Lost Boy Uses Payphone And Saves His Life
Andover Minnesota has of the last working payphones in the country, and it’s on Brian Davis’s lawn. One neighbor said “It’s definitely a blast from the past.”
Last week it earned some big recognition. A young boy got lost in the area, and came upon the phone – and used it to call 911. All of sudden, there were three squad cars out front. Davis went out and asked an officer, “Did he call you?” and the officer said, “Yes, he called 911 because he didn’t know how to get home.” He was soon reunited with his family. Brian says, he was shocked that the young boy picked up the receiver and figured out how to dial 911.
Brian was happy to help, and give people a reason to smile. He says “It’s a fun little piece that’s for sure” and he’s happy to have it!
Last fall, Davis installed the working payphone in his front yard. “It’s just something I always wanted to do, one of those bucket list kind of things. I thought it would be really fun to remind people of what life was like before we were all on our cell phones and texting each other.”
Brian’s oldest child is 12 and the youngest is nine, and they had no idea what it even was.
It costs $1 to to make a call on the phone, but Brian – a lifelong Andover resident – has put in around $800 to take care of that, along with another $20 a month for his landline bill. He says it’s not a real profitable business, but so be it.
Every morning Davis watches as someone new stops by. He’s had people take prom pictures next to it, and he’s gotten a lot of fan mail, as well.
