Bell Pay Phones Suck Twice the Life from your Wallet
Starting... GAH! YESTERDAY! Bell has doubled the cost per use of their public pay phones to 50 cents. Their main concern is the growing number of cellphone users being the cause of shrinking profits. A few years ago Bell was ripping phone booths outta the ground due to their lack of usage so perhaps we're all just afraid of gettin' cooties.
This is pretty much a non-issue for me and the millions of other cell phone users that are currently damning Bell's profit margins, but for a lot of low income families as well as those holding out (how can anyone resist that LG Chocolate?) this increase will most certainly be a pain in their collective asses. Also, public phones are an excellent help during non-911 emergency situations, situations where going through the operator to setup a reverse charged call can cause some seriously unwanted delays.
Bell's allowed to increase the rate because the CRTC gave permission to all public phone companies to increase their rates by a maximum of 25 cents, and recently approved Bell's request to do so. It should be noted that only Bell has increased their rates. Telus brand public phones are still a solid 25 cents per ring-a-ding. What we need is a Google Map of Telus' pay phone locations so, if we so please, can shaft Bell up the bum with even lower profits for their next fiscal year. What do you think about the whole increase, does this affect you deeply or are you currently too busy texting your friend to care?
EDIT: Huzaa for editors! This news was posted a few weeks ago. Still, a friendly reminder to be pissed at Bell can't hurt. -Ry C.
Photo from Photendo's Day on the Danforth set
Comments (10)
Wow, Bell really jumped on this opportunity. I've never owned a cell phone and rely on pay phones particularly when traveling downtown. Looks like I'll have to carry a pocket full of quarters where ever I go now.
Try using one in England. Its like 50c every two mintues or something crazy and thats for a local call. Consider yourselves lucky.
In Japan, it's roughly the same as what mars said about England. Public phones only take 10 yen and 100 yen coins (roughly 10 cents and one dollar CAD respectively). 10 yen will barely get you 20 seconds, while 100 yen gets you a 3 minute conversation. Cell phones and VoIP have taken over, which caused public phones to become mostly obsolete. Finding one can be a pain when you're not sure where you are.
okay I am in Toronto too, and I have a cellphone and I think it is ridiculous! Cellphone users still use the payphone, I know at my campus (UofT) the payphones are more in use than the cellphones. I think we should contact bell and petition the increase!
LOL.
Not enough people are using pay phones, so their next logical step is to INCREASE prices instead? Does not computer!!!!
If anything, this will just turn people away from them even more now.
Even the staunchiest of cell haters like myself might be inclined to even get a Virgin pre-paid set up now.
Months have gone by since they've upped the price
on pay phones. Every time I need to make a call, I
want to shoot myself in the vagina. It's too much.
:(
I used a payphone yesterday, and it never gave me change for a loonie what kind of crap is that a dollar a phone call.
I ditched my Rogers mobile 2 years ago because I hated to pay Rogers $30/month for nothing. Payphones were a real deal at 25 cents/call, given I would make 3 or 4 calls a month. 50 cents is an inconvenience but still a deal given that I can call around the 416 and major chunks or the 905 ( plus 647 and 289) for zero cents a minute. Try doing that in London or Tokyo.
Canada's mobile companies have convinced younger users to pay huge amounts every month for calls, ring tones, text and the like. They are being ripped off though.
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