What's The Angle?

In Chicago there is always an angle. Nothing happens for no reason; there is no “just because.” That is why I am totally baffled why the administration at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) decided to remove all the remaining pay phones from train platforms and bus enclosures because there does not seem to be any reason!

 The Chicago Tribune reported that, “In April, the CTA declined to renew its contract with Pacific Telemanagement Services, which operates the pay phones, and now the transit agency plans to have the remaining pay phones removed from its train platforms and bus enclosures.”


I can understand the statement: "In recent years, with more people using cell phones, there has been a steady decline in the use of coin-operated phones, which has resulted in a significant drop in revenue for the CTA," CTA spokeswoman Sheila Gregory said in an e-mail to the Tribune. In fact, the CTA only received $600 in commissions for pay phone use in the last quarter.


But Pacific Telemanagement Services wants to leave in place the 179 phones that are still remaining. As to the lousy commission, "It may not be a significant contribution to the CTA, but it's not costing them anything," Michael Rossi, the firm's chief operating officer said, because the CTA does not pay anything for the maintenance of the phones.


According to the Tribune, before hundreds of phones were removed, Rossi also pointed out, “that about 1 million calls are placed from the pay phones on CTA property each year, with approximately 655,000 calls actually completed.”


Kurt Gibbs, vice president of sales for Pacific Telemanagement, said that the phones are regularly used to call 911, which is a free call. The CTA countered with, “Security is not an issue because there are call buttons on train platforms, in addition to CTA staff to monitor things.” Well, if that were true, then why are so many 911 calls made from CTA pay phones?


It does not make sense. The pay phones cost the CTA zero dollars, are a convenience to riders whose own cell phones do not work underground, a benefit to those who don’t have a cell phone and are used for 911 calls. There must be an angle here that I am missing.


Robert Manewith told me that 15 years ago pay phones were removed from the Morse Avenue stop at 1358 W. Morse because drug dealers were using them to hook up with junkies. That made sense before cell phones were so prolific. Nowadays that excuse for pay phone removal would be moot because the dealers carry prepaid cell phones where the calls cannot be traced.


So what is the reason to eliminate the phones? There is no seemingly legitimate explanation. Unless, we see in the upcoming months some sweetheart no-bid deal with a cell carrier to provide service underground. Maybe that’s the ticket to ride.