--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: there were people who occupied telephone…" description: "\"there were people who occupied telephone booths as though they had rented them for the day.\" — Ursula Curtiss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg" --- # there were people who occupied telephone booths as though… ![“there were people who occupied telephone booths as though they had rented them for the day.” quote by Ursula Curtiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg) > “there were people who occupied telephone booths as though they had rented them for the day.” [Ursula Curtiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-curtiss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People treated public phone booths as personal spaces, indicating a desire for privacy and ownership in shared environments. **In simple terms:** Public spaces become personal territory. Key Takeaway Shared resources can be appropriated as private domains. Themes privacy ownership public space social behavior personal space Mood nostalgic observational Type observation social commentary When to use this quote - commuting - waiting for calls - urban dwellers - people seeking solitude Key Concepts social norms environmental psychology Practical Applications - designing more private public amenities - marketing personal space in shared areas Questions to Reflect On - How does this behavior reflect modern needs for privacy? - What design changes could balance shared use with personal comfort? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Booths Rented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/booths-rented-997993/) [Occupied Telephone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupied-telephone-997992/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Occupied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-occupied-997994/) [Rented Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rented-day-997995/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Telephone Booths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telephone-booths-997991/) [Telephones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telephones/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to be cliched, but Buckingham Palace is beautiful, and the old red telephone booths are really interesting to me. I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/i-don-t-want-to-be-cliched-but-buckingham-palace-is-beautiful-and-the/) [Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/) > [The Viennese wash everything. Where else in the world does the government hire public servants to wash public telephone booths and the glass over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-carroll/the-viennese-wash-everything-where-else-in-the-world-does-the/) [Jonathan Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-carroll/) > [“Buildings are not very good at remembering the people who once occupied them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/buildings-are-not-very-good-at-remembering-the-people-who-once/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [It is also in the interests of the tyrant to make his subjects poor... the people are so occupied with their daily tasks that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/it-is-also-in-the-interests-of-the-tyrant-to-make-his-subjects-poor/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The streets, at least in this part of town, seemed impossibly clean in comparison to London. The public telephones were unvandalised. For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The telephone is virtual reality in that you can meet with someone as if you are together, at least for the auditory sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/the-telephone-is-virtual-reality-in-that-you-can-meet-with-someone-as/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The way to get through anything mentally painful is to take it a little at a time. The mind can't handle dealing with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-de-sena/the-way-to-get-through-anything-mentally-painful-is-to-take-it-a/) [Joe De Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-de-sena/) > [Fax me a fact and I'll telegram a hologram or telephone the son of man and tell him he is done. Leave a message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/fax-me-a-fact-and-i-ll-telegram-a-hologram-or-telephone-the-son-of/) [Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/) > [ \[Answering the phone\] Hello, this is a recording, you've dialed the right number, now hang up and don't do it again. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/answering-the-phone-hello-this-is-a-recording-you-ve-dialed-the-right/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [I will take questions from the guys, but from the girls I want telephone numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvio-berlusconi/i-will-take-questions-from-the-guys-but-from-the-girls-i-want/) [Silvio Berlusconi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvio-berlusconi/) > [Easy is to occupy a place in a telephone book. Difficult is to occupy someone's heart; know that you're really loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-drummond-de-andrade/easy-is-to-occupy-a-place-in-a-telephone-book-difficult-is-to-occupy/) [Carlos Drummond de Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-drummond-de-andrade/) > [J.D. cleared his throat and pushed the button on the intercom. “Uh, Payton, hi. It’s J.D.” Dead silence. Then another crackle. “Sorry. Not interested.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/j-d-cleared-his-throat-and-pushed-the-button-on-the-intercom-uh/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [First words on the first telephone - "Mr. Watson - come here - I want to see you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-graham-bell/first-words-on-the-first-telephone-mr-watson-come-here-i-want-to-see/) [Alexander Graham Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-graham-bell/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) ## More by Ursula Curtiss > [blackmail. The age-old path to the land of milk and honey. The one sure way of being paid for doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/blackmail-the-age-old-path-to-the-land-of-milk-and-honey-the-one-sure/) [Ursula Curtiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-curtiss/) > [who was the cynic who had defined gratitude as thanks for favors to come?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/who-was-the-cynic-who-had-defined-gratitude-as-thanks-for-favors-to/) [Ursula Curtiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-curtiss/) [Explore all 3 Ursula Curtiss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-curtiss/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) [Browse all 211,607 People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "there were people who occupied telephone booths as though they had rented them for the day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ursula Curtiss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone-booths-as-though-they-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "People" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone-booths-as-though-they-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/ursula-curtiss-76683_people_there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone_77409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“there were people who occupied telephone booths as though they had rented them for the day.” — Ursula Curtiss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ursula Curtiss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-curtiss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "there were people who occupied telephone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone-booths-as-though-they-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-curtiss/there-were-people-who-occupied-telephone-booths-as-though-they-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```