Social networking back then

People shared stories when the came to use the rare landline in the house

There was a time when a telephone was not as ubiquitous and affordable as it is now. Back then, getting a landline connection was a tardy process involving some paperwork. It took weeks, months or even years to get the phone connection approved unless you were an official entitled to one. Even then, getting a chosen phone number was pure luck. Whether it was the installation of a phone or its repair, the man from the “exchange” (as it was called then) arrived on a bicycle always in the afternoon. He would arrive with a couple of telephones and a bunch of wires and after a brief reconnaissance of the premises, the surroundings and the house, he would talk to the household. Once a slot for the telephone was agreed to, he would then begin the installation work that usually lasted nearly an hour. The installation work would be accompanied by small talk. As the rapport increased, the pace of installation went up. Indications that the tasks had been accomplished arrived when the man dialled a mysterious number, uttered something, and disconnected the call. Within seconds, the house would hear the first ring of the call back from the telephone exchange. Someone from the house would be also asked to test the quality of the service. A couple of test calls accompanied by some code numbers would signal the end of the task. A cup of buttermilk or tea would be served to the man from the “exchange”.