A continuation from the previous blog concerning the LAX task force office space. The story from Shadow Investigation takes place in 1987—a time before personal computers and cell phones (I don’t recall a fax machine in the office either). The means of communication included a teletype machine. A teletype is essentially an electro-mechanical typewriter used to talk to other offices, including headquarters, by sending typed messages. Speaking of communication, we used the standard push button telephone, typically shared by two desks that abutted each other. No rotary dial phones for us—we were cutting edge! And there were handheld radios. Nothing like a modern cell phone. Radios were bulkier, heavier, and unattractive when compared to a smooth, streamlined cell with a fancy case. The radios provided easy point-to-point communication. Depress the button to talk. Release to listen. Unlike cells, there were no “smart” capabilities with a radio except for the brain you carried around in your head!
author
Christopher Amato 