Telefono

Since the invention of the cell phone, it seems as though the world has little use for pay phones these days.  Back in 2004 I lived in Buenos Aires for a semester.  Eight years ago cell phones were not as common, people who could afford such a luxury were carrying around clunky Motorolas, the kind that had the black and white screens that folks spent hours playing "Snake" on. Those who didn't have a cell used pay phones as well as Locutorios.  What is a Locutorio?  It is a private phone booth that can be found in a "kiosko" or better known as a corner store.  You enter the private phone booth, dial your number (local or long distance) and a little box in the phone booth keeps track of how much money you are spending per minute.  In 2004, Locutorios could be found all over the city.  Today they are somewhat hard to come by.  Flash forward to 2012, and a large majority of the Argentine population is carrying around a smart phone equipped with Wifi.  Locutorios are quickly becoming a thing of the past.  Phone booths have become neglected, worn and are often littered with advertisements for call girls.   

"Phone Booth"