Lillian Pearsall of Moravia, N.Y. tells this story of when she was a telephone operator.
A customer talked overtime on a long-distance call from a pay telephone booth. Even with my friendly reminders, he refused to deposit his overtime coins. Instead he slammed down the phone, irate and verbally abusive.
A few seconds later, he was back on my line--somewhat calmer.
"Operator, please let me out of the phone booth--I’ll pay, I’ll pay, just let me out!"
The customer mistakenly thought I had control of the phone booth’s doors and had locked him in!
He gladly paid the overtime charge and with my advice gave the booth door a hefty kick to free himself.
-- Lillian Pearsall, Moravia, N.Y. "Lite Fare," Christian Reader. (Copied from Bible Illustrator)