Sunday November 27th through Sunday December 4th.
I'm going to let this one ride an extra day so we can shift to an easier schedule. Easier for me, that is.
This is a payphone (one of two) at the Golden Gate Bridge Bridge Cafe & Gift Shop in San Francisco, California. The view at right is actually the view from the phone, approximately. The other payphone is 415 xxx xxxx, didn't actually test that one.
The Golden Gate Bridge opened for traffic in 1937. It is the largest red bridge in America. Someone I know who was doing bungee jumps when people had no idea what that was said that whenever he drives across the Golden Gate Bridge he takes his seat belt off. That way, if there's an earthquake, he can jump out of the car and grab on to one of the main cables. From almost anyone else in the world, I'd just call that macho posturing. But this guy -- his seat belt is off, he's ready.
There is a Golden Gate Bridge cam. There it is.
Monday, November 28th, 2005.
nice spot this week, will try later
Called at 12:09 mountain time....I let it ring FOREVER and got no answer. Darn it! I was really hoping my future husband would be on the other end.
You know how Futurehubbies® are, always running late.
Called at 6:10ET on Monday 11/28...no answer
Tuesday, November 29th, 2005.
I called at 6, 7, 8, 8:30, and 9, EST and got nothing but ringing and ringing, except one time I got a busy signal, then I tried to call right back and it just rang and rang. I even thought of a better question than the "What's the weather like?" dork-o question.
--KurtRoedeger
hey this website is awesome!! such a cool idea, way to go! I was wonderin if you could tell me how i'd ring america from england, cuz i live there and i want to try phoneswarming!!! Oh and how much would it cost?!!!
Try this. All you need to select is where you're calling from, and the rest of the form is populated. Someone sent that in, I'm too lazy to find stuff like that.
called 11:26 ET. Tuesday 11/29. No answer.
Called 0943pst Tuesday, November 29, 2005: Answer! A guy that works on the bridge was getting a cup of coffee at the nearby cafe. We chatted about the weather (wet and cold) and the website. He said there were some tourists around. Really nice guy. He seemed pretty amazed that some stranger from Seattle would call a pay phone on the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm totally stoked. That was fun!
It is an icky day.
looks icky on the webcam ... very foggy, no answers today
Wednesday, November 30th, 2005.
Still no answer when I tried again last night. No body wants to play with me :(.
--KurtRoedeger
It was still an icky day. Try today, it looks better outside.
2pm. busy then incessent ringing.
3:16pm EST
Call the phone in question and got no answer. Tried the phone on the right instead. A nice girl named Jessica answered. I asked her if she liked chocolate. She wanted to know why. I told her that the future of the state of Florida hung in the balance and I needed to know if she liked chocolate.
"Yes, but mostly around my period."
I thanked her and explained that everything was now right in the world and that war, pestilence and disease could be knocked out if there were more people like Jessica in San Francisco on the planet.
She laughed and thanked me before hanging up.
Florida need not be saved, really.
Tried again Wednesday night. What would be the optimum time to call the phone? I tried 3 separate times and still no answer. I have an important question that I need an answer to. :(
--KurtRoedeger
I'm afraid it's just going to be difficult to get ahold of someone at anytime if this weather keeps up, or rather, down. I will have to roll this phone out again next spring.
Thursday, December 1st, 2005.
I called at 4:06 (Eastern time) on December 1st, and no answer. The weather on the webcam didn't look great however.
Oh, it's SUPER crappy today. Yes, I can certainly pick them. When I had my bouts of phoneswarm swarming, I picked phones that would work for good weather. So now I need to find a stack of different phones indoors that won't annoy people with the constant ringing. Won't you send a payphone in?
Friday, December 2nd, 2005.
Tried again several times last night. And I FINALLY got an answer. Some guy answered, asked who this was, and then hung up. He didn't even let me say anything. #@(*$&#(&$@(#$@$#!!!!!!
--KurtRoedeger
Today looks like it's going to be a clear day, for what it's worth.
Decided to be different and called the xxxx number. After about 3 minutes, an Australian man answered and we chatted about the weather. It was rather cool for him. Then he had to run...
Just called xxx xxx xxxx at 6:30 eastern. Let it ring several times, no answer. I tried xxx xxx xxxx and some answered after about 10 rings. I heard a lot of fumbling with the phone. I said said "Hello"? and it sounded like someone in the background said, "Quit ringing" and then hung up.
I'm an ex-pat American living in the northeast of China. I tried to call both phones in question, but to no avail. I was calling around 11am, Saturday in China. So, I guess that's about 7pm Friday in Cali.
Yeah, the tourists die down when it starts getting dark. And it's 7:12pm right now, very dark.
Saturday, December 3rd, 2005.
Crap! I really want to know the way to San Jose.
Tried at around 12:50AM(at night) tonight ... no answer ... will try tomororw ...
You might want to mention skype for people here cause its 2 cents a minutes and if you never connect it never uses any of your money ... great VOIP product.
-Daniel
Tried to call @ 11:08 Central time (Dallas). Rang and Rang ... no answer. I'll try back later ... and post if someone answers.
I just called from Birmingham Alabama. Someone answered after 5 rings. A girl answered:
Me: Hi, this is Domino's Pizza. May I speak to Mandy, please?
Girl: Uh, sorry, this is a payphone.
Me: Damn. Mandy got a party, I guess, huh? May I speak to her, please? It's about her order.
Girl: I don't think there's a Mandy here. This is a payphone.
Me: She's in the potty, right? Just tell her the pizzas are going to be a little late.
I'm on the bridge right now. I was on my way but my car caught fire. Tell her I'm sorry and another driver will be there shortly. Thanks.
*click*
Yeah, I think I mentioned that a lot of people did that when we were answering the Mojave Phone Booth phone. People, in general, are already stepping out of their comfort zones to answer a randomly ringing payphone. They don't have to do it. So ... and perhaps this is the booze talking ... perhaps just talking to them as if you met them on the street would be "the higher road." Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of pranks -- but pranks on people/institutions/government that are actually begging for them, not someone who's just answering a phone just to see who's on the other end of the line or out of the sake of pure, beautiful curiousity.
Sunday, December 4th, 2005.
Got through: Talked to a friendly British tourist from London. She said the weather was absolutely beautiful. Naturally she was baffled why I called a payphone, so I explained her the concept of the website and she said, and I quote: "That is absolutely wicked!" We talked for about 1 minute about random stuff then bid farewell.
Good tagline. "In a world ... that is absolutely wicked ... weekly random payphones are listed ... and perhaps vengeance is too much to ask."