The Last Visitors to the Mojave Desert Phone Booth

[oscarandbernie]

The goverment ran off the ranchers (didn't renew grazing rights) who pumped some 60 miles of water underground to guzzlers that watered the wild animals and cows all over the desert. Now no water and no cows to eat the weeds that grow and cause fire hazzards. That phone was at end of power lines going to FAA station. They should have a solar powered phone from Ponderosa Phone Co. that serves us up there for public. Or an emergency phone at rangers station at old OX Ranch site.

[ncPsychosis]

haha that's some bizarre shit...I wonder why they would remove it, after some "unusual" incoming callls..lol.

[MrMovieAnalyst]

p.s. It also wouldn't be the first time Wikipedia was wrong.

[paintdiva]

@MrMovieAnalyst Ya got that right!

[MrMovieAnalyst]

About two years ago I talked to a ranger briefly at the old train station near Kelso (which is now a National Park Service ranger station), he said they have now also removed the small 'monument' that was placed there after the booth was removed. He said the reason was that people were still coming out and trashing the place.

[paintdiva]

@MrMovieAnalyst "people were still coming out and trashing the place" - WHAT A LIE! When I went to the booth I saw very little evidence of people being out there. It IS a national park. Please see THE DEUCE OF CLUBS web site.

[MrMovieAnalyst]

@paintdiva If you look on the Wikipedia page for the phone booth, you'll see that it says something about there was a problem with people coming out there and 'partying' or whatever. I don't know that that implies there were people there at all times.

[paintdiva]

@MrMovieAnalyst That Wikipedia entry about the phone booth is not accurate. It's spin from the Forest Service. Go to the Deuce of Clubs web site and read the story.

[paintdiva]

@MrMovieAnalyst He was lying to you.

[MrMovieAnalyst]

@paintdiva It wouldn't be the first time the government lied. I didn't look at the website you mentioned yet, and this is just speculation, but the Wikipedia page said something about the park service owing AT&T (or Bell) an easement fee for the booth. So maybe what happened was they didn't pay the fees and the booth was taken down, then the government tried to whitewash the incident by saying the reason for its removal was people being a nuisance.

[braden307]

It's a shame they tore down this phone booth. And now they're putting up huge, ugly solar panels in the desert to harness the sun's power so a few hundred thousands homes in San Bernardino can have electricity. Makes no sense.

[SteelRock73]

I remember Art Bell calling this phone on his show on 3.1.2000 & got a busy signal.

[fenris91]

I called this phone once and had a pleasant conversation with the guy who camped out there. I miss it.

[applevalleyjoe]

Too cooool!

[nerffan1]

NOOO!!!!

[niminiminimnim]

WHY did they take it down??

Why can't they just leave things be?

Not even in the desert they leave a little magic be.

This world drives me mad!

[SangosEvilTwin]

man, I wish I'd gone there, at least once before I left California for good

[2002puravida]

What is the song please?

[paintdiva]

@2002puravida "Chota Spirits" by R. Carlos Nakai Quartet

[Duker114]

The booth needs to be out back. The reason being is that it's awesome to be able to recive calls from random people all over the world asking you why you are at the phone booth and being able to be a part of a phemonenom of booth culture. While the park seemed to not like the visitors they sould have been thankful that people in America even cared to see the desert. The desert they so love and care for. Trash and grafitti? I guess all phone boothes left in America should be removed.

[frequencydude]

@Duker114 very good point my friend.

[xoxoMandieRosexoxo]

it's a shame this is gone. It's one of those quirks that make America so special. I would have loved to have been a part of the history of the loneliest phone booth in America

[12Zwolf]

Thank You For Posting;

The 'Mojave Desert Phone-Booth' commits a role-model of dignity for the world.

Cheers!

Valkyrie Ziege Mourne

[margaretjackson6671]

there are phones on the highways - solar powered....

[snoopz15]

Thats a real shame people don't care about things like this!

[XxGuardian337xX]

thats sad that they took it away, i wouldve like to have called it

[jojojr2]

definitely a bad thing that folks cannot respect that area, but anyway at least they can't touch the more beautiful parts of the desert anymore thanks to national park!

[jojojr2]

I grew up out there..that phone saved my life once...too bad it isn't there anymore it may just save some of my friends who spend lots of time out there...had it still been there..by the way...I lived out there since 1970..and if I ever get into trouble the way I did last time it sure would be nice to have it.

[eventide925]

As a native Californian I think that remark is just not cool. I have spent a lot of time out there, and not just the weekends.

You aren't the only one that loves the Mojave...

[Okedolkle]

How sad that the booth is gone!

[cubsdestined2win]

huell howswer ever go there? lol

[paintdiva]

Nope!

[ethen24]

If I was there when the phone company took it away, I would have bought it...

[paintdiva]

There is no way Pac Bell would've sold it to you. The Forest Service wanted it destroyed.

[Ubeans2001]

I dont know how they can destroy a 40 year old phone that is just creepy to me. (Just think about it, it was there when JFK was assasinated, when we went to the moon, and even when they closed Hong Kong's spectacular Kai Tak airport which you should look up on YouTube)

[steamingpoopfart]

can you please explain the story of the booth i never heard of this?

[paintdiva]

@steamingpoopfart - look for the "Deuce of Clubs" web site on Google. They have the whole story.

Perhaps you could consider another username for YouTube

[jojojr2]

I have had to make an emergency call from that booth, my truck broke down at Aken cinder mine, it was the only way I got out of there that day with out walking all the way to Cima road.

My mother grew up out there, and my Grandfather built all of the old corrals in the area.

[shuckslbj]

That's awesome, jojojr2. Very cool you could be a part of it.

[jojojr2]

yea there are many stories about it that only us locals know, and you would think we were crazy for telling them.

[eventide925]

I wouldn't! I'd love to hear the provenance behind this piece of history! You are so blessed to live out there all year round!

[razgriz1240]

why they take it away and why was it ringing nonstop?

[AnimalNitrates]

People rang the Phone Booth in the hopes that someone would pick up. As news of the booth spread across the internet, and the world, people dialled the number so that they could be part of the history.

[jazzy2blue]

yes correct...

[djrun]

How was the phone booth like when you were there? It must have been ringing non-stop..

Funny how you say you recieved calls from all different countries and then add "San Bernardino" at the end! haha!

[paintdiva]

No rings for 15 minutes. Then it rang for 30 minutes non-stop.

[jazzy2blue]

august scot music?? navajo.

[paintdiva]

R. Carlos Nakia Quartet, "Ancestrial Voices", 1992

[masterchief377]

^Agreed

[go4idiots]

another piece of history gone

[theefforts]

such a shame

[paintdiva]

I am soo glad I got to got there before PacBell took it away!

[futohs]

Dan, thank you for cleaning up the booth.

[Kirsten2002]

I have never heard of this phoneboot. Interesting impression. Looking forward to seeing the movie.