Fixing To Give Up The Phone

[Gaffer]

Pay Phones are hard to find these days and many landline phone companies have given up on them since the Cell Phone became so popular. Today telephones are a great nuisance because of the robo calls and such. Personally I long for the old days of Ma Bell .

 

[Telecaster]

The trouble with "leaving a message" is most people just say, "This is So & so, call me." That's not a message. The phone already tells me you called, you tell me what you wanted to talk abou. Then I can prioritize my return call. If I need to look something up first, I'll do that before calling, and save a lot of time.

 

[MRB1]

I have one - haven't seen it in a few days. It is either in the truck (same thing as lost), in the barn, workshop, or in the pasture. My kids insisted I get it, but they have yet to force me to become addicted to it. To me, it's only useful as a camera - helpful in the shop.

 

[WardenRoss]

Just my 2¢....

I wear a smart phone and carry a bluetooth ear piece.

In a critical incident, I pop in the ear piece and this leaves both hands free. You can communicate with [fill in the blank] while you do your work.

An example is when I came upon an accident, I could talk to the 911 bunker while I was strapping on my gear. Seconds count. Mine is voice activated.

Something to consider.

 

[onebadvet]

Gave up the house phone 5 years ago, who needs it, all I use is my cell phone, using texting!
The last bill showed 1,100. texts and talk minutes 20 minutes.

 

[Bro. Dave]

The cell/smart phone is just a tool, as are firearms, knives, etc. The way they are used makes all the difference between them being beneficial or negative.

My problem is, as with many other issues in my life, self control (or the lack thereof).

 

[Doug M.]

I too do not have a smart phone, and use only an old school flip phone. When this dies, I am not sure I will have much choice about getting a smart phone, but would rather not have one. We also do not have a landline - they are pretty much useless. I am with WardenRoss with regard to the utility of my phone/bluetooth combo in an emergency, and have used it in the same manner a couple times. I also can do some of my work duties on the phone when away from the office; I have clients whose needs sometimes require more immediate attention, and I can address the problem without giving up on some important portions of my life (such as I can help them out while walking the dogs, a relatively common event for me).

 

[snuffy51]

I have a flip phone my wife got me so she can call me to tell me what to pick up at Kroger on the way home.

 

[wetdog1911]

Hate to say it, but I've only got a sort of old fashion flip phone. No fancy extras, it calls and it receives and it's small and fits in my front pocket. Am I tethered? Maybe, sortof...Because....I live alone and I don't think my little dog could call 911 for me, if "I'VE FALLEN, AND I CAN'T GET UP"...If I should happen to have to go to the hosp, I don't think my land line would stretch to my room to call my kids, but a cell phone would.

Out back of my place and I happen to fall, no one would find me until they see the buzzards circling or I start to smell really ripe.

But as a old codger, it's almost a necessity to have any more.

WuzzFuzz

I agree, it's a necessity. I also have a flip and pay $25 for 250 minutes, good for three months. In close to 10 years I have only gone over that limit once, when my Dad passed away and I was back down in Fl.

Other than that, it's just for emergencies and calling the wife from the grocery store to double check on exactly what she wants. I keep it on or near me at all times.

LOL... I did use it in a fall that fractured my pelvis in the garage. Had to call the wife to get me back in, then we called 911 from a landline.

Wet

 

[AZretired]

We got rid of our landline 12 years ago. The wife has a smart phone and two years ago I got rid of my smart phone and went back to a flip phone. I rarely get calls and don't answer most of those I do get and people rarely leave messages anymore.

 

[bearman49709]

I don't get a signal in the house so I still have a landline.

 

[JcMack]

FWIW. A few years ago I got po'ed at ATT and gave up the land line. Butt that means knowing where the cell is all the time. As soon as VOIP became available I went with a company called basictalk for $13 a mo. and restored my land line. Then went with tracfone for $20 every 3 months. So around $19.66 a month for home/cell phone if my cifferen is correct. Cell is only one I get robo calls on so I turn it off at night.

 

[wood714]

I still have a land line.

Only family and close friends have the number. Everyone else gets the cell number.

 

[sigp220.45]

No land line for over 10 years.

I love my smart phone. I have most of the accumulated knowledge of the world at my fingertips.

If I leave the house without my gun I keep going. If I forget my phone, I go back.

Good luck!

 

[loknload]

We keep the bare basic land line for 911 purposes, the recorder answers we don't. Sometimes it even just gets unplugged.
All are phone business is over our cell phones.

 

[Golddollar]

I guess I'm just an old Luddite. Not only do I have a land line, but I have dial telephones too. I want to be absolutely sure that if I need help, I can contact somebody without having to worry if the electricity is out.

 

[BigBoy99]

I guess I'm just an old Luddite. Not only do I have a land line, but I have dial telephones too. I want to be absolutely sure that if I need help, I can contact somebody without having to worry if the electricity is out.

Agree completely! Never had a cell phone and don't want one. The land line which is answered by a machine is the way to go. (Yes, my phone in the shop is a rotary phone.)

 

[glenwolde]

No way I'm giving mine up. I'd have to waste a bunch of time going to the bank in person and trying to find paper maps.

 

[rwt1405]

Yep.... I remember being untethered....made it just fine too.

Thinking I'll just carry a pocketful of dimes for the pay phones.

Doubt I'll make it a month before tethering up again

Good luck finding "pay phones", as at least in my area, they are few and far between.

These days, many would consider someone foolish, to not have a cell phone, when they leave their residence.

Whatever you decide, wish you the best of luck.

 

[M29since14]

I waver back and forth. Part of me despises cell phones, and part of me admires the technology. I think the part of me that despises them is more about the way people are so obsessed with them rather than hating the device.

A year or two ago I was taking breakfast with my daughter at a restaurant downtown. A gentleman who appeared to be in his fifties came with an older lady, I presume his mother, and was seated a few feet away. He then proceeded to amuse himself with his smart phone and rarely spoke to her, or even looked up at her. I can't say how many times I have seen young women completely ignoring their children while they poke away at their phones. Once a little girl came to my table to talk with me and she sat there for several minutes before her mother noticed she was gone. When she came over to retrieve her, she was indignant with me - and abusive to the child! I know it's none of my business, but this sort of behavior is just absolutely appalling.

I use my phone more for watching weather forecasts and as a calendar than anything else. No one ever calls me, except people wanting money. Sometimes I get texts from my son, who seems to prefer that to speaking.

I could easily get along without a cell phone, but I'd rather have one than not. And I'm not going back to the house to get mine if I forget it!