Copping pre-cell phone

[washed]

What was copping dope/crack like back in the days before cell phones? Would you just go to a spot in the projects? Would you have a dealer you'd page or otherwise call from a landline and agree to meet somewhere at a certain time?

I'm sure none of this seems like a big deal for anyone who lived through it, but looking at how convenient cell phones make things today I'm wondering if older heads could speak about copping in the past.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

I'm not exactly old but I was a late-comer to the mobile phone. I just went by word of mouth, getting to know a few people and asking around. Also a couple of the dealers where I used to cop in Germany had their fixed spots and approximate times, so you'd know when and where to show up for the goodies.

 

[andyturbo]

I assume pay phones (public phones) were used a lot as well?

 

[Electrum1]

Everybody used messaging pigeons until the mid 90's when H5N1 bird flu happened, and that's why cell phones became popular after that

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Haha now you say that, when I went to uni there were still payphones around that you could be called in. Nicely anonymous. All been removed since.

 

[paranoid android]

I just used landlines and pay phones and agreed to meet at a certain spot. Some people had cell phones back in the day but i never had one

 

[assclass]

payphones, pagers, traps and corners.

As much as the game has changed, the game has stayed the same.

 

[VerbalTruist]

Go to the corner. Buy dope. Go shoot dope. We don’t have a ton of heads who are pre cellphone. Maybe @Nurse Ratched & @Cheshire_Kat have thoughts.

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

In the early 70's you bought pretty much on faith. Many of the places were just "known" locations that were well disguised. You would shove your money through a hole in a brick wall and a balloon or other package would appear at another hole. Or you knew a spot and gave one person money and told to walk to a nearby location within their view where another person delivered it into you hands. Every fix was an adventure and I don't mean that in a good way.