A Review Of Public Pay Phones

The previous content undoubtedly makes it clear that today I whiled away my time outside the Garden Spot. We have a friend visiting from out of town so we’re pulling out all the stops. Or more accurately: we’re stopping constantly. So as to feed my public pay phone fixation. The way I see it, these fixtures— or more accurately: what is to be found in them— are a reflection of the communities into which they are placed. These “urban artifacts”, however revolting they may be— and they frequently are— tickle my inner anthropologist’s fancy. Without further ado, here we go!

Sixth Avenue & 28 Street, Chelsea

6aveand28street

This is located around the corner from Jeff Boss’s manifold number of missives (which I featured previously). There is a lot going on here, so let’s go in for a closer look!

yellowpants

One pair of neon yellow pants.

Soiled

Soiled.

petals

Rose petals grace the concrete.

roses

Which brings me to the right-hand stall. We have what once was a bouquet and this.

You are an asshole

No argument here. Upon closer inspection I discerned that both “stalls” bore this missive.

980 Sixth Avenue, “Fashion District”

980sixthave

This one is gold— in ways I could not begin to fathom.

enemyinplainsight

Initially, I thought the above-depicted flyer was related to this incitement. Nope.

PORNSTARSWELCOME

I have taken the liberty of highlighting my favorite passages.

notakers

I suppose it is not surprising he has not gotten any “takers”. Has not this fellow ever heard of Craigslist? It would save him a lot of money on fliers (which, in turn could be used to pay for entertaining). So it goes…

LADIES

Here’s what I found placed deftly atop of the receiver. NEEEXT!

40th Street, Bryant Park

spoonphone

Not much to see here save a misshapen spoon. Now let’s proceed to the Upper East Side…

Second Avenue & East 68 Street

pissphone

Public pay phones in New York City are often pressed into service as privies. This is hardly news. However, the elegance of what happened here is truly noteworthy. So much so I outlined it to my travelling companions like the tour guide I most assuredly am.

  1. This individual— a man— despite probably being in an inebriated state utilized the features of this phone in a rather clever way. He first placed the cup between the rails. 
  2. He peed into the cup. That will make it easier for whoever is charged with removing it.

whoops

For the most part. Still this gets an “E” for effort. Closing on a poignant  note…

59th Street & Third Avenue, “Midtown”

elizabethgardner

You can learn what Elizabeth Gardner did by clicking here. She was a lot more than a pretty face…

Missing On Second Avenue*: Pepe

pepe

Yikes!

*on/around 1147 lest you are curious.

From The New York Shitty Photo Pool, Part II: Red

Red

Taken WarmSleepy.

New York Shitty Day Starter: The Touraine

July 11, 2012 ·
Filed under: Upper East Side, Upper East Side Manhattan 

CCTV trompe l'oeil

Nothing says “class” like an elegantly designed vinyl poster affixed to a fire escape replete with a surveillance camera. Thank you, WarmSleepy.

Reader Contribution du Jour: Deja Vu

September 18, 2011 ·
Filed under: 10128, Culture War, Upper East Side, Upper East Side Manhattan 

This item hails from the Upper East Side (91st Street and Second Avenue, to be precise) and comes courtesy of Fred T. Sanford. If the subject matter of the above missive, dear (veteran) readers, seems vaguely/inexplicably familiar to you here’s why:

On January 6, 2010 I wrote of the above missive (which hails from Lorimer Street in East Williamsburg):

…the horrific grammar and spelling of this missive taken into account— here’s what I want to know:

  1. What the hell are “whipes”?
  2. How does one flush a mop down a toilet?
  3. Why would someone see fit to flush a mop down a toilet?

I guess there’s a first time for everything.

And as of today, September 18, 2011; there’s a second!

Reader Contribution du Jour: A Second Avenue PSA

April 29, 2011 ·
Filed under: 10128, Upper East Side, Upper East Side Manhattan 

The above missive was captured by an ex-pat Greenpointer, Rebecca, on Second Avenue and 95th Street. If the pup in the above picture looks familiar to some of you, it should. It is none other than Fred T. Sanford who, as some of you might recall, “discovered”* a lifetime achievement award for director Sidney Lumet at a traffic triangle right here in the Garden Spot!

Miss Heather

*READ: almost urinated upon

From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Morning Commute

April 18, 2011 ·
Filed under: 10028, New York City, Upper East Side, Upper East Side Manhattan 

_DSC8489

Taken by Single Linds Reflex.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Starter: Neil’s Coffee Shop

January 15, 2011 ·
Filed under: Manhattan, New York City 

Neil's

This rather nifty shot comes courtesy of a new person in my photo pool: WithoutFins. Of Neil’s he writes:

Hot Chocolate and Grilled cheese sandwiches here on Sunday afternoon. It’s real old timey NYC!

Miss Heather

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