It's a lost art

whack a motherfucker with one and the phone is fine.

Oh, let's not forget forcefully banging the receiver on the table or on the wall in a - ahem, google it - phone booth repeatedly ("Pulling a Danny DeVito"). That way you could make an impressive, non-verbal statement of strongest disagreement to your dialogue partner and make them stfu and the receiver would even work after that so you could continue making your point while having their full attention. Don't try that with any post-1990 phone.

ooh god the phone booths, those phones were straight up indestructible

the payphones were unique, if you call didn't go through, reach up and remove the paper blocking all the coins. This used to be a trick to get some money, so i'm told