In Los Angeles, a unique art project called the Goodbye Line invites people to use pay phones to say goodbye to someone or something important in their lives. The project, created by Alexis Wood and Adam Trunell, encourages individuals to dial a toll-free number from pay phones around the city to leave messages of farewell. These messages, which often express grief, loneliness, and introspection, are then shared on social media for others to hear and connect with.
The Goodbye Line began when Wood and Trunell placed stickers on working pay phones across L.A., inviting passersby to make a free call to the recorded line. The project aims to tap into the communal nature of mourning and loss, as people share their goodbyes with a broader audience. “Goodbye is such a part of life,” Trunell, a documentary filmmaker, explained. “We all share that. And it makes it less lonely, less scary.”
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the messages vary in tone and content, ranging from heartfelt farewells to lost loved ones to nostalgic goodbyes to the pay phones themselves. The project highlights the rapid disappearance of pay phones, with only 149 remaining in Los Angeles proper.
While the Goodbye Line has expanded to include calls from cellphones, Wood and Trunell find the pay phone messages particularly meaningful. The project underscores the importance of community in the grieving process, as people find solace in sharing their emotions and experiences with others.
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