Red coin-operated telephone

At the time when the mobile phone had not yet entered our lives, people, in order to communicate when they were outside the house, often resorted to the red coin-operated telephones that were usually installed in kiosks, but also in convenience stores, cafes, or grocery stores.

The red telephones worked by placing a coin of 2, 5, or 10 drachmas in the slot, depending on the duration of the call one had to make. The kiosk owner had a key that allowed him to make calls without a coin.

Communication through the red telephones was not always easy. The conversation had to be short. There was often a line to make a phone call, and there was no shortage of fights when some people talked too much and delayed others. Many times, you had to try more than once to be able to connect.