This was another reason I eventually broke down and got a cell. I can remember my mother always telling me to carry some change in case I needed to call (whether on a bike or driving). They're increasingly hard to find.

Places of business typically had pay phones nearby or would let you use theirs for a local call. In urban/suburban areas, one was never far from an available phone. That's changed. It's expected that people have their own.

So while it is true that people didn't need cell phones for "emergencies" in the past, part of that was because there were plenty of public phones around.