Cell Phones

[jimmyj]

1. Was there ever a world in which humans were not born with a cell phone attached to the side of their heads?

2. Was there ever a world that normal conversation took place without long plauses to answer/talk on a cell phone?

3. Was ever a time that the person with you was a higher priority than your cell phone?

4. Can a human listen/talk/speak to a present person without "Texting" another person?

 

[cracker57]

1. Yes there was
2. yes there was
3. yes there was
4. not any more

 

[jlrhiner]

Wrong! I'm that person.

The cell phone is for my convenience, not so I can instantly be at someone else's beck and call.

 

[Moonman]

The World here has changed for sure, people don't interact face to face as much anymore, Texts, E-Mails, a Cell Phone VELCRO attached to their heads.

Look at how many people write or could EVEN BE ABLE TO WRITE A LETTER to someone.

 

[DeadAye]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Back in *The Day* kids were always starting fires and sending messages to their buddies --- You could hardly breath for all the smoke.
If you took away their blankets they'd be up on the hill waving flags about.
Later it was even worse! There you'd be trying to lever the wagon out of a particularly deep rut and there'd be Junior - Up a pole --- Clackety clack, Clackety clack.... You'd soon wish you never bought him that lineman's test set for Christmas.

So --- I guess the cell phone is really a good thing --- There's stuff on those poles now that would do Jr in in a flash - So to speak.
And can you imagine everyone trying to send smoke signals as they're flying down the highway? Talk about distracting.

Furthermore

Hold on - I've got to take this..................

 

[Damn Yankee]

You can tell where you are on a friends list when your talking to them and they say.

Gotta go someones calling me and they hang up.

 

[Texas Star]

A timely question. Another member of this board was visiting me last week when his cell phone rang. He asked the caller if he might return the call later. I was favorbly impressed.

I often leave my cell phone off unless I need to make a call. Saves getting all sorts of aggravating advertising calls.
The phone is new, and I probably need to add its number to the National Do Not Call List. That's helped some with my landline phone.

My kids do text a lot. I guess I need to learn to do it. My brother was able to text his wife from within a hospital while we waited about a month ago, although he couldn't talk to her via voice due to electrical interference that deep inside the building, I guess.

 

[Pilgrim]

When someone says, "I've got to put you on hold, I've got another call", I hang up.

Nothing cheezes me off more, especially when they call me first !

 

[Straightshooter2]

When I was working for T-Mobile, I used to love the calls from customers who had a $69.99 family plan and their bill was $300-1000. First question I always asked them is how old is the son or daughter that has a cell phone that sent several hundred text messages. The usual answer back then was 12-18 and girls seemed to text a lot more more than boys did. I'm sure the statistics have changes since then as adults have learned to text like teens used to do. It usually turned out that the parents didn't tell the kids that there was a limit on texts or they didn't know themselves (failure to read instructions/plan).

Last Thursday on our anniversary, while we were sitting in the restaurant, there was a lady having dinner with her family. In a one hour time frame, she probably spent a total of five minutes NOT on the phone. Had I been her husband, I probably would have broken that phone.

A few days ago, my wife was in line at Wally World. Lady in front of her kept getting calls and would stop the line to talk. Clerk finally asked her to step out of line until she was ready to check out. Lady huffed but got the message and hung up her phone.

CW

 

[Marshwheeling]

Texting is alien to me, but my phone will receive them. When and old friend texted me a couple of times recently, I called him on my cell phone, and left him a voice message to the effect that I was not text-savvy, so if he wanted to tell me something, he should do it the old-fashioned may, by e-mail.

 

[GKC]

In my working days, I worked for Verizon, and had a cell phone with me constantly. My wife and children got so tired of my incessant use of the phone at dinner, etc. Looking back on it now, I realize how rude that was. I used to think I was important, and that I had to be available 24/7...but when I retired, the company didn't fold. I wish now I had spent all that time with my family, because the kids are grown and gone now. While I am definitely enjoying time with my wife, I missed a lot that I can't have with the kids now; they are busy with their own lives.

 

[mstuhr]

Great piece of gear

Howdy,
I never thought I'd come to appreciate a cell phone.
I do now and can't imagine the inconvienence of living with out one.
Mine is not a smart phone although I can see advantages of those too.
I don't text (I have a phone) If you text me you might get a call back if it is important, but don't expect a text.
All the family have them and the nieces and nephews are in the bad habit of fidgeting with them at the dinner table.
Here in MO. adults can still text while driving, while under 21 year olds can't. Pretty dumb, as I think fidgeting with a phone while driving or at a dinner table demonstarte the ultimate in dangerous and rude activities regardless of your age.
I do think cell phones have made my world a safer place to live in.
I felt the same way about computers for a long time....Who needs one?
Thanks
Mike

 

[GKC]

I never thought I'd come to appreciate a cell phone. I do now and can't imagine the inconvienence of living with out one.

Oh, I do appreciate the convenience...in fact, we ditched our land line several years ago, since all we use are our cell phones anyway. (Our alarm system even has a wireless link to the alarm company...it's own, not over our cell phones.) I just think there is a time and a place to use them....like indoor plumbing...it's a great convenience, and a definite improvement over previous technology, but it isn't appropriate in all circumstances.

 

[Rule3]

Bluetooth.

 

[sigp220.45]

Thank God for texting. At least its quiet, and I don't have to listen to people yammer on their phones everywhere I go.

I rarely talk on the phone anymore, unless its my wife or kids calling, in which case it must be urgent or they would have texted. No land line for three years, and I don't miss it a bit.

How quickly we take things for granted. I have most of the assembled information of the world instantly available on my phone, along with a digital camera, a video camera, a clock, a calender (which reminds me of my appointments), and stuff I haven't figured out. I'm 53, and I wouldn't go back to pre-cell phone days if you paid me.

Luckily, they aren't mandatory (except maybe for your work), so anyone who doesn't want to tote one doesn't have to.

 

[Snakeshift]

Thank God for texting. At least its quiet, and I don't have to listen to people yammer on their phones everywhere I go.

I rarely talk on the phone anymore, unless its my wife or kids calling, in which case it must be urgent or they would have texted. No land line for three years, and I don't miss it a bit.

How quickly we take things for granted. I have most of the assembled information of the world instantly available on my phone, along with a digital camera, a video camera, a clock, a calender (which reminds me of my appointments), and stuff I haven't figured out. I'm 53, and I wouldn't go back to pre-cell phone days if you paid me.

Luckily, they aren't mandatory (except maybe for your work), so anyone who doesn't want to tote one doesn't have to.

I'm 25 and I ditched Cell Phones about four years ago right after I got out of College. I got so tired of girls/friends blowing my phone up at all hours of the day that I finally had enough.

These days I'm living circa 1996-ish: Landline, Internet (not that much of a luddite) and a 1976 Corvette. Sure, you sacrifice a lot of convenience by not carrying a phone, but let me tell you--it sure does take a lot of stress away as well.

 

[P&R Fan]

My dream is to smash my cell phone with a hammer. I got my first one at Christmas 1992. Actually still have it, a huge "Brick Phone". It was cool for a while, but now being constantly available is a pain. The only time I won't answer is when I'm in the shower or talking to a client. (No, those two thing don't happen simultaneously). Other than that it's 24/7 availability for me. Sometimes it rings in the middle of the night and I have to solve somebodies problem. I also use an answering service for my Security/Private Investigative business, so callers NEVER get an answering machine, which is an advantage I have over my competitors. They hang upon their machines and then call me, I get their business because a human being answers the phone. Unfortunately, that interrupts a lot of dinners and, ahem, "intimate moments", if you get my drift.
I suppose a cell phone has solved a lot of problems for me over the years. That don't mean I always like 'em.
Jim

 

[W.E.G.]

My favorites are the ones that yap loudly on cell phones in public places.

As they blither into the air, I walk over and stand next to them, and in an even louder voice, I describe whatever I can stream in my brain. Sometimes I debate the various personalities of the Seven Dwarfs, sometimes small engine disassembly, or I simply just describe everything I can see at the moment. You know, the sort of stuff you force through your mind when you're trying to hold back ... except in this case I'm trying to hold back shoving a newspaper in their mouth.

 

[old bear]

I've had a cell phone since the late 1990's and I hate them. the only time I was happy to have one was on September 11, 2001, when my wife who had been on and American Airlines flight was able call to let me know that her flight had not taken of yet, and would I be OK with picking her up at the airport. OK was not the emotion I felt when I received her call.

 

[AZ_Shooter]

I didn't have too much of a problem with people on their cell phones until I was driving last week and one ran me off the road because they weren't paying attention.