Remarks: OK, it’s an Aliant phone, just like dozens of other busted pay phones out there. It’s clear Aliant doesn’t give a damn about pay phones and wants out of the business completely. Still: The phones are on city property, with city permits. But unlike a dog permit, which allows you walk Fido down the street so long as he’s on a leash, Aliant’s permits don’t require them to do anything—not even keep the phones in working order. A government that wanted its citizens to have access to working pay phones would say, “Lookee here, Aliant. See those wires of yours, hanging from our poles? If you want to keep using our poles, you’ll to have to maintain the pay phones.”
Who’s Responsible?: City Hall, 490-4000
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2008.