The tall spines of green safety phones are a familiar sight to the thousands of students who stroll by more than 150 of the campus pillars daily.

But with cell phones becoming more prevalent, the safety phones easily blend into the background as decorative ornaments rather practical devices.

"Most reasonable people would feel that, in this day and age of everyone having a cell phone, they're probably used less than they used to be, but not everyone has a cell phone," said MSU police Assistant Chief Mike Rice, who leads the employees who take care of the phones.

Callers can phone any campus number for a five-minute talk, reach the Capital Area Transportation Authority's Night Owl when they need a ride and contact 911 in an emergency.

Because of high costs, Rice said the number of calls made on the phones can't be tabulated, but some students agree that it's reassuring to have the phones available, although they've never used them for an emergency.

"I'm glad to know they're there just to make sure everyone's safe," international relations senior Brittany Struble said.

Physiology senior Jesse McAllister said the phones create a handy solution for those who may not have another option.

"I know that they're there for help, but I guess a cell phone would be just as effective," he said. "But if it's an actual mugging, they probably took your cell phone too, so it's a good option to have."

At least a few new phones are installed every year at $9,000-15,000 each, but all are funded with parking ticket money, Rice said.

"Nobody likes to pay a parking ticket, but at least we're turning that money into making the community safer," he said.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said she's used the phones on a number of occasions — not for an emergency, but to check in at the department.

Rice said the phones have been on campus since he began his education at MSU in 1965.

Throughout the years, the phones have lasted, but he's seen a number of them defaced by intoxicated people on north campus.

"The phones themselves are very durable. The problems have to do with malicious destruction by drunks," he said. "I've seen everything from breaking the globe to attempting to smash the phone for some reason; I'm not quite sure why.

"The phones are there to help people, so why anyone would want to destroy them is beyond me."