I spotted this woman using one of two Telebeam-owned payphones on 35th Avenue and 37th Street in Astoria, Queens.

The caller would almost certainly have been unaware that Telebeam’s headquarters are located just down the street from this payphone, at 36-40 37th Street. I had just spotted a Telebeam van minutes earlier, before seeing one of the company’s phones in action.

Telebeam’s continued existence would seem to be on the bubble but the company just seems to keep on keeping on. The company was effectively ordered to cease operations on July 11, when Judge Nina Gershon issued a lengthy opinion dismissing the company’s lawsuit against the City of New York. Telebeam sued the City for (among other things) granting what it considers to be an illegal monopoly franchise to CityBridge. CityBridge is the consortium of companies behind those horrible LinkNYC devices slowly plaguing city streets.

Telebeam appealed Judge Gershon’s decision on August 5. It remains to be seen if the appeal will be granted. On August 16, with the appeal still pending, a Circuit Judge issued an injunction blocking the City from seizing Telebeam’s assets or transferring them to another party. That other party would, of course, be CityBridge. Unless decisions made recently have not been posted to the PACER web site then that is where the case stands as of today. If Telebeam’s appeal is not granted then the payphone this woman used today will probably be handed over to CityBridge, and “Talking on the Telebeam” will no longer be possible.

Most people have no idea who owns and maintains public pay telephones. Telebeam and CityBridge are the only companies presently managing and maintaining New York’s stable of several thousand outdoor curbside payphones. In the coming years CityBridge is expected to replace all of them with LinkNYC devices. But that does not necessarily mean traditional outdoor payphones will disappear entirely. Other outdoor payphones are still to be found on private property, such as parking lots, city parks, and even cemeteries. And whatever progress the LinkNYC initiative ultimately makes in annihilating payphones from New York’s streets you will still be able to find them indoors at countless establishments such as government offices, restaurants, supermarkets, etc.

I spotted this payphone outside the Mary Gate of Heaven Mausoleum at the Mount Saint Mary’s Cemetery a couple of weeks ago. I had never seen a payphone on cemetery grounds before.