Did anyone else have a party line growing up?

[Old Troop]

As kids it was a ball listening to other people's conversations. When my mom died several years ago, I found that she still had it, but there was no-one else on it. It was something like $3 a month.

[trof]

1. Oh yeah. I think we were one long and two short rings.

And yes, I used to listen in on party line conversations.

[RandomThoughts]

3. T I yea that makes sense. good call.

TI - No Matter What
http://www.mtv.com/videos/ti/251743/no-matter-what.jhtml

Yeah, I say still i stand
Ay, shawty here i am
hey

(Verse 1)
Never have you seen in ya lifetime
A more divine southern rapper with a swag like mine
Facin all kinda time but smile like I'm fine
Brag with such passion and shine without tryin
Believe me, pains a small thing to a giant
I was born without a dime
Out the gutter I climbed
spoke my mind and didn't stutter one time
Ali said "even the greatest gotta suffer sometimes"
So I huff and puff rhymes
Lyrics so sick wit it
Set the standard in Atlanta how to get get get it
So you up and coming rappers wanna diss, just kill it
I'm officially the realest...point, blank, period
Whether I still live in the hood or just visit
Whatever you can do in the hood I done did it
That's why the dope boys and the misfits feel it
This still his city long as TIP living, listen


(Hook)
I ain't dead (nah) I ain't done(nah)
I ain't scared(of what?), I ain't run(from Who?)
But still I stand (yeah)
No matter what pimpin here I am(Yeah)
No matter What

Remember I ain't break(never), I ain't fold(never)
They hate me more(so?)
Yeah I know(Ha, Ha)
Here I go(Yeah)
No matter what shawty, here I go
No matter what shawty

(Verse 2)
Let the blog sites and the magazines tell it
I'm sure to be in jail till 2027
Rather see me in the cell then
Instead of this new McLaren
God will take you through hell, just to get you to heaven
So even tho it's heavy, the load I will carry
Grin and still bear it, win and still share it
Apologies to the fans, I hope you can understand it
Life can change ya direction, even when you ain't planned it
All you can do it handle it, worst thing you can do is panic
Use it to your advantage, avoid insanity manage
To conquer, every obstacle, make impossible possible
Even when winning illogical, losing still far from optional
And, Yea they wanna see you shot up in the hospital
But, when life throw punches, block and counter like a boxer do
Been locked inside mi casa too long, I did a song
To make it known that the king lives on pimpin

(Hook)
I ain't dead (nah) I ain't done(nah)
I ain't scared(of what?), I ain't run(from Who?)
But still I stand (yeah)
No matter what pimpin here I am(Yeah)
No matter What

Remember I ain't break(never), I ain't fold(never)
They hate me more(so?)
Yeah I know(Ha, Ha)
Here I go(Yeah)
No matter what shawty, here I go
No matter what shawty

(Verse 3)
Even in solitude, there's still no hotter dude
I show you how to do, what you do, you ain't gotta clue
All you do is follow dudes
Sound like a lotta dudes
I'll weather whatever storm
Make it out without a bruise
I understand why, ya'll when my hands tied
They take shots, cause if I'm out there it's a landslide
But revenge is best served as a cold dish
And suckas will get served better know this
Guess it was understood, for me it was over with
But I don't quit, if you ain't noticed yet
They couldn't wait to say goodnight shawty
So they can try to rhyme, act and look like shwaty
Go get a beat from Toomp, and make a hook like shawty
Before ya know it I'm back what it look like shawty
I lost my partner and my daughter in the same year
Somehow I rise above my problems and remain here
Yeah, and I hope the picture painted clear
If your heart filled with faith then you can't fear
Wonder how I face years and I'm still chillin
Easy, let go and let GOD deal with it (Ay!!)

(Hook)
I ain't dead (nah) I ain't done(nah)
I ain't scared(of what?), I ain't run(from Who?)
But still I stand (yeah)
No matter what pimpin here I am(Yeah)
No matter What

Remember I ain't break(never), I ain't fold(never)
They hate me more(so?)
Yeah I know(Ha, Ha)
Here I go(Yeah)
No matter what shawty, here I go
No matter what shawty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65k6Rgg0_sI

Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out
It's hard to yell when the barrels in ya mouth

Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

TIP comin' live from the VIP
Heard the night life lost life when I leave
Both the Feds and the State wanna see my need
The whole city got bizzerk, he got treat

Anotha nigga got a hit but shawty, he not me
Who set the city on fire as soon as he got freed?
Da King, back now, hoes don't even know how to act, now
Hit the club, strippers give neck 'fore I sit down

Still ballin' money, stack taller than Shaq, now
Still push a button to let the roof on the 'Lac down
I'm on the road doin' shows, puttin' my mack down
Mississippi to Philly Albuquerque to Chatt Town

I got the crowd yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
All my hot girls yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

All the Dope Boyz yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
From the back they yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

Yeah, what other rap nigga hooder than this
I got rich and I'm still on some hoolagin' shit
You be rappin' 'bout blow I was movin' the shit
Talkin' 'bout shootin' out and I was doin' the shit

If I hit you in the face, you gon' be suin' and shit
And if I catch anotha case, I know I'm true to be missed
So I'ma keep it cool head, stay out of the news
Headlines and shows other rappers it's bedtime

It's clear to see that I'm ahead of my time
I copped a chromed out hard top Carrerra to shine
I got some time, it ain't shit 'cause I get better wit time
Who got a flow and a live show better than mine?

I got a packed house yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
All my hot girls yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

All the Dope Boyz yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
From the back they yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

Mic check 1-2, 1-2, you wanna beef
Wit the King, what's you gon' do?
Will you show up on the scene wit 2 guns drew?
Or you and ya friend play a little two on two?

You knew half of what I knew
Then you'll be hittin' the deck
I got a tool and a vest I can get some respect
I'ma make it hard for a sucka nigga to flex
Sho 'em this ain't the squad for a nigga to test

Pimp, my nutz too large and we way too fresh
Work well wit Nines, AK's and Techs
And quick to check a lame like a game of chess
You want beef, nigga, bring ya best and we'll be standin'

In ya front yard yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
All my hot girls yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

All the Dope Boyz yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
From the back they yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

In ya front yard yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
All my hot girls yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

All the Dope Boyz yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)
From the back they yellin'
(Bring em out, bring em out)

Hands in the air, now
Hands in the air, now
Hands, hands in the, in the air, air, now
Hands in the air, now

Hands in the air, now
Hands in the air, now
Hands, hands in the, in the air, air, now
Put ya hands in the air, now

(I can't hear you)
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

(I can't hear you)
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

(I can't hear you)
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

(I can't hear you)
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out
Bring em out, bring em out

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I had forgotten about those! Do they exist anymore?

[Kat45]

4. Yeah, we had one when I was really little.

[azmouse]

5. We did.

I remember when the phone rang listening for the number of rings to see which family it was for.
I also remember the other party line members asking me to get off the phone because they needed to make a call. :)

[pink-o]

7. Yeah, we got a "private line" when I was about 7 or 8

Up to that point, some old curmudgeon was forever telling me and my friend to get off the phone so he could make a call. The early 60s version of grumpy gramps McCain.

[rug]

6. Yes. It was vote Stevenson.

[Highway61]

8. OMG... yes

What an experience...very short, but what an experience!

[applegrove]

9. We had one at the cottage though to my knowledge

nobody ever listened in on other people's conversations. Different ring for each person. Ours was two long and two short rings.

[pokerfan]

10. We had one into the eighties

Six way calling for free!

[hunter]

11. When I was a kid.

We had five digit phone numbers too.

[femmocrat]

12. Yes, we did. My parents had it for a long time after, too.

We shared a line with some ignorant neighbors who would click the button endlessly when they wanted the line.

Yes, people on the line would actually interrupt ongoing calls to demand that you hang up because they needed the line! People would probably get arrested today if they had to share these lines. Can you imagine the frustration of the short-fuse types?

[lazarus]

13. my grandmother did

party-lined with my aunt. Not that big a deal, as we usually just called the other house.