The weird phone booth connecting lefty Californians with diehard Texan Republicans

A new social experiment is using an unlikely tool—a modified pay phone—to encourage dialogue between Americans with opposing political views.

The “party line” was spotted over the weekend in liberal San Francisco. Callers who pick up a phone labeled “Talk to a Republican” are automatically connected to a corresponding pay phone in conservative Abilene, Texas, marked “Talk to a Democrat,” according to KTVU.

Matter Neuroscience, the company behind the project, shared on Instagram that the phones are located 1,500 miles apart with a mission to connect “different people from different political viewpoints to have meaningful, not hateful conversations.”

A man talks on a blue pay phone labeled "Call a democrat" and "The Party Line," designed to connect people with different political views. — The two phones are linked between liberal San Francisco and conservative Abilene, Texas. Matter Neuroscience

“We’re installing a pay phone in the most conservative city in the U.S. and one in the most liberal city. When one phone is picked up, it automatically calls the other,” the post explained.

The company emphasized that the project is meant to create space for “friendly, human-to-human conversations.” They hope participants discover that even with differing opinions—including on important political topics—people can still enjoy positive, even fun, exchanges.

A modified payphone on Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District, labeled "Call a republican," connects to a phone in Abilene, Texas, as part of "The Party Line" social experiment by Matter Neuroscience. — The goal is to get people with different viewpoints to have meaningful conversations. Matter Neuroscience

Early participants said the conversations were surprisingly calm. “This is kind of bringing people closer in a way,” said Steven Bednarczyk, who used the San Francisco phone outside a tattoo parlor, KTVU reported.

Calls are being recorded, and Matter Neuroscience plans to feature highlights on social media. A post about the project noted, “Research shows that the core molecules associated with happiness are the same in all human brains, regardless of political identity. This project’s goal is to highlight that.”

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