OK, so this photo might look like it came right from the back cover of a past issue from 2600 (for those of you who are not familiar with this magazine, it is one of the most popular hacker publications - incidentally, the name comes from the fact that hackers in the 60's found that the transmission of a 2600 Hertz tone over a long-distance trunk connection gained access to "operator mode" and allowed the user to explore aspects of the telephone system that were not otherwise accessible).  2600 always publishes some of the photos of payphones around the world, but my intention in taking this shot with my camera was to capture an actual working payphone in Bucharest.  It took me quite a while to find one in the downtown area close to the new Opera House and the Law School from the University of Bucharest.  But, as I was departing, I found one working at the airport (Otopeni) and took a picture.

The malfunctioning of so many phones right in the Romanian capital is a bit of a mystery, but it reminded me of another story that I read a while back while visiting Brazil (more about that in a separate post).