The Vanishing Payphone by Fong Lam

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13-Nov-2014	Fong Lam

The Vanishing Payphone

This photo, taken some years back, captures a small slice of the past —
an elderly lady using the coin phone, with her trolley beside her,
perhaps making a quick call after marketing. It feels honest and
touching, a reminder of a slower time when public phones were
still part of daily life, especially for the older generation.

FujiFilm X10
1/75s f/4.5 at 9.3mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto

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All images copyrighted © Fong Lam

globalgadabout		09-Jul-2026 14:36
a cool, evocative capture...well done to catch the caller at an expressive moment..

Dennis Hoyne		09-Jul-2026 04:00
Precious memories, and such a fun image!

Denise J T Lee		09-Jul-2026 03:13
Turquoise and red look surprisingly good together. I've never seen five payphones installed on one wall. So thoughtful arrangement. It's eye catching too. In the United States: imagine that one day you get robbed. You are left with no money, credit cards, metro card, or cell phone. How do you get home? Without cash or a metro card, you cannot hail a taxi or use public transportation. Without your own phone, you cannot call Uber. Passersby would be reluctant to lend their phone to a stranger, fearing you might be a hacker out to steal data or that you might run off with the device. You need to get home to contact your banks and credit card issuers to report the loss. On your way to a police station for help, you might miss the days of payphones; at the very least, they allowed you to make collect calls to family or a friend and ask them to come pick you up. In the past, everyone easily memorized five or ten phone numbers. Today, however, even if a police officer offered to make a call for you, it is highly likely that you wouldn't even remember your best friend's number. The past—and the way things used to be—is not necessarily inferior in every respect. ~VVVVV+++~

Bryan Murahashi		09-Jul-2026 02:58
Wonderful photo of these still working vintage pay phones. We still have a working pay phone outside the dining area of Tuolumne meadows in Yosemite National Park.

Julie Oldfield		08-Jul-2026 23:20
A sight no longer seen. The variety of phones is interesting. Her expression tells a story. V

FrankB		08-Jul-2026 22:13
I haven't used a payphone since the 2000's up in Long Lake on our fishing trips. Long Lake was one of the last areas without cell service. Nice piece of nostalgia, V

janescottcumming		08-Jul-2026 22:12
Wow, you don’t see that anymore! Really takes one back in time. V

Ronny		08-Jul-2026 21:39
Sometimes I long for those times when everything was simple and straightforward, a nice find in the probably very large archive. Usually we had to gather coins together then........ VVV

Allan Jay		08-Jul-2026 19:30
Exceptional image! Transporting the viewer with your imagery. VVV

Alain Boussac		08-Jul-2026 16:04
In France, the last phone booths - which were smart card and already more coin-based - disappeared at the end of 2017. It was dramatic for the elderly and the homeless... The profusion of coin-operated phones in this image is really remarkable and the presence of the elderly person testifies superbly to this era... so close though. Excellent, Fong.V.

Nestor Derkach		08-Jul-2026 15:54
Amazing how time have changed we still see pay phones but have to search for one if you need one cell phones win AI is next give it time. Vote

Marcia Rules		08-Jul-2026 15:54
You have transported us all back to the 80s! VVV~

Ellen Michaels		08-Jul-2026 15:06
Perfect composition of a wonderfully nostalgic scene. V

Helen Betts		08-Jul-2026 11:34
Very nostalgic shot of days gone by. Much nicer than seeing everybody on their cell phone! V.

francoisconstantin		08-Jul-2026 11:32
Great composition, love that scene!! V

Dan Opdal		08-Jul-2026 06:28
Great find and great shot, Fong! Very nicely done. V

Ton, Ben & Rob Nagtegaal		08-Jul-2026 05:34
Beautiful candid shot of this lady making a phone call. V

jtocaciu		08-Jul-2026 05:32
A nostalgic image, picture witness of our past, perhaps better times in many countries. Singapore was a dynamic, modern country then, high-powered and modern today. VVVVV+