I just left my house to walk a few blocks for a coffee. It’s daylight, there are plenty of people out & about, and it’s easy to forget that Wallingford is smack dab in the middle of a big city.
So I was caught unawares by a fairly young blue collar guy who approached me on 34th near Stone Way to find out where the nearest payphone is.
His story was interesting. At 4am at the shipyard, his truck window was busted open & thieves took his wallet (with bank cards), old beat up welding tools, and the truck’s battery. Then he explained that he couldn’t use his bank account for 24 hours, he lives in Everett, and his girlfriend can’t help him because she just closed down a bar where she works all night. He didn’t ask me for money or my cell phone, but hinted that the cops had let him use theirs to call the bank. I pointed him to a payphone, but he corrected me and told me where a closer one is. Then I went to get my coffee.
At the coffee shop, the proprietor said two Italian guys had just finished sitting in his cafe for an hour without ordering. When he asked if they would like to order anything, they asked for a coffee & a pay phone. When they left, they drove over his parking signs.
And finally, as I was leaving, ANOTHER guy came in the coffeeshop and asked the employees if anyone had a cell phone he could use.
So there’s weirdness in lower Wallingford today. Something having to do with cell phones, apparently. Be careful out there!