End of an era, New York separated the last phone booth

End of an era: New York City fired its last coin-operated phone booth on Monday, the popular “public phone booth,” which for a few years has been replaced by free Wi-Fi terminals.

But let Superman fans rest assured: Manhattan will keep four shuttered phone booths, the one where journalist Clark Kent transforms into a superhero.

New York, Monday morning, put an end to a myth perpetuated in popular culture for decades by comics, photography, film and television.

In front of the press, the last “booth” with two disassembled phones was dismantled and placed on a truck, which was erected in a corner of 7^And Street and 50^And A street in the center of New York Island marked with the blue bell logo of the telecommunications company Bell System.

“I was there today for a final farewell to the famous – or infamous? – NYC pay phone. I won’t miss the lack of tone of call, but I must admit I got a little nostalgic to see him go,” Mark Levine wrote on Twitter.

The Democrat-elect said he doesn’t really regret the days when those phones worked half the time, when you had to rummage through your pockets to find a one-piece coin. a fourth (25 cents) or lined up to call in the middle of the street in full view of pedestrians.

Wired payphones began disappearing from the streets of New York in the early 2000s when cell phones appeared, and then in the 2000s with the explosion of smartphones.

Starting in 2015, Manhattan quickly installed thousands of LinkNYC hotspots that offer free WiFi and local calls. These new kiosks should be gradually connected to the 5G network.

“It really is the end of an era, but also, hopefully, the beginning of a new era with more equal access to technology,” said Mr. Levine, referring to the northern neighborhoods of Manhattan, and Harlem in particular, which are not well-covered by networks. phone and internet.

According to the local press, Manhattan will maintain four old-fashioned phone booths (with or without hinged doors) on the more upscale Upper West Side, at 66 West End Street.^And90^And100^And and 101^And Streets.