UK Pavilion Phone Booths

[Soarin08]

I'd kill for one then the Doctor Who nerd in me would paint it blue.

Oh dear, elizabethswann..... I hope you do realise that the Tardis isn't a telephone box, its a police box, which is a whole other thing! However, there are places you can buy a Tardis too

What is the difference? I know it's a police box but does that serve a different function?

[I am Sulley]

I'm from the UK and we don't have these phone booths anymore so it's a real nice to treat so see these around at epcot when I come to visit. Epcot reminds me so much of my childhood because I spent so much time there it's awesome that some of our heritage is built into the park .

I actually saw a few of the red phone booths when I was in the UK in 2003 ~ it was pretty neat to see them as the only place I had ever seen them before that was in EPCOT!

There are still a few around but usually in small villages where the village has purchased the box themselves.

Don't know if that is true or not but it is amazing what you take for granted - I actually pass THREE red phone boxes going to and from work, an eight mile journey, every day along with two more in a small builders yard.
We have three in my small town and I have found five more within about a five mile radius.
They are everywhere

[Amy]

Don't know if that is true or not but it is amazing what you take for granted - I actually pass THREE red phone boxes going to and from work, an eight mile journey, every day along with two more in a small builders yard.
We have three in my small town and I have found five more within about a five mile radius.
They are everywhere

do you know if the phone boxes still have working telephones in them?

[Sleepy90]

Don't know if that is true or not but it is amazing what you take for granted - I actually pass THREE red phone boxes going to and from work, an eight mile journey, every day along with two more in a small builders yard.
We have three in my small town and I have found five more within about a five mile radius.
They are everywhere

do you know if the phone boxes still have working telephones in them?

I am Sulley aren't you the lucky little beaver all of the ones around here have been replaced with the new glass boxes apart from the ones that certain little villages have purchased themselves.

Amy the ones that remain still have working Telephones in them.

Soarin the police boxes were for contacting the constabulary only. It was deemed to be a safe place to wait until the policemen arrived. If I am wrong I am sure our cheshire friend will inform us thus.

[mindflipper]

Police Boxes were big in the 1960's/1970's in the UK. They were blue, and as Sleepy90 explained it was meant to be a safe place to wait until the arrival of the police if you felt unsafe. The phone inside was a direct line to the local police, and when used it activated a light atop to let any police passing by to know someone was in need of aid.

By the 1980's, the police boxes were removed from everywhere pretty much. Considered out of date and too costly to maintain.

In the mid 1990's, the police box came back, but very limited. I believe the first to get the new police box was the Earl's Court Underground Station. The light atop has been replaced with a CCTV camera. Others were planned at that time for other areas experiencing high crime rates. I have no idea of how many are in use today in London. I would expect they became out of date again because everyone in London now has a "mobile" (or as the americans call it, a "cellphone").

[I am Sulley]

Sleepy. I find it hard to believe myself. Can't remember when I last used one though

Strictly speaking they where mini Police Stations with a phone for emergency use by the public accessed through a small door on the front. Check out "Police box" on Wikipedia if you want the detail.

The standard UK phone box seen in EPCOT is paid tribute to in the song "Red Frame White Light" by OMD. The clue is in the song title

[Amy]

Don't know if that is true or not but it is amazing what you take for granted - I actually pass THREE red phone boxes going to and from work, an eight mile journey, every day along with two more in a small builders yard.
We have three in my small town and I have found five more within about a five mile radius.
They are everywhere

do you know if the phone boxes still have working telephones in them?

I am Sulley aren't you the lucky little beaver all of the ones around here have been replaced with the new glass boxes apart from the ones that certain little villages have purchased themselves.

Amy the ones that remain still have working Telephones in them.

Soarin the police boxes were for contacting the constabulary only. It was deemed to be a safe place to wait until the policemen arrived. If I am wrong I am sure our cheshire friend will inform us thus.

Thanks Sleepy ~ I like the idea of the police boxes, but I can see where they would be outdated nowadays...

[dstrawn9889]

Sleepy. I find it hard to believe myself. Can't remember when I last used one though

Strictly speaking they where mini Police Stations with a phone for emergency use by the public accessed through a small door on the front. Check out "Police box" on Wikipedia if you want the detail.

The standard UK phone box seen in EPCOT is paid tribute to in the song "Red Frame White Light" by OMD. The clue is in the song title

or any one of the hundreds of episodes of Dr Who... on BBC One over there [right guys?], BBCa here across the pond, and of course Netflix

[NaCler]

Thanks Sleepy ~ I like the idea of the police boxes, but I can see where they would be outdated nowadays...

We have a version of these here in Jacksonville, mostly on college campuses. They are call boxes and are basically a blue light on a tall pole with a security camera attached. When you press the button it activates the blue warning light and the camera. I believe they used to connect you directly with the police but now it is just campus security. They are placed about every 100 yards from each other.

[Amy]

Thanks Sleepy ~ I like the idea of the police boxes, but I can see where they would be outdated nowadays...

We have a version of these here in Jacksonville, mostly on college campuses. They are call boxes and are basically a blue light on a tall pole with a security camera attached. When you press the button it activates the blue warning light and the camera. I believe they used to connect you directly with the police but now it is just campus security. They are placed about every 100 yards from each other.

That's good ~ so many crimes on college campuses these days The only danger I ever really faced at my college was walking by the open trash cans and getting scared by a raccoon

[princessinwaiting]

Thanks Sleepy and mindflipper for explaining the differences between police boxes and telephone boxes, I was going to do it, but my internet was broken! You've done a better job of it than I would have anyway! I'm glad everyone has been set straight

[Tiger87]

Very sad to see that the phone booth numbers are disconnected.......

[kelpseaweedkelp]

Very sad to see that the phone booth numbers are disconnected.......

Oh no!!!! Really!? I just stumbled on this thread and was getting super excited to call them tonight!