Sorry Travis Tritt, but your song, “Here’s a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares,” is no longer applicable. One day in the near future, people will be watching “Phone Booth,” and will be wondering why Colin Farrell was in the middle of a street talking on a phone attached to the street.

Worldpayphone.com reports that, in 1999, there were over two million payphones in America. Today, that number has decreased by more than half.

“I doubt that number is even accurate,” said UNA student Katelyn Wilson. “I can’t remember the last time I saw someone using a payphone. Actually, I can’t remember the last time I even saw a payphone booth.”

Dr. Dan Burton is a history professor, and more specifically, teaches the history of science and technology.

“The first thing students do when they leave class is take out their cell phones,” Burton said. “The need for payphones has declined because of the rapid use of cell phones.”

A situation, he said, that can be unfortunate in an emergency.

“What if someone doesn’t have a cell? They’re the ones being affected by this,” he said. “I’m glad they’re still provided in some areas for people who can’t afford a phone.”

Burton remembers a time when people were reliant on a payphone and the yellow book inside.

“The page you needed in those phonebooks always seemed to be ripped out,” he recalled.

Wilson said she hasn’t used a payphone since she was 16.

“Oh, I’ll never forget it! My mom grounded me from my cell phone, and I needed some form of communication, so I dug the quarters out of my car and used payphones for that week,” she said.

A quarter doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but Burton said phone companies were able to survive with calls being anywhere from 25 cents to 50 cents for local calls.

“Now remember, quarters were worth a lot more back then,” said Burton. “But they made their money on long distance calls. Even if you were calling just one county away, you’d have to keep putting quarters in to make the call last.”

The FCC states on their website: “Long distance telephone companies compensate Payphone Service Providers for each call completed from payphones, except those calls for which the PSPs already collect compensation under a contract. The per-call compensation rate can be reduced or increased at any time through an agreement between the long distance company and the PSP.”

So, although they are still profitable, payphone use is declining rapidly worldwide. Burton doesn’t even find it outlandish that a payphone booth could one day end up in a historical museum.

“It’ll make no sense watching movies with payphones,” Burton said.

After all, where will Clark Kent change into Superman when he hears Lois Lane scream?