Feds want to make apps dead, if the phone is moving.

[mikedt]

Cellphones are the newest disattraction on the scene of course.
Dropped cigarettes, reaching for the glove box, leaning over to get something that fell into the floor, turning around to admonish a child, fiddling with the radio/entertainment center....

Circa 1958: "It's OK, I can still steer with my elbow!"

Wouldn't have an airbag for another 20-30 years.

 

[Clementine_3]

Circa 1958: "It's OK, I can still steer with my elbow!"

When I was young my dad worked for a radio station, he'd sometimes come home with the station's car. It had a phone pretty much just like that in it, I remember calling my mom in the house from the driveway on it, that was pretty neat.

We didn't have a party line that I recall but I do know the phone was rented, we didn't own it. And yeah, it was heavy and hardwired.

 

[zuben el genub]

Circa 1958: "It's OK, I can still steer with my elbow!"

View attachment 112642
Wouldn't have an airbag for another 20-30 years.

The background isn't blurred, so he's parked. I can't remember the settings on a Speed Graphic.

 

[AZgl1500]

The background isn't blurred, so he's parked. I can't remember the settings on a Speed Graphic.

Now that you mention background, the gear shift lever is high up in the Park position.
Tried to see what position the key was in, but not high enough resolution for that. Plus, IIRC, those old cellphones would run a battery down pretty quick if you did not have the engine running.

IIRC, it was not until Motorola came out with the HandiPhone that we were able to leave the phone 'ON' and a horn relay hooked up.... I was working as an electronics tech in 1969 and a precious few of our company cars had those installed.

They also had a timer on them, that we usually set for "1 hour" and then it turned the phone off. Even those phones if left on for 10+ hours would drain a battery below being able to start the car's engine.

 

[mikedt]

The background isn't blurred, so he's parked. I can't remember the settings on a Speed Graphic.

Also it appears from the position and angle the photo was taken, the photographer was very probably standing outside the car with the passenger door open. There's nobody sitting in the passenger seat. But at the bottom left of the photo, looks like he's wearing the seat belt.

 

[mikedt]

Now that you mention background, the gear shift lever is high up in the Park position.
Tried to see what position the key was in, but not high enough resolution for that. Plus, IIRC, those old cellphones would run a battery down pretty quick if you did not have the engine running.

IIRC, it was not until Motorola came out with the HandiPhone that we were able to leave the phone 'ON' and a horn relay hooked up.... I was working as an electronics tech in 1969 and a precious few of our company cars had those installed.

They also had a timer on them, that we usually set for "1 hour" and then it turned the phone off. Even those phones if left on for 10+ hours would drain a battery below being able to start the car's engine.

These old time, rotary dial carphones were also incredibly expensive both to install and to use weren't they? The realm of high level executives, along with their private jets.

 

[AZgl1500]

These old time, rotary dial carphones were also incredibly expensive both to install and to use weren't they? The realm of high level executives, along with their private jets.

Oh yeah, I did not know anyone, who had one in their car that was not in executive management.
the first "normal" business folks that I recall to actually have them for every day use were Real Estate agents.