How To Use A Public Teletypewriter

1 - Place the handset on the shelf or the holder
2 - Choose how you will pay for the call
3 - Dial the number. For help with charging the call, dial the TTY operater
4 - Watch the signal light on TTY drawer to see if the phone is ringing or busy.
5 - To use the TTY Voice Announcer press * 3 times
6 - When the other person types the TTY drawer will open
7 - Begin your conversation
8 - Hang up handset. TTY drawer will close by itself.

(Note - The extra (silver) phone hook used to place the handset during a TTY call is located just above and to the right of the yellow phone.)

Please continue reading for more pictures and words

Special Note

*** If the display says,"Drawer closing" before you are done press any key to keep it open

*** For 911 TTY calls, dial 911 then press * 3 times (Announcer will say TTY call, please use text telephone.")

*** TTY keyboard will open when the other person types.

*** Public phone calls now cost 50 cents (you can't drop a dime on someone, but you can drop a half dollar on them)

Here is the city of Chicago's site regarding TTY. Its a system set up for the hearing impaired and deaf.


This has been around a lot longer than modern texting. Shortcuts like BRB, THX, OIC have been around much longer than most people think (the 1960's).

The directions are a little confusing. Who is the other person if the call is made to another public TTY telephone? The keyboard will only open if someone else types? Its like explaining that the phone call will begin when the other person talks.

Click here to see example of TTY phone with the drawer open. These phones are very low to the ground. For most grown adults the keyboard is below your knee or at shin level.

Looking at other pictures the teletypes are situated at standard adult standing height. The problem is nowadays most public phones in general are set a lot lower than they used to be. Its important that they be wheelchair accessible but the keyboards as is are almost un-useable.

This is a perfect size phone for little kids, dwarves, people in wheelchairs and that's about it. Hearing impaired individuals who want to use these phones would have to bring a chair or hunch over the keyboard. Not surprising that these teletypewriters rarely if ever see use.

The following pictures are from the front teletypewriter payphone at the Howard "L" stop on Howard Street.

The follow pictures are from the back teletypewriter phone at the Howard "L" stop by the escalator on Paulina Avenue.

The shopping cart is taking a time out
after running over an innocent bystander and hitting parked cars.