July 11, 2005
When phone boxes come into their own
Mobiles, on last Thursday's evidence, seem particularly vulnerable to crashing during crisis. The networks are also liable to be shut down to forestall the possibility of mobiles being used as bomb-triggering devices, according to The Guardian.
"Landlines are more durable and less corruptible by bad people. But when Londoners needed publicly accessible landlines on Thursday morning, many of the phone booths in WC1 were out of order, their coin slots jammed, or already decommissioned by BT .
The London authorities, after the attacks on New York and Madrid, made commendable preparations for the inevitable attack. But, oddly, they seem not to have given any thought to keeping in working order the most reliable public-emergency communication we have.
...If, as seems likely, London is to be targeted again by terrorists, these sturdy kiosks should be refurbished. Not as lovable antiques for the tourists, but as weapons".
Related:
-- Slow demise of a very British icon
-- Mobile Phones Drive Out Street Phone Booths
-- Belgium to dismantle 4,000 phone booths
-- Phone booths in England losing their popularity
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