life so much simpler when we had party lines?

blasting · June 2016

Party lines? I'm too young for that, but I know what they were.

At least they couldn't update their facebook page while driving 60 miles an hour in traffic.

kl8ton · June 2016

I just had an older coworker explain to me what party lines were.

RajunCajun · June 2016

I'm not all that old either....but remember those ole party lines. Back then you really did "dial" a phone number. Heck, I don't recall anyone getting carpel tunnel from repetitive motion back then.

Wake up America!

cheeaa · June 2016

Haha... the old guys were talking about that at work not long ago. Holy no privacy. Lol

Ozzie_Isaac · June 2016

I'm a young-in, but I know all about party lines.

1-900-909-KISS .... $2.99 / minute. Those were the days.

bboulier · June 2016

We had party lines in Nebraska when I lived on a farm and was in third grade in a one room schoolhouse. Walked about a mile and a half back and forth to school everyday. Heat was provided by a small coal stove. Children took turns bringing in coal to stoke the fire. We also took turns pumping water from the outside pump. And, boys and girls each had a three-holer. Very, very cold in the winter. Imagine sitting outside in zero degree weather on a wooden bench. On the other hand, the smell in the winter was much better in January than in the later days of May. Simpler days, yes. Better? Not in all respects.

On the plus side, we were not distracted by television and other electronic devices. We played cards and other games (checkers & chess), painted by the number pictures of the "Man with the Golden Helm", carved Ivory soap polar bears, and read lots of books from the public library in town.

n8er · June 2016

Good ol days! Wait for the line to be open

BikerBob · June 2016

Anybody ever have a four party where there was a different ring for each of the customers?
Am I really this damn old?
Bob

Jstroke · June 2016

We had a party line with the widow one street over. Had one phone, rotary, on the kitchen wall that we "leased" from the phone company. I think it was 3 dollars a month. Better not mess up the phone number or you had to dial and wait for each number to go all the way around again. Long distance was a serious issue. On the other hand like others mentioned. We spent more time with each other doing things together.

kl8ton · June 2016

People always complained about our phone number. So many 9's on a rotary dial phone. I remember the phone number to this day and we only had it until I was in 3rd grade. 669-9499.

tarheelmatt · June 2016

Here I thought it was cocaine.

Tony_T · June 2016

Life was even more simpler before Meucci invented the telephone

jabam · June 2016

we had a party line, the nosy neighbor would always listen in to our conversations ( you could hear her making noises in the background ).

one day my sister called her an old witch, while talking to one of her friends, and she had the nerve to come to our house to complain to my parents.

my mom gave her an earful, I still laugh everytime I think about that

fishlessman · June 2016

i must have been further out in the sticks, i had a neighbor that used an old wooden crank wall phone to call his daughter, he was still using it in the 1980's

and tv was free, cable was something you read about and who needed a remote control, thats what kids were for and they also got you beers

tarheelmatt · June 2016

I've only heard of them, never experineced them.

However, I was about 14 or 15 at the time. Got the brand new Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag (the first 12 ga. to use 3.5" mag shells). I thought I was big stuff.

It was New Years. We shoot guns, bombs, and stuff then because we're rednecks.

Get the new gun out, shove in max capacity of 3.5" turkey load, and off I go.

Boom, boom, boom, boom. Felt good, people were liking it.

Next day phone rings. I pick up and say "hello" and so does about three others. We had a party line!

Didn't think anything of it. Called the phone company to get someone to fix it. Guy was working right in front of our house. So the friendly person we are we chat with him. Guy says, "it looks like someone shot the phone lines".

I said "really?" That's pretty crazy right there!

gdenby · June 2016

We briefly had a party line. Made for a "cozy" neighborhood. Ooops, picked up at the wrong ring.

Long distance was confined to weekends after mid-night, to get a low enough rate so 1 call wasn't as much as the whole months usual bill.

Oh, and remember collect calls? The operator would ask you if you would accept. And the person on the other end could hear if you said yes or no, but still have enough time to blurt out a few words before disconnect.

Wait, is that the milk man coming down the street? If me and the guys run after the truck, maybe he'll give us some ice to lick on!

RajunCajun · June 2016

Ahhhh, the days of paying exorbitant rates for long distance and collect calls. Seems not so long ago that cell phone calls were 0.35/min for EVERY minute. Reality is that we paid more for what now seems like a simpler life.

driller2838 · June 2016

@RajunCajun I don't know anything about party lines, but had to drop in for a Geaux Tigers!

Was it simpler?

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