|
The Mojave Phone Booth 10/31/99 ______________________________________________ Written By Kyle D www.pr3fix.com A payphone number list... almost all phreak sites have one. But there is one payphone that sets itself apart from the others, the Mojave Phone. Supposedly the most desolate booth in the world this booth sits in the middle of the desert and is labeled the "loneliest phone". This phone has struck such an interest, people from around the world have called it just to see if anyone would pick up. Some of those who do answer are previous callers who, for some unknown reason that makes sense only to them, also feel compelled to visit the booth. "For us," wrote screenwriter Chuck Atkins of his recent trek to the booth, "it was about driving into nowhere for no good reason, meeting fellow netizens who shared our sense of childish glee at the coolness of a phone booth in the middle of nowhere." The craze began two years ago after a high-desert wanderer noticed a telephone icon on a Mojave road map. Curious, he drove out from Los Angeles to investigate and wrote a letter to a counterculture magazine describing his exploits and including the phone number. After spotting the letter, computer entrepreneur Godfrey Daniels became so captivated by the idea he created the first of several Web sites dedicated solely to the battered booth. Since then word of the phone has been beamed to computers virtually everywhere. Its has evolved into a worldwide listening post. Fans have taken the neglected old booth under their wing. Outside, they've posted a sign that reads "Mojave Phone Both - you could shoot it, but why would you want to?" Next to that is another card reading: "If you call it, they will come." Rick Karr, a 51-year-old spiritual wanderer, has no Web site, but says he was instructed by the Holy Spirit to travel to the desert and answer the phone. The Texas native recently spent 32 days camping out at the booth, fielding more then 500 calls from people like Bubba in Phoenix , Ariz., and Ian in Newfoundland and repeated contacts from a caller who identified himself as "Sgt. Zeno from the Pentagon." "This phone," he said with a weary sigh, "never stops ringing." While she would not provide the statistics, a Pacific Bell spokeswoman said the phone experienced "very low outgoing usage." Still, the booth is sometimes used by locals to conduct business or check messages. University of California, Los Angeles sociologist Warren TenHouten stated "Some people just have nothing to do, so they pursue shreds of information that have no value. It amuses me, but there's something pitiful about it too. I mean, what's the most interesting thing that could happen by being so mischievous as to call a public pay phone?" Web sites that feature the Mojave phone booth: www.cardhouse.com/g/moj/mojave.ht www.illuminatrix.com/mojave www.deadpan.net/mpb/why.htm majick.skunkworks.cx/articles/mdpb-1.html www.wrdsnpix.com/990525.htm Mojave phone booth number: (760) 733-9969