Pulowski Preservation shelter Pulowski Preservation shelters are coin - operated , one - person fallout shelters found on street corners throughout the more urban areas of the Capital Wasteland and the Commonwealth , provided by Pulowski Preservation Services . Advertised as a " sensible " and " affordable " alternative to the Vaults , people would ostensibly use them as a last - minute resort in the event of a nuclear attack . The shelter itself is firmly secured to the ground , and ventilation piping is attached to the rear of the booth . Some models have luminous sign on the front of the shelter indicating whether or not it is occupied . Pre - War use . Though the shelters can shield against explosive force , they do not seem to shield against radiation . It could be speculated that the installation of so many booths may be seen as a profiteering scheme in the climate of fear before the Great War began , or they may be simply in disrepair when found by the player character . The shelters only had an air supply , no food or water , so the occupant ' s survival was dependent on what they were carrying at the time . Whether any occupant survived through the use of these shelters is unknown , though many are filled with skeletons or feral ghouls , suggesting the majority of occupants died trapped inside . The last - minute nature of the booth meant that ill - prepared occupants were likely resigned to die from starvation if they survived the high radiation levels . Considering the blood splatters within several booths containing handguns , it seems that some occupants committed suicide after losing all hope of survival . The only advice offered after entering the booth is : " Wait for radiation to clear . Enjoy your stay . " Although somewhat illogical , it seems these shelters were intended to be reusable ; considering the tone of advertising the shelters were given , the risk and cost of nuclear devastation pre - War was likely greatly underestimated by the general public . It ' s possible that they were a scam of sorts , intended to cash in on panic and false alarms while not being able to keep occupants alive during a real nuclear event . Post - War use . Though apparently coin operated , the player character can enter simply by pressing on the coin - slot ( note no money will be taken when pressing the coin slot ) . Two centuries later , Pulowski shelters have found new use in protecting citizens of the Wasteland from its dangers ; at least one non - player character ( Bryan Wilks in " Those ! " ) hides in a Pulowski shelter . Conversely , in Paradise Falls the shelters are used as punishment cells ; a Pulowski shelter at the far end of the settlement is used to detain unruly slaves , and is named " The Box " . This shelter is unique in that it has also been modified to be lockable , imprisoning the slave ( in this case , Rory Maclaren ) . The key to this shelter is in possession of Forty , typically nearby sitting on a bench or patrolling around the destroyed car wall . Shelter locations and contents . " Fallout 3 " . There are a total of 20 Pulowski preservation shelters located throughout the Capital Wasteland , including " The Box " at Paradise Falls .