Paid out

The voice on the other end of the line asked if anyone scored in double figures. But I couldn’t answer.

It’s not that I didn’t know, but as soon as he asked the cell phone died.

After writing a story on a girls high school basketball game Friday night, I was calling in the final of the boys game on my way back to the office. Since my charger in the car ceased working three months ago, I started combing the streets of Jefferson for a pay phone.

Bad idea.

Turns out folks in rural Georgia have no need for pay phones, as they can usually just throw their favorite NASCAR diecast collectible racecar and hit their neighbor.

Fortunately I charged the cell phone long enough to call in that score, but on my way back to Athens I couldn’t find a single pay phone. Not one, save the inoperable British version serving as a decoration (pictured, across from the Dunkin' Donuts on Prince Avenue).

At the time I figured it would be interesting to call a phone company and find out how many pay phones are in operation in Georgia. But later I found this link. Sure, it’s California, but I’d wager it’s safe to say the report is representative of the nation.