When driving down a highway, whether it be the Interstate, tollway, or US Route, you've probably seen these signs:
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| Source: palogo.org |
15 years ago, it was expected that these establishments would have a public telephone for you to use. However, that's rarely the case anymore. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is a requirement in 2024 for Camping and Gas establishments to have a working public telephone to bid to have your business placed on the sign. In New Jersey, even restaurants are required to have a working public phone. So that means every time you see a Wawa, Sheetz, McDonald's, Shell, etc by the Interstate, there's supposed to be a working phone there.
But is it enforced? Well, in Pennsylvania, the state rest areas (excluding the Turnpike) and parks do have working public phones but the majority of the gas stations don't. In New Jersey, don't expect any state or business to have a working public phone. But in other states that have the public phone requirement, sometimes you might find some gas stations and fast food establishments in Connecticut, Maine, or Massachusetts with a working public phone. So if you see a working payphone inside a Panera Bread in MA, that's why. Most of these payphones have been converted to cellular, so they're cheaper to maintain.
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| Working payphone inside PA Rest Area, I-95 N. |
So why don't places like Wawa or McDonald's have a working public phone if they're supposed to have one by the advertising regulations? I don't know, however, my best guess is that allowing customers to use their desk phone could count as a public phone, filling in the requirement.
If your state requires these establishments that are advertising on the blue signs to have a working public phone, it could be a good opportunity to cash in on it. Pitch the property owner about the requirements, and offer a payphone or a free ad-supported public phone to the property. It could be an easy way to score a location.
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| Sample flyer |
