A small village in the UK has found a novel way to use their mobile phones - by standing on a small park bench. It turns out that there is no cellular coverage in the village, but if you stand on the bench you can just about get into range.
Unfortunately, the bench is now falling apart - presumably from increased usage - and so the local community leaders have stumped up £100 (US$200) to pay for a concrete "phone throne" to replace the bench.
Resident Richard Cordy said: "It's now a bit embarrassing for people to have to climb on to a park bench - but it's the only way."
"You have to face the right direction to catch the signal but once you have got it you can make a call. Residents here have been waiting 10 years for a phone signal in the village and visitors are always grumbling about it."
"Now everyone is wanting to use the bench and there is a queue of visitors to use their phones at the weekend. It's a bit mad really."
District councillor Julian Brazil commented "You don't get a mobile telephone signal in East Prawle and people don't want a phone mast. People have been complaining the bench is getting broken so it has been decided to get a mounting block."
To compound the problem - only the Orange network is reachable from the bench.
Related Article: The Magic Tree of Cellphone Coverage Improvement"
Posted to the site on 18th May 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/23830.php