Party Lines...

not the political kind, but telephone party lines.

Ring…ring…Riiiiiiinnnng…

Two shorts and one long – its for US!!!

Party lines were the thing in rural Georgia in the 50’s. Some were eight-party lines, some were four. I think we started with an eight, then went to a four. This meant that your phone line was shared; neighbors and others in the community were connected to the same line. You would pick up the phone and hear a conversation going on. Proper etiquette in those days was to silently hang up and check back later. If there was an emergency, you would simply say so and the others would hang up so you could use the phone.

Of course they listened in…just as we did. The temptation was just too great. We all learned to unscrew the microphone part of the handset so you wouldn’t give yourself away.

Oh, the things we learned about our neighbors! (And they about us, I’m sure) with those eavesdroppings. Mostly it was everyday chitchat, but every once in a while…

What if you overhear the neighbor girl planning to run away from home and elope, and her parents are your friends? A deacon of your church, obviously drunk, talking sex to a woman obviously not his wife?

Then, there’s the very worst… they are talking about YOU, or your family, and it ain’t nice. You can’t say anything without giving away the fact that you were eavesdropping!

Thank God for the eventual private lines!

But I wonder what the neighbors are up to…