End the phone-box blight
Published: 4 June 2010
• HAVE you noticed the numerous redundant phone boxes around, as in Tottenham Court Road and north Cleveland Street?
The reason so many where erected in the 1990s is because the outside of the new designed phone box provides a flat surface to hang advertising posters, and absolutely nothing to do with providing a public service.
These phone boxes remain on our pavements at a time when more important facilities are needed, such as:
• plug-in stations for electric cars;
• seating for an aging population;
• drinking fountains, to do away with plastic bottles;
• bicycle parking racks; and
• trees and foliage.
Not only have these plain boxes replaced the old quintessential red booths, which were globally recognisable, they have become an eyesore and a public nuisance.
They are tools for prostitution with the “tart card”.
This fuels demand for people-trafficking, the most horrendous human exploitation. Prostitution is largely demand-led and no industry should be allowed to profit on the back of human misery and immoral earnings.
Then, there is the problem of children seeing these tart cards, growing up to believe this form of exploitation to be the norm.
We know the sexualisation of children will have adverse consequences.
The phone boxes are also useful for drug-dealers who need to cover their tracks and for hoax callers.
Phone boxes fuel a cycle of social ills.
Who allowed our pavements to be sold off for corporate profiteering?
London is turning into one big advertising billboard.
Now the media industry want councils to standardise the street stalls via a “kiosk supplier” who would be responsible for the kiosks’ maintenance, implying this would improve the aesthetics of our streets.
The real reason behind this is the large flat surface these kiosks would provide for advertising.
I ask businesses to stop advertising their products with these phone and kiosk companies.
It is very important for firms to adapt to ethical practices and take on “social responsibility” or be held accountable.
DENISE JULIEN
Clipstone Street, W1