So, I basically missed that transitional phase when telephone booths were more commonplace. This has left me with a number of questions about the ol’ telephone booths, but this one strikes me as one of the funnier and more unnerving ones to ask.
Was it possible to get locked in a telephone booth? Did some models have locks to keep folks from messing with them? If so, who…Would manage the locks? Local authorities & the phone companies?
Were there any notable stories of a person somehow getting trapped in a telephone booth in otherwise ordinary circumstances (i.e. no disaster had struck)?
They didn’t have locks but you could probably break the hinges on the door in a way that it doesn’t open, maybe? I’ve only ever seen like a folding door (double hinged) design. Maybe some pennies? It’d work for a normal door, not sure about the accordion style tho.
There’s a movie called “Phonebooth” that has a dude trapped in a phonebooth because a sniper is watching him and blackmailing him because he’s cheating on his wife/fiance. That’s the most notable a thing I know involving a phone booth other than Dr. Who.
Used to be a college challenge to stuff as many people in one as possible; I bet you could find a horror story or two stemming from that, perhaps.
Just for the record, Dr Who’s TARDIS is a police box. They had call boxes on the outside, and were a place for beat coppers to take breaks, fill out reports or lock up some one they’ve arrested while waiting for transport back to the station.
Although there are Doctor Who spoofs that have used a phone box in place of a police box. Inspector Spacetime, for example, uses a phone booth instead of a police box.
Why a penny? Did you put a penny in this door? If I find a penny in this door I’m taking you down.
Dr. Jan Itor?