Who remembers party lines?
By snowy
@snowy22315 (186509)
United States
March 14, 2025 1:06pm CST
From about 1966 to the early 70's, our phone at home was on a party line. You would pick up the phone to make a call and half the time there was someone already on it. Basically you had no choice, but to let them finish their conversation..even though it could take quite awhile. I suppose private lines existed then, but my parents weren't about to pay the higher fees for them
10 people like this
9 responses
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
21h
It could really get aggravating when you wanted to make a call and somebody was on the line for 2 hours My mother hated it when she wanted to call us from work and somebody was on the line.
3 people like this
@Juliaacv (52627)
• Canada
19h
I remember party lines very well.
After people started getting private lines, my parents paid for a party line but had a private line.
They still had the 1 long 1 short ring, but otherwise it was the same.
Finally Bell Canada contacted them and told them that they were going to have to pay for a private line as they had one, in essence, for the 9 or 10 previous years.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
18h
Almost always have to pay the piper at some point.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
4h
@Juliaacv I'm sure It's kind of like getting free cable because someone forgot to flip a switch when somebody moved out.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (52627)
• Canada
17h
@snowy22315 They saved alot of money for all of those monthly bills for all of those years.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
18h
Yeah, who knows when they all got phased out everywhere.?
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
4h
@id_peace Yes, you were, but doing so was an invasion of privacy, and I didn't want to get yelled at. You could tell when someone picked up a receiver.
@id_peace (15210)
• Singapore
4h
@snowy22315 If you hold the line long enoguh, are you able to hear conversation from the other lines?
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42862)
• United States
17h
I remember party lines. Rather aggravating.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
18h
They will probably know, unless you have young parents.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
17h
@lilacskies Papa should know for sure as long as he grew up in this country.
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@lilacskies (10757)
• United States
18h
@snowy22315 I have an old papa, but a middle aged mama.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (186509)
• United States
18h
I don't remember that, but I do remember the frustration of wanting to make a call, and somebody was already on the line, and never seemed to get off.
