Home > Duluth.Talk > Archives > 2006 > July > 20 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USI dislike cell phones - but may I borrow yours?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My company participates in a softball league. We’re not very good, but we have a lot of fun.
The other night, I’m sitting on the bench at the during a game waiting for my turn at bat, and this music starts playing.
At once, three people reach into their pockets, shoes, and gym bags. It took me a second, but then I realized: It was a cell phone ringing.
I don’t have a cell phone. I may be one of the few people in North America who don’t.
I had one briefly when I worked in outside sales at my previous job, but I was glad to get rid of it.
In my mind, cell phones are a loss of privacy, a leash to unwanted demands, another way to be accessible to an encroaching world.
“Come on, Bill, you’re being silly,” my friends say. “You can always turn it off, for Pete’s sake.”
They have a point. However, I notice that few who have them ever do, even when they are in restaurants, or movie theaters, or churches. A co-worker was telling me not too long ago that she was at a funeral, and a cell phone interrupted the service. Of all places.
It gets me every time. I’m sitting in the park in downtown Duluth or I’m walking in the grocery store and someone will start talking.
I, of course, think that they are talking to me, and so I will answer them. But they aren’t talking to me. They’re talking on their cell phones.
And now, they have these things in their ear that look like what Lt. Uhura used to wear on Star Trek (Mr. Spock too). Y’all probably know what they’re called - I honestly have no idea - so it’s even harder to tell that they’re not talking to me.
And then they have the temerity to look at ME like I’m crazy because I answered them. They are standing alone in the middle of an open area, seemingly talking to nobody, and they look at me like I’m crazy because I answered. It makes sense, I guess. I mean, I am the one engaging in the “abnormal” behavior by not talking on my cell phone, or even owning a cell phone. Hmm.
I was waiting at a red light to turn east onto State Bridge from southbound Medlock Bridge the other day, and I observed the cars from those turning north onto Medlock Bridge from eastbound State Bridge. Of the 22 cars I counted, 17 people were talking on their cell phones while they were in the process of turning.
People have complained ad nauseum about the dangers of DWT (Driving While Talking) so I don’t want to touch on it too much here, except to say that given how many people I saw doing it and how many people I’ve heard complain about it - well, there’s more than a few of you out there who are hypocrites.
Maybe I notice it because I’m in a growing (shrinking) minority. I see it going on around me so often that I become more acutely aware of my lack of participation.
Until the other night. I was having some food at a local establishment and I was talking to my friend John at the bar. John was going to take a trip to Myrtle Beach. I told him I had a friend of a friend in Charleston who chartered fishing trips and that I could call my buddy to track down the number.
I asked John to borrow his cell phone to make the call. And then, I thought back and realized that it wasn’t the first time that I borrowed someone’s cell phone.
Smokers complain about OPC smokers (Other People’s Cigarettes). I’m becoming an OPCP caller (Other People’s Cell Phones). How quickly I have tumbled from my moral high ground.
Do you know any OPCP callers?
Permalink | Comments (70) | Categories: Bill Allen
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Patrick
July 21, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this
I thought I was the only one! My only accident in a moving car was as a result of using the cell phone. The guy in front of me had stopped. I glanced down just long enough to hang up and bang, went right into his rear end. Never had a chance to even hit the breaks. Felt like I was wearing a chia pet on my head! Now I don’t own a cell phone and probably never will again. It’s simply a marketing toy that everyone seems to have bought into.
By fer
July 21, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this
Count me in as another holdout! At last count, I knew 6 other people w/o one.
By CL
July 21, 2006 10:35 AM | Link to this
I was a holdout till a couple of months ago. My Mom’s 78 and had surgery, she’s an hour away and I wanted to be accessible. But since her surgery, I haven’t turned my phone on once. Only thing is, I can’t be a reverse snob anymore since I sold out too.
By Dred
July 21, 2006 10:36 AM | Link to this
Count me in sorta. I just hate the way cel phones are used today. I bought one at walmart and it has been used only once to see if it works. It lives in my trunk for emergency use only. About every 3 months marked on the ‘Paper Wall Calendar’ (another hold out item), I boost the charge just in case. After all I seem to remember a cell phones’ original intent was for emergency only use sorta like a CB Radio! Dang I just remembered, I have one of those in my garage. Originally I was afraid of and still am of microwave bombardment, now I’m afraid of those people who walk around with those blue things super glued to their ear hole. My only real concession to modern technology is a very nice PC with fast DSL. My vehicles? A 79 chevy truck & a 86 elCamino ZZ4 that gets more attention than your $150,000 sports car!
By SW
July 21, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this
I have one for work when I am on call, other than that I have never used a cell phone. I have never paid a thin dime on cell phone charges. However, according to my Barnes and Noble discount card, I purchased and read 24 books last year. I know this will fall on deaf ears but I don’t think most people realize just how utterly stupid they look just standing around yaking mindlessly on their little phones, sometimes forcing me into the personal details of their banal lives when they talk close to me. What type of kids are we bringing up in the world? A safe bet is that most will talk and text message more than they will read. At one time, when the rates were high, there may have been a little prestige attached to having a cell phone. Now everyone walking down Buford Hwy has one; kids have them, probably even homeless people have them. If you must talk to someone each time you have two minutes of downtime, perhaps a therapist may be in line. Co-dependency can be cured.
By Mark in Marietta
July 21, 2006 11:12 AM | Link to this
I feel the same way, but my wife finally talked me into it because of our situation. Now I can at least call her if I am stuck on 285 while coming from work to take her home. However, I refuse to use it while driving, instead pulling off the road to make the call unless traffic is at a dead stop. Drivers who use their cell while driving are one of my pet peeves, and I won’t become my own statistic.
By Enough is Enough
July 21, 2006 11:13 AM | Link to this
You aren’t the only one who doesn’t have a cell phone. I don’t either…and never have…never will. I wouldn’t have one if you gave it to me and paid the monthly charges for me. I can understand people like doctors having them. They NEED to be contacted 24/7…but a kid of 15 or a stay at home mom doesn’t need to be “on call”.
By CD
July 21, 2006 11:17 AM | Link to this
You all sound like my Granddaddy……Get with the program…cell phones are here to stay. Some people don’t even have “home phones” anymore. And people saying that they only understand a needed 24/7 contact like a doctor are just being ignorant! I do agree that driving while talking can be dangerous..but it is the driver..not the cell phone..hello!!!!
By Susan
July 21, 2006 11:17 AM | Link to this
It was bad enough when it was pagers going off everywhere. It was thought then that only drug dealers and pimps had them, which is probably true. Now, cell phones are the new pager, only now we have to LISTEN to you talk instead of YOU finding a private public phone and making your call. I say it’s time to ban them from John Q. Public.
By CD
July 21, 2006 11:20 AM | Link to this
You all sound like my Granddaddy……Get with the program…cell phones are here to stay. Some people don’t even have “home phones” anymore. And people saying that they only understand a needed 24/7 contact like a doctor are just being ignorant! I do agree that driving while talking can be dangerous..but it is the driver..not the cell phone..hello!!!!
By Mom
July 21, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this
My daughter offered me her cell phone once in the car to call my son. I couldn’t figure out how to use it…and I don’t want to learn. It’s good for her because she drives the state of Georgia as a sales rep., but as for soccer mom, or little Johnny, I say what’s so important that you can’t wait until you get home? I sat in a hospital ER very ill, and every person (almost) was yammering away incessantly on a cell phone, and the ones that weren’t, their phones were all playing different little songs and some were playing little “beep beep” games on them. There were signs posted all over the waiting room “NO CELL PHONES”. Who is supposed to be enforcing these rules?
By frank123
July 21, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this
I agree Bill it is a hassess to carry a cell phone since my wife merely uses it to keep track of me. People pay high monthly fees to yack about nothing. But it does give me hope to see how mundane and trivial other peoples lives are.
However, stop borrowing other’s cell phones! Just get a tracfone. We started using them in the last 2 years. I got one with 260 minutes on it for the whole year ($99). Nearly a whole year has gone by and I have only used about 40 minutes.
When the tracfone minutes expire, I just give the phones to the kids to play games on and to call 911 if necessary.
By Sara
July 21, 2006 11:27 AM | Link to this
Good point SW, studies are reflecting that reading for pleasure is at all time low for some demographics. I wonder who these people are? I find myself having less and less tolerence for the rude behavior of some cell phone addicts, such as being in line at the check out counter when people are on the phone and they expect me to wait on them. Fat chance on that one. I’ll tell you in a minute this is not your private phone booth. Also, you’ll never merge in front of me with your turn signal on and you sitting mindlessly talking on the phone, just try. There is one ray of light, what if the rumors indeed are true that they may cause tumors? As cruel as this may sound, it’ll rid the world of the some of the most annoying types and leave more space for the others…the types that read and can handle reality without having the dependency of having to chatter all the time.
By pitbull
July 21, 2006 11:42 AM | Link to this
I never owned a cellphone until 30 days ago when I had a repair problem with my BellSouth home phone line. I could call out, but people who called my home went to an intercept message that said it was no longer a working number. They could have fixed it in their central office but swore they had to get into my house. You would have thought they were trying to fix the space shuttle. I cancelled my service after 40 years and got me a cell phone. It works fine.
By Tami
July 21, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this
By frank123 WROTE When the tracfone minutes expire, I just give the phones to the kids to play games on and to call 911 if necessary.
Did you know you could just buy more minutes. I have a tracfone for my 10 year old, better than putting her on my plan.
By singlemom
July 21, 2006 12:02 PM | Link to this
Well, I have a cell phone and so does my 15 year old daughter. I love that I can get a hold of her when she is at the mall, etc. I do not have a land line at home, just the two cell phones. I very rarely use mine out in public, and the ringer in on vibrate. If someone calls while I am in a store or restaurant, I will wait until I go outside, or in my car to return the call. I do not walk up and down the aisles of Publix yakking like a fool. It’s rude and I am not a rude person. I cannot stand to hear someone the cell phone grocery shopping, especially the ones who are talking very loudly.
But the most important thing is I can call my daughter and she can call me ANYTIME.
By Kunta Plenty
July 21, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this
Susan, you hit the nail on the head: cell phones are the new pagers!
I’m sure some of you have heard of Sir Mix-A-Lot, the rapper who became famous for his “song” about women who have “big butts”. Well, before he “sang” “Baby’s Got Back”, Mix-A-Lot had a minor hit called “Beepers” in which he poked fun at people who used pagers as nothing more than a status symbol. One part of the “song” mentions a “brutha” who couldn’t afford a real beeper, so he hung a garage door opener on his belt to try to fool (and impress) people.
Unfortunately, our cell phone “culture” has simply provided another avenue for rude,ill-mannered, uncouth people to force themselves upon their fellow human beings as they try to make themselves appear to be more important than they actually are.
I am SO tired of being in a fast-food joint, or a convenience store, or anywhere else where people congregate, and having to hear some loudmouth talk to whomever about whatever.
As for the cretins who insist on having unnecessary cell phone conversations while they drive (recklessly), I am reminded of a comment once made by professional rasslin’ legend Bobby “The Brain” Heenan: “These people should not be allowed to vote, or to breed.”
Heenan was actually talking about rasslin’ fans, but the same sentiment can be applied to cell phone abusers.
By jody
July 21, 2006 12:21 PM | Link to this
My husband and I have one cellphone soon to be two. We only use prepaid phones and use them for things such as “I’m lost, can you help me?” ” I’m at WalMart , what do you need?…” I simply don’t feel I need to be that accessible to everyone all the time. We do keep our phone on on vibrate when out in restaurants,theaters, and in church, so that if something goes on with our child we can be reached (we’ve only had 1 emergency in 2 years) and we leave to talk in private. I think people should have cell phones, as public pay phones are apparently a thing of the past, but use them sensibly. I don’t care to hear how you caught your boyfriend cheating on you and all the lovely expletives you used for him, while me and my 2 year old try to enjoy a happy meal at McD’s!
By Rhonda
July 21, 2006 12:32 PM | Link to this
I have a cell phone and my son, a college student out of town, has a cell phone. My husband refuses to have one. He had one when he worked at his previous job (sales) about 3 years ago but hasn’t had one since that time. He was getting calls at all times of the night and morning and, even though they were business calls, he refuses to have a cell phone now. I did a prepaid cell phone program for about 2 years but I had trouble with service if I wasn’t in my area so I changed to a regular cell phone about a year ago. The main reason I had a cell phone is for emgergencies on the road and the phone didn’t do me any good if I didn’t have service everywhere.
By Ringtoneless
July 21, 2006 12:35 PM | Link to this
I HATE cellphones with a purple passion. I don’t own one and never will. There’s no need for folks to be able to reach me 24/7. Nothing irks me more than to get behind a cellhead in traffic and watch as they miss lights or slowly creep to the intersection and wonder why 15 cars zoomed around them as the occupants waved certain fingers at them and screamed stuff about their mothers. If ignorance is bliss, the cellphone world must be chin-deep in happiness!
By Anne
July 21, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this
I was standing in the check out line inside a Kroger store a few days ago when all of a sudden a young woamn, I can’t say lady, starting using the absolute trashiest foul language you have ever heard on her phone. Each sentence had at least four F words in it. Finally a woman with a small child, in a very nicce way, suggested she go outside to talk. I can’t repeat what that that without class, trashy, ghetto of a girl said without being censored. This is not the first time I have been subjected to that. People, use some simple common sense when using the phone. Also, remember phones were placed in phone booths for a reason. To afford you some privacy and to spare others of the boring details of your life.
By Ed
July 21, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this
Until Georgia law says its illegal to talk and drive at the same time, go ahead and do it, its your call. However, keep in mind that if I see you blabbing on your cute little phone with 9,000 minutes and 40 ringtones and you hit my big Ford 250 truck, the one with the NRA sticker on the back, you may have to reach up to butt to take the next call. Imagine the looks you’ll get when you are somewhere and your phone rings and the person next to you ask if your butt is playing the theme from Superman or are they hearing things?
By Lisa
July 21, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this
Funny story..a few years ago we were vacationing in a foriegn country with my parents. We were at a restaurant where apparently it is the custom to seat strangers next to each other at the same table. A guy sat down right next to my father blabbing away on his cell phone. My dad, who did not have a cell phone, repeatedly asked the guy his name (I guess so he could start a conversation about his rudeness). After a while the guy calmly takes out a pen, writes his name on the paper tablecloth and moves to another table, never missing a beat in his conversation. My parents now own a phone, but use it appropriately on their long trips and for the free weekend long distance. Personally, I own a cell phone, but am always cognizant of those around me. As the mom of teenagers, it’s hard to imagine not having one. And yes, those of you without one may borrow mine anytime you have the need.
By Emanuel Molho
July 21, 2006 01:22 PM | Link to this
Cell phone (ab)users: unconscious, disrespectful, discourteous and obnoxious. Public transportation and areas; doctors’ offices; theaters; restaurants; checkout lines; just about everywhere. In their own dream world walking in the street, or “driving” their cars. Their business, everyone’s business. Unable to bear silence or be by, or with, themselves for a moment. Totally oblivious to—-and inconsiderate of—-their neighbors.
Cell phones will be as ubiquitous in airplanes as they are in places where we are all held captive. These (ab)users ought to be relegated to their own soundproof cabin, compelled to suffer one another’s inanities. For the entire flight.
I, and hopefully those who share these feelings, will give our business to the airlines that have the sense to ban them.
Emanuel Molho, New York, NY
By Emanuel Molho
July 21, 2006 01:24 PM | Link to this
Cell phone (ab)users: unconscious, disrespectful, discourteous and obnoxious. Public transportation and areas; doctors’ offices; theaters; restaurants; checkout lines; just about everywhere. In their own dream world walking in the street, or “driving” their cars. Their business, everyone’s business. Unable to bear silence or be by, or with, themselves for a moment. Totally oblivious to—-and inconsiderate of—-their neighbors.
Cell phones will be as ubiquitous in airplanes as they are in places where we are all held captive. These (ab)users ought to be relegated to their own soundproof cabin, compelled to suffer one another’s inanities. For the entire flight.
I, and hopefully those who share these feelings, will give our business to the airlines that have the sense to ban them.
Emanuel Molho, New York, NY
By kimmie
July 21, 2006 01:47 PM | Link to this
Count me in, sort of. I had a cellphone years ago, but fell out with the cellphone company. My monthly fee was supposed to be $40, but every month it was different and I never used it, raked up a ton of minutes. Finally, I got rid of it and got a prepaid. I spend $15 per month on a prepaid card and it is for emergencies. Everyone does not need to be in touch with me 24/7, but it does come in handy when you have car trouble or are lost. Cellphones have just become an excuse to be rude. Everyone looks crazy talking on them everywhere and the cellphone companies are getting richer by the minute!
By Ice
July 21, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this
You’re not alone. I am 37 and have never owned a cell phone. My buddies make a big deal of it. I feel liberated without one! When we are watching a ballgame at a bar, their phones are ringing every 30 minutes with the wife checking up on them….. “Yes dear, we are still watching the game.” I’ll lean back in my chair and tell them….. “Now THAT is pathetic!”
By Kate
July 21, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this
You could be like me. I have one but for all of last year, I used 12 minutes of time. It really is for emergencies only! Unfortunately, my rate plan will die out when my phone does (unless that suit against Cingular is successful) and then I’ll have to decide to either cancel completely or start using it more.
By Soulfinger
July 21, 2006 02:24 PM | Link to this
You people sound so stupid. A cell phone can save your life! Time to get with the program.
By Madison533
July 21, 2006 02:26 PM | Link to this
Can we add another cell phone gripe? THE RING!! Why do people have to have it set to the loudest volume? That irks me more than the talkers. I’ve had my phone for 5 years and it has always been on vibrate-no matter when or where.
Not only is it the space-age stupid blue tooth people who are the worst abusers, thoses idiots with the Nextel walkie-talkie are so rude! On our honeymoon one morning at breakfast my husband and I got stuck on the veranda with a large party three tables down. The entire breakfast was ruined by the man’s constant phone chirping. I made a pledge then and there to stop being a door mat and start confronting people on their rudeness.
One positive thing I have noticed..people are fed up with it in movie theatres. The past couple of times I have been, I didn’t hear a single phone ring. In fact, a certain theatre chain is actually sending ushers in before every movie and making announcements that cell phone users will not be tolerated. AND…I saw them escort someone out. Yay Parkview at Cobb!!
By J D
July 21, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this
Don’t feel lonesome. i AN 73 YEARS OF AGE AND have never even talked on one
By Calmdown
July 21, 2006 03:08 PM | Link to this
Is everyone really serious here…I bet when the personal home computer was introduced you refused to get one because of the evil rays coming into your house…I mean people please, I refused to believe that some people have NEVER had a cell phone or used one, yeah folks make up excuses about oh I need it for emergencies and all that, but the real deal is you get a cell phone because you WANT one. Can we please quit all this irrelevant talk and get the the program people. Cell phones are here to stay, personal computer are here to stay, electricity is here to stay, and guess what CARS are probably going to stay as well. So let all that crazy useless ranting and raving go! IT’S 2006 NOT 1806!
By Ringtonedeaf
July 21, 2006 03:46 PM | Link to this
Soulfinger and Calmdown…both of you are sounding a tad stupid telling US what to do with our lives. If we don’t want one, no amount of hemming and hawing is going to make us get one. All you cellheads look ridiculous on your little prissy phones.
Yes, I am an anti-cellphone-ite and proud of it!
So jump down off your soapboxes and let us live our lives the way WE want. And if being connected to other cellheads is NOT in our plans…so be it. I’m happy as a clam being “out of touch” while I’m in my car, at the grocery store, museum, doctor’s office, post office…whatevah!
By Sanders
July 21, 2006 03:56 PM | Link to this
I don’t understand what the obsession about other people talking on their cell phone in public places is. Would it make you feel better if they were talking with someone else present? If there are 2 people in a restaurant, are they allowed to talk to each other? Therefore, if it’s one person talking by themselves, is one less voice to annoy you, right?
This is all about nosy people trying to dictate how others live. Thankfully most of you are all a bunch of ugly old farts that will die soon anyways. Welcome to the future, take it or leave it!!
By LB
July 21, 2006 04:02 PM | Link to this
I was at a funeral one day and the lady sitting next to me had her cell phone go off very loudly. OMG!!!! I hope no one thought it was me. Our pocket books were side by side. I was insulted when she hung the phone up and it actually rang again a few minutes later. I’m sure the deceased heard it as well. I am in church each Sunday and at least twice a month somebody has a phone to go off. Sometimes it’s even coming from the choir. I have a cell phone that I use only if I have a roadside emergency. My husband complains that I don’t have it turned on enough. I have also seen people in the grocery store talking to themselves (excuse me, on the phone). It makes me want to call the men in white jackets. They could at least smile at me and point to their ear piece when I look bewildered. That would at least make me feel that I am no longer on the loony farm. At least, if it was me (which it won’t be) I would acknowledge the person who answered me unknowingly, smile and point to my ear piece. I think that would be the curteous thing to do.
By Sarah
July 21, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this
Hey Calmdown, you’re an idiot with that comparison of the PC to the cell phone. I don’t take my home computer to places to eat and movies and use them, I use it at home. I bet you don’t own a book but you have three phones. Cell phone use in public is low-brow, common, ghetto, trailer and low class. I bet all you cell phone abusers fit into at least 3 of these categories. Also, to parents who freely hand over phones to teen-agers, I bet your kids are mindlessly chtting on MySpace too; chatting with a 55 year old guy and thinking he’s a 15 year old. You people are clueless as to how ignorant you really are.
By Ringtonedead
July 21, 2006 04:10 PM | Link to this
Sanders…look dingdong, it isn’t the fact that people are talking on their phones that annoys. What annoys is that THEY HAVE TO YELL INTO THE EARPIECE LIKE TECHNOLOGY HASN’T ERADICATED THE SIGNAL PROBLEMS OF THE PAST. They have and there’s no need to yell but some folks just don’t get that. If they would talk in a normal voice, no problem.
And us ugly old farts CREATED your future…like it or leave it. But don’t you dare try to tell us how to live the rest of our lives. We control who’s in the will and who’s out now. Remember that the next time you call us names.
Crazy kids.
By MrLiberty
July 21, 2006 04:23 PM | Link to this
Good job Bill.
I too am without cell phone and I don’t miss having one at all. When my commute was 53 miles each way, my wife made me get one - a monthly pay as you go plan that I kept forgetting to get filled. After a year they finally cancelled me, we moved closer to work and now I am cell free again. Nobody ever bothered me on my phone since only my wife had the number and I called her.
It would be nice occasionally to call ahead for takeout while on the way home and internet connectivity while out of the house could occasionally be useful, but the draw just isn’t there.
I think I borrowed a phone once and that was because someone else wanted me to call someone for them. Some technologies cannot be avoided. Thankfully cell phones are one that can. Now if they would just ban their use while driving, the rest of us might be a lot safer.
By Respectfully His
July 21, 2006 04:26 PM | Link to this
Shh…Mr. Liberty’s speaking.
By FyreStarrter™
July 21, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this
Ok I sort of had to chime in really quickly on this one. I’ve had a cellphone (purchased my own at 17 years of age) for a VERY LONG TIME. I cannot ever imagine being without one. I have had medical emergencies (both my own personal & those of others as well) that happened in places where there IS NO landline phone! Can you imagine how someone in my family would have felt because I was not able to call for help when I needed it? To the people who DON’T like to use cellphones: I agree that people can take it to extremes OR even be extremely rude about having LOUD conversations in public. BUT me talking on my cellphone in a quiet manner DOES NOT INFRINGE upon your rights or your personal space in ANYWAY. Point being if a person is being rude, state that to them & then calmly exit the space or most likely they will because they don’t want to interrupt their conversation. Being rude is one thing, but just being ignorant & resistive to changing times is something else alltogether!
By Soulfinger
July 21, 2006 04:44 PM | Link to this
Ringtonedeaf, I am sure you are happy being out of touch because you probably have no friends who would like to talk to you anyway. You sound real stuck up. All of you do. Ever been broke down on 285? Had a flight that was delayed and needed to relay info to someone in another state? I could list a million situations in which a simple cell phone could make all the difference between a minor setback and a full blown emergency? A cell phone is not prissy. In this day and age its almost a necessity. And it is cheaper than most land lines. You dont have to have a ringtone or even pick up the phone when it rings. Thats the beauty of it! What did you think a bunch of stuck up idiots like you guys said when the internet was first introduced? Now you are all on it blogging away like there is no tomorrow! I agree its your choice if you get one or not but dont sh*t on them or its users just because you live in the stone age. Gotta go, my phone is ringing and I can tell by the Marvin Gaye ringtone, its my husband calling from his cell phone! Ciao!!!
By Larry
July 21, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this
You’re NOT the only hold-out! But there’s something worse than cell phones - those little 2-way Nextel “chirp” torture devices. The voice coming out of the speaker is worse than the sound of the dentist’s drill. I can see their usefulness on a construction site but NOT in a restaurant! I will stick my fingers in my ears and glare at the morons who do this.
By Prootwadl
July 21, 2006 04:57 PM | Link to this
I used to use a pre-paid phone (TracFone) for outgoing calls only (mainly for emergency use), and I thought it was quite convenient. It only cost $8/month or so (average) to keep around, and there were many occasions where I was glad I had it.
Now I have one from work, which is rather amusing because (1) it has a fancy camera and movie camera in it that I can’t use because there’s no way to transfer the images for free (work won’t pay for it), (2) its reception is a lot worse than my old Nokia TracFone (I can’t even use my work phone at home), and (3) they usually call my home number anyway. :-)
I guess I can’t whine too much about a freebie, though, huh? :-)
By Ice
July 21, 2006 05:09 PM | Link to this
Now Now Soulfinger….. there’s no need to be nasty about it. Most of these posts are not anti-cell phone. It’s about being considerate to others which is a part of humanity I hope we never lose to technology. Technology itself is fantastic! But it can also be impersonal and intrusive on our lives. The ability to communicate 24/7 doesn’t give people the right to be inconsiderate to others who aren’t interested in their conversation.
By Clay
July 21, 2006 05:14 PM | Link to this
My dad (he’s “only” 58) refuses to get one—and I thought he was the lone holdout. There is no reason to not have one. My wife and I were just talking last night about how the cell phone may be the best invention of the last 20 years. Probably not, but pretty close to it. Remember when you were a kid and your parents said “Meet me back at this fountain at 2:30” and you had to drop what you’re doing and be there—and they were usually late? Not any more. You can split up in Disney World, Turner Field, the mall, anywhere and be in constant contact with your other family members. You break down at night? Make a call. Who hasn’t gone to the store, only to forget the color you need? Make a call. I can understand not wanting a cell phone bill (ours is over $120/month for our three phones), but that’s why they invented prepay. Get a prepaid phone and you are set for when you really need it. Come on, folks, it’s time to join the 21st (actually catch up to the 20th) century and get a cell phone.
By E. Lewis
July 21, 2006 05:16 PM | Link to this
I got my first cell phone when I relocated and was staying with my sister who had an unlisted number. I quickly learned how frustrating and expensive those things can be. You answer your cell phone to find out that someone just wanted to chat or worse they call you on your cell when you are at your desk or at home without trying either of those places first. A monthly fee of $39.95 for a few hundred minutes quickly turns into a $100+ phone bill or in the case of my now ex brother-in-law $300. I got rid of my cell phone as soon as the contract expired and even doing that a hassle.
Now, a few years and several car problems later, I have a new phone for emergencies only. Good luck in finding a pay phone. I have a pre-paid plan. I don’t give out the number unless it is absolutely necessary. I always have the unit turned off when I am driving, at home or in the office. Of course I keep it off when I am at church or movies.
I still think that for the most part cell phones are evil, albeit a necessary one.
By Soulfinger
July 21, 2006 05:36 PM | Link to this
Ice, what is the difference if i am next to you talking on my cell phone or next to you talking to another person? you can still hear my conversation. Should we move our conversation outside so you wont be bothered???? Oops! my phone is ringing again!! :-)
By Anita
July 21, 2006 05:45 PM | Link to this
Husband and I are 57 and we do not want a cell phone. They are traffic hazards - idiots will pull out in front of you, and cut in front of you while yapping on the phone. I heard Oprah say she didn’t own one. Guess we are members of her elite club.
By mel
July 21, 2006 06:04 PM | Link to this
I think that there is a time and a place for everything. I don’t answer the phone when I am driving. If I do have to call for directions or someone to keep me awake in the middle of the night driving(and I don’t do that much at all)it’s on speakerphone. I hate when other distracted drivers put myself and my passengers in danger because of their stupidity. I do agree that those bluetooth and ear bud things are a pain to wear and people do look ridiculous carrying on with a private conversation in public areas and turn to me to look agravated that I am listening in. Just my thoughts.
By Political Foreskin
July 21, 2006 09:52 PM | Link to this
You should get a cellphone, Mr. Allen. It’s amazing what you can do with them. I use my cellphone to help me drive. I look at the LCD screen while I take real-time video (with same cellphone) of the road ahead. That way, I dont have to wear my ugly glasses, and who knows, there might be a babe in the car next to me. That’s when I start taking videos of her, and I start getting in the groove, and BAM!!!
Good thing I’ve got my insurance agent on speed dial.
By m graven
July 22, 2006 09:48 AM | Link to this
Changing World The world is changing. While we are out and about, we are more self oriented. I have often wondered What in the world is so important that we have to talk while we are driving. Certainly not “What are we having for dinner?” It has made it harder for me to cope. I have a cell phone, but like you it is a tether to unwanted and needless conversation. We seem to have forgotten what peace and quiet sounds like. In fact one of my extended family members could not identify the sounds of a cow mooing in the meadow. I use mine for emergencies like a car breakdown on the road to connect with AAA or something, but overall I don’t like them. But I even endure the “look” often when I don’t check my messages. I believe that while we are becoming masters of the closed off cell call, we are also fast becoming the ultra selfish, most impolite species on the planet. I know that I live a boring life, but for the most part,there isn’t anything that I need to know bad enough that it can’t wait until I arrive and can say it face to face. And when something happens to me or mine, because someone is having one of those special, but inane conversations, I think it will come up in court…Mankind seems to have an uncanny ability to take a nice useful invention and turn it into something insipid. But even as I write this,I’m sure there’s someone out there who can’t wait to connect via the cell phone to one of their closest and dearest 100 friends to tell them about this ignorant neanderthal writing this. Oh well, that’s just how I see it. Happy Saturday to you.
internet
By l
July 22, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this
39 years old and I have a Tracphone which is only turned on if an emergency arises. IMO cellphones are being used too much in today’s world by impulsive people who need to slow down a wee bit.
By asudst1992
July 22, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this
What is the difference between hearing me talk on my cellphone to someone and talking to someone who is actually with me inside the grocery store or mall? THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE! I have kids, a husband, a job, and friends. I will continue to hold conversation in public on my cellphone. I admit that I’m not one of those loud talkers though. If you don’t want a cellphone or you don’t want to use yours in public, that’s fine, but the rest of the civilized world will!
By Pizen
July 22, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this
I have had a cell phone for over five years now, and I’ve used it exactly 10 times, including one call to AAA. People who seem to live on making and taking calls don’t bother me, unless they’re in their cars and trying to run over me, or when the phones go off in church, at funerals, etc. What saddens me is that we as a society seem to have to be connected all the time. Don’t you want to be left alone at least sometimes?
By sJeaSexyCool
July 22, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this
oprah doesn’t have a cell phone…now THAT is funny…oprah doesn’t NEED a cell phone…she has more money than all of us commentors combined times 2 (i’m sure)…her ‘people’ have cell phones…for her…
i am a reforming cell phone addict…before i sold my house, the ONLY reason i had a home phone was for the DSL service…now that i live in an apt with wireless internet…no home phone for me…
it used to be that talking on my cell phone was like breathing…everywhere i went…it was stuck to me…after wasting WAY TOO MUCH money FOR YEARS with a pay by the minute provider…i switched to metropcs and their pay by the month plan…and it’s funny…now that i can talk all i want for as long as i want and still pay the same price…i am SICK of talking on the phone…
even so…when my phone is not with me…i feel disconnected from the people in my life…and cannot imagine being without it…
i plan on having a cell phone buried with me…in case i’m not really dead and need to call to have someone come get me…(teasing…)
By mg
July 22, 2006 11:31 AM | Link to this
After reading all these comments, I am changing my mind. Instead of bothering to have a cell phone buried in a casket with us,why not have cell phone technology implanted in our forehead. We could save dialing time by just thinking something. But I wonder what would happen after death. Do cell phones exist in Heaven? Or is Hell just a bunch of cell phone users, all with attached head phones, constantly talking with someone afar about nothing??? Huh! Huh! Huh1???? I wonder…..
By Claude
July 22, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this
With the cell phone culture, it’s harder to distinguish between a cell phone user and a certifiably crazy person who’s talking to himself. Of course there may be a considerable overlap between the two. Alexander Graham Bell wouldn’t have bothered if he knew people would make calls in public restrooms. Hang up and defecate.
By NS
July 22, 2006 06:14 PM | Link to this
Don’t need one. Don’t have diarrhea of the mouth. Would have one for emergency purposes if I traveled along the highway frequently.
By cora lewis
July 22, 2006 06:49 PM | Link to this
i don’t like cell phones either. i don’t know what people have so much to talk about. i especially hate the ones where they have the piece in their ear and they are talking and you think they are talking to themselves till you see the piece.but then on the other hand they are good to have for safety sake.maybe i should go buy one.
By Susan
July 22, 2006 09:09 PM | Link to this
I find it disturbing that you can make a date with a friend to go to the movies or out to eat and it never fails…at some point they will need to take an incoming call or call their husband or child to tell them where they are and what they are doing…while you stand there, waiting feeling like your time is really not important to them.
And then there are the folks who set in public waiting areas, like the doctor’s office, and talk away despite the signs everywhere in the waiting room that say cell phone usage isn’t allowed in the waiting area.
I remember when I was in Elementary school at some point during the year, the teacher taught us about phone etiquette…how to answer your home phone, etc… Those lessons stuck with me. Maybe they need to take an hour and teach cell phone etiquette starting in Middle school. I am so amazed at how completely clueless people are about how rude they are being.
By Gun Toter
July 22, 2006 09:40 PM | Link to this
I sat an intersection one day and watched a guy talking on his cell phone run thru the red light at 45 MPH broadsiding some poor lady. He was not upset one bit about it and even admitted he was talking on the phone and did not “see the red light.” The ought to be banned while driving. My company has a no cell phone usage while driving policy and enforces it.
By David
July 23, 2006 05:07 AM | Link to this
I hate talking to people on the phone at home, I sure don’t want to speak to people when I’m running around.
By Eric
July 23, 2006 09:40 AM | Link to this
No Bill, you’re not the only hold-out. I have resisted cell phones for many of the same reasons (intrusion of privacy, beeps, rudeness to others (forced to listen to others’ life play-by-play). I would add to the list the complications from losing your phone when I know where my land line always is, as well the whole re-charging battery issue and phone plans constantly changing. Maybe this will one day be a passing fad, though apparently unlikely. Thanks for the article!
By Lon
July 23, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this
I never cared to have a cellphone until I had a car emergency on the road and had to walk nearly 2 miles to a pay phone (which by the way are becoming obsolete). I suggest you holdouts think about that. Especially lone female drivers.
By Jerry Nelms
July 23, 2006 01:50 PM | Link to this
I carried a cell phone for a handful of years and noticed how dependent upon it one can get. In the final 6 months before giving it up, I realized I had gradually weaned myself off the spur-of-the-moment calls and was actually using it only 4-5 times a month. I remember the years when cell phones weren’t around and the world seemed to work just fine. I think needs like this get created then we feel like we just “have” to have them.
For women out on their own or for parents with young kids, I can see the need. But for me, they are a waste of time and money. Most of the day, I’m around a land line phone or a computer anyway. If anyone really needs to reach me, I’m reachable.
Re: the talking drivers - I can always tell when I’m driving behind one. They are almost never in touch with the flow of traffic, slow to respond to changing conditions, and tend to wobble & weave in their lanes like they are drunk or lost.
By Ben Lewis
July 23, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this
Actualy I did one better. For $30 got a Sprint phone then added “Sprint to home”. Made my free call “home” number to a voice over the internet company that has a cell bridge. Now I use my unlimited time from the voip company on my Sprint phone and I don’t run up ANY Sprint minutes. The VOIP is an Atlanta company http://www.voicestick.com I have not seen anyone else offering a bridge.
By David
July 23, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this
I’ve had one for several years and my wife has it 99% of the time ‘cause she’s in her vehicle much more than me. I borrow one 2-3 times a year but other than that, I don’t need one or want one. I’m at home or work 95% of the time and don’t want to be more accessable than that. I look forward to the silence during my short ride to and from work. It’s easy to spot the impaired cell talking drivers.
C’mon, hang up and drive. Maybe it will save your life, or mine.
By Lance
July 23, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this
Just a note that a cell phone that is not connected to any network can still dial 911 for emergencies. This makes a good use of those many phones that are getting replaced for newer models…
By Jim
July 24, 2006 09:27 AM | Link to this
Many times at work I will hear someone on their cell phone in the restroom. I just love to flush the water so the people on the other end of the conversation can hear it. It’s tacky to use a cell phone in some places. In public places when I have someone near me yacking on their cell phone, I make it obvious that I am listening intently to the conversation. When they realize what I am doing, it drives them nuts.
By Jan
July 24, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this
I hate them too, and very seldom use mine, heck I hardly know HOW to use it, but it comes in handy keeping up with two teenage boys - mostly it’s an “emergency” thing -and the only calls i ever get are from whomever had the number before me???? I get a recorded reminder about some cub scout thing, and mine were never in cub scouts. IF people would only use some common courteous and common sense, things would not be so bad. My audiologist said she was testing someones hearing, in one of those sound proof booths, and the patients cell phone rang!!!!! That is just rude and stupid!!! People turn the damn things off and LIVE!!!!!!!