telecom@ucbvax.UUCP (01/27/86)
Frankly, I found this to be one of the most annoying aspects of payphones in the UK, at least on the older style phones (which still seem to be in most areas) that won't refund over-deposits. Even on local calls, you're forced to stuff additional 10 pence coins into the slot (interrupting your call at the start after the initial tone pips as well). But what may be the worst part is that you have to carry around a wad of 10p coins to make even short calls, and those coins, while only worth about 14.5 U.S. cents at current exchange rates, are rather big and heavy coins--very inconvenient to carry around in quantity. Yes, the card phones are appearing, but they still seem pretty rare and your card is useless at "ordinary" phone boxes. --Lauren--