Red Phone

In the past, the concept of a “Red Telephone” has evoked notions of any given President of the United States making the decision that some foreign city should be fried at 50,000 degrees, thanks to our friend, Mr. Fission.

Now, according to the December 3, 2005 dead tree and ink issue of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, a Red Phone now has another meaning.

All over east Tennessee and north Georgia, which is becoming a popular destination for recent “arrivals” from Mexico and Latin America, Tiendas (Mexican/Latino small markets) are popping up all over the place. Many of these Tiendas have a red telephone inside them, so that recent Hispanic “arrivals” can wire money back home, in lieu of using a popular wire service like Western Union or MoneyGram.