Cell phones - progress or distraction?

[StellaBlue]

I recently signed up to a 2-year contract with a major national cell phone provider. I thought I was signing up for just about the cheapest service, which was touted to me as a flat $45 a month, including a certain amount of free daytime minutes, free calls after 9pm and on weekends, and free calls within the network. I chose this provider because several family members also have it and they encouraged me, so that we could talk 'for free.'

As it turns out, my montly bill has been a minimum of $60 a month, with an extra $15 being added to the original amount for 'services and fees' according to my bill. Maybe I am crazy, but I thought the monthly charge of $45 was for 'services and fees'. I have also been increasingly frustrated by the unnecessarily complications arising from trying to pay with a credit card with a different address from my billing address, those annoying automated customer service robots that you have to 'talk' to like an idiot, a recent merger which caused me to be batted around between two different companies last time I tried to call to pay my bill (since they cannot set it up so I can pay online as per the rule about billing address and credit card address being the same, and no PO boxes allowed)... blah blah blah

Also, unlike in the UK, where I had a phone for four years (and paid no more than about $40 a month despite heavy usage and frequent text messaging), I was never 'out of range' or without signal. Coverage here in the US seems pretty poor, and I don't live in a very remote area. It's VERY frustrating. One of the reasons I had a cell phone in the UK was in case I broke down on a highway at night and needed to call a tow truck or friend, or for other similar emergencies. And it ALWAYS worked. Even in remote corners of Scotland, Greek islands, everywhere.

Is it really worth a whopping $60 a month? I am thinking of just swallowing the $150 cancellation of contract fee (IMHO these types of contracts, along with buy-it-all-just-to-get-Comedy-Central cable pacakges should be made illegal by an act of Congress) and being done with it once and for all.

Besides, I am really sick of meddling relatives calling to see what I am 'doing' or having to rifle through my bag while in line at the grocery store, all the time it ringing, ringing, ringing. I am tired of being available 24/7. Of people leaving long, rambling, pointless voicemails. Of solicitous text messages from corporations in the middle of the night. It's another way for the marketing hacks to infiltrate my already crowded brain.

Do any of you buck the trend and refuse to have a cell phone? Have you given yours up?

Someone on another board, posting on this topic, recently said:
"I don't own one and I'm now in the vast minority. It's quite amusing the looks you get when you're asked for your mobile phone number and you reply 'sorry I haven't got one'."

I find that quite appealing, personally. But my main beef is that the product, as great as it could theoretically be, just isn't justified by the cost. Not for us regular working stiffs, anyway.


An interesting article:
http://www.makezine.org/celly.html
"Ditch the celly, silly"

"...the foremost consideration is the market-economics of cell phone purchasing, which, like all market economics, is obscured by false notions of individual ‘need,’ ‘use,’ and ‘desire.’ well-meaning, good-minded, even anti-capitalist people buy and maintain cell phones because they want them. they think they need them. they know they’ll use them. is this a reason to buy something?"

(snip)

"...and for these new needs, you pay dearly. it has initial charges, it has contracts, it has monthly payments. but wait, you got a great deal! didn’t you? weren’t you convinced that you were ‘saving money’ by purchasing it?"


On a lighter note: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39510/print/
"Vehement Anti-Cell-Phone Guy Finally Caves"
"August 10, 2005 | Issue 41•32"

"ANN ARBOR, MI—After calling the device 'the item single-handedly responsible for the erosion of our nation's social and cultural foundation' for close to a decade, Jason Whiting gave in to social pressures this weekend and bought a cell phone."

[madeline_con]

1. That fine print's a bitch.

:popcorn:

[whalerider55]

2. i can't decide...

oh, it's a protraction.

whalerider

[pitohui]

3. i vote progress

this invention has truly improved my life

yes, the usa is bigger than the uk, and we don't have sufficient cell tower coverage even yet, we do have service issues

don't even get me started on the cell phones not working for weeks after katrina, my service is spotty yet (they are not charging for the month of september)

but imperfect as it is, irritating as it is when we can't instantly get thru, when it does work, it is such a boon, i can call triple a instead of hitching a ride w. unknown creepy men when my car breaks down, if i get lost driving somewhere i call the business or doctor & get better instructions right there on the road, if i'm wondering if i'll need to cook dinner i can call & find out instead of just wondering and ending up not preparing anything & having to eat out -- that last $$$ alone is way more than $60 a month saved

when my last cell died & i had to go a couple weeks w/out one, i couldn't believe what a nuisance it was to do w.out

[StellaBlue]

9. hmmm

You must make a lot more money than me for $60, month in, month out, to not be a significant drain on your budget.

I feel like I am wasting money. Paying $60 (that's about 20 movies in my neck of the woods!) for a service that I only rarely use and is only a 'convenience' rather than a necessity... well...

I am under 30, but I clearly remember when nobody had one. And how until recently they were only used infrequently, rather than as a time-wasting device.

I remember a few years ago, probably 1999 or 2000, when I was still a dutiful typical coed (of sorts), I was in JCrew (:eyes:) and I was SHOCKED to see another young woman gabbing away on a cell phone. It seemed, to my instinct, that she ought to have at least gone out into the main part of the mall and sat on a bench or something. It seems so quaint now to think that struck me as rude!

[pitohui]

31. yes i'm older

knock on wood, in the normal course of things, we hope to have more $$$ as we age & get more experience, but i was prob. an early user of the technology -- even in the 80s i knew ppl who had them including family members for business reasons so i'm just comfortable w. them


i just don't find them a drain compared to what they give back but it's v. individual, for yrs it was actually illegal for kids to bring cells or pagers to school around here -- it was assumed only drug dealers would have them (i'm talking late 80s/early 90s here) -- all those silly rules had to be changed because they are just too useful a way for families to keep in touch

right now i'm on a list to get workers at my storm-damaged home

before the cell phone i would have to wait at home, for days or more realistically WEEKS to be here or risk missing the workers

with the cell phone they will call me before they come by the house & i can be there to meet them in minutes, hence, i don't miss my electrician, roofer, etc

the cell phone is a god send in such a situation & it could be the saving of one's job or one's sanity

[Pretty_in_CodePink]

45. If you "feel like you are wasting your money"

Then you are.

I think $60 is a lot of money to spend if you don't really need it or care about having it.

I love the convenience. Need it for business. But pay <$50 with taxes.

You seem like you would be a sensitive user. I try to call in my car and be discreet. Currently, I am conducting market research regarding the volume of my speaking. It seems lately that so many people are yelling into their phones. You would think they were talking on cans connected by string.

I suggest you leave the phone at home for a week to determine if you will miss it. There may be a better plan for you. You could likely switch plans as long as you keep the service. Call Customer Service to discuss.

Edit: Minimally while driving. I call before I go or when I stop. Be safe.

[evlbstrd]

4. I. Hate. Them.

I have unlimited local calling (land line) for $25 a month.
And I just found out my ex let our kid rack up $578 in charges on one she got him. Guess who gets to pay that.

[CountAllVotes]

16. yeah I hate them too

They make me sick and they really turn me off to the people that have them. I find them to be highly invasive and arrogant. It makes me very angry when I see people using them and driving.

The worst one I've yet to see was someone in a church with one of them and talking to someone on it.

Too much tech sucks. I have one phone and that is it and no DSL nor any of that other crap. You can do without. It's easy being you've never tasted it.

:kick:

[StellaBlue]

19. I agree

My dad takes calls at the table in a RESTAURANT. It's SO EMBARRASSING. A few weeks ago, he actually waved the waitress away while blabbering.

:wow:

[FreedomAngel82]

56. With me and my phone

I do take it with me everywhere but I keep it on vibrate and don't use it unless I need to and if it's like at church or school I try to talk lower. It does get annoying to hear people yack on the phone loudly where you can hear their whole conversation and driving in their cars. :eyes: I like having it though cause I don't have to worry about taking change with me to class since I get dropped off at school and if my internet goes out at home I still have a connection to check Email and stuff. So it is helpful in a lot of ways. My grandmother (on my Mom's side) just has a basic phone and not one of the high-class one's. She thought about upgrading but she only uses it to chat with people sometimes. I just got my camera phone cause it was on sale. If it was the original price no way would I have gotten it.

[raccoon]

75. I don't have one, but I can see some advantages to having one.

Main one being if my car breaks down.

I HATE people using them while they're driving. It ought to be against the law. It's disgusting how many people you see yakking on a cell phone, driving with one hand, in HEAVY TRAFFIC at RUSH HOUR.

I believe they cause a lot of car accidents.

[wuushew]

5. A step backwards

given that you can only handle so many phone calls by multiplexing a given radio spectrum, we are voluntarily limiting ourselves and our ability to conduct voice communications. Why are we blighting our landscapes with expensive and ugly cellular towers when a buried fiber-optic cable can transmit many orders of magnitude greater amounts of data?

Additionally cellular phones are unnecessarily hogging the supply of high quality battery materials that should be used in more worthwhile applications like hybrid cars.

[RC]

14. That's your opinion.

Cell phones can be real life & time savers, even if some people do abuse the technology.

BTY, I would need a 4000 mile long fiber optic line in your world.
Also everything is heading to be battery powered, not just cell phones.

[wuushew]

23. If you travel state highways or interstates you will never need one

I was unfortunate to get into a car accident several years ago. Luckily while I was not injured a county sheriff was on the spot within ten minutes. Law enforcement is paid to patrol major traffic routes and have use of traditional emergency band and CB devices as well. Only people truly out in the boonies on county roads would ever need to call emergency services using a cell phone.

Paradoxically the myth of needing one for an emergency has contributed to the extinction of traditional pay phones which until a few years ago were still common.

I view cell phones as an inefficient engineering solution to the problem of voice communications.

[FreedomAngel82]

57. A long time ago

when I was younger my family and I lived in the country and my Mom's car just stopped on us and we were in the middle of nowhere coming home from getting dinner. We didn't have any telphones around and the nearest gas station would've taken too long to get to and my brother and I were both young. Luckily someone came by who was nice enough to drop us off and we didn't get killed or hurt in anyway. So in a situation like that you can still pick up service and call for help at home (my dad was already at the house) and someone could come get you instead of a stranger who could be a killer for all you know.

[RC]

67. Apparently you have no concept of desolation

Imagen this in a visibility limiting snow storm, driving home after work and it is getting dark. Or maybe your high school age children after school.

[wuushew]

84. I strongly discourage such long commutes with peak oil coming

living in the middle of no where should be for farmers only. People that choose to live away from the cities by choice elicit no environmental sympathy from me.

Are you a farmer?

[DanCa]

6. It's not the cell phones it the people that use them.

Seriously a cell phone is just a tool it has no control over it's action. It's the person setting it's volume and giving out the call list and choosing the ring tones. Its not the cell phone that almost runs you over in the grocery store because it owner is such a zombie when its yaking it wont pay attention to its surrounding. So i dont think that cell phones are the problem its the people that use them.

[DebJ]

7. I refuse to have one. I had one, once, as a District Manager,

and no one ever called to say Gee things are fine. I guess I have PTSD from cell phone use!

Then again, I was born in a suburb of Washington DC in 1955. When I was in elementary school, not every family even HAD a phone. I don't know what the statistics are for that era, but from my memory, I'd guess that at least 1 in 4 or 5 homes didn't even have a phone of any type....just wasn't that uncommon a thing. Those of us who had phones a)had the black metal thing with the rotary dial
b) in general, children were not allowed to use the telephone at all.
So the idea of not having a CELL phone doesn't really bug me. And I live 2.5 miles from work...that's a big thing. I can, and have, simply walked home.

You could also simply turn your phone OFF for most of the day. Hey, I have email. I check it three times a day...but the rest of the day, it does not rule me...I CHOOSE when to use it. Just tell family and friends what I do with my email...I check it 2-3 times a day, and no more. That will stop the unnecessary calls, I bet.

[StellaBlue]

12. Yes

If it cost like $20 a month, even... that would be worthwhile... but $60?!?!?!?!

That just strikes me, someone who will probably be in the $25,000-35,000/year range for the next 5-10, as exorbitant.

Edited to add: AND it seems that, in my four-year absence from the US, land lines have gotten more expensive. When I lived in an apartment, alone, from 1997-2001, my bill for a single land line with no bells and whistles (well, I did have a bell, but no call waiting, etc.) was a whopping $11 a month for local service.

[DebJ]

18. Have you looked at prepaid cell phones? My son uses one.

Variety of price range.

[msongs]

8. people who think they are self important (handy in emergencies tho)

look at me I am popular I have a cell phone and everybody is calling me while I run off the road and kill somebody or talk in the movie theater or blab about getting layed while shopping. sheesh.

Msongs
www.msongs.com

[pitohui]

33. maybe that was true in 1990

but come on

"look at me i am popular i have a cell phone" in 2005?

everybody & his granny has a cell phone, it ain't impressing anybody

[MadisonProgressive]

10. I just signed a 2 yr contract w/ Cingular

39.99+ about 5.74 in additional fees, taxes, etc. I don't know how they are getting away with the 15 dollars.

I also got a Motorola RAZR V3 for free with the contract. One cool cell phone!

BTW, I am in the process of getting rid of my land line, which will save me a chunk to offset the cell phone costs.

[RoyGBiv]

11. Almost evil ...

The one and only thing about a cell phone I can tolerate is their usefullness on long trip or as a method of contacting people in emergencies. Of that latter, during widespread emergencies, as we have well seen, they are essentially useless in the hands of common people and can be a hindrance to emergency workers trying to do their jobs.

I owned one, for a year. I still own it, but it has no service and never will. I use it as an alarm clock and take it with me when I leave the house so I can dial 9-11 if I need to do so.

[StellaBlue]

15. You can dial 911 with no service plan?

Problem solved! I am quitting my cell phone!

[RoyGBiv]

21. You can here ...

I don't know if it is a universal thing or not, but it works in OKC. I discovered this when I saw an advertisement from a local charity asking for used cell phones for use by the elderly. I actually had two of these monsters at one point, so I called the number to ask about donating, inquiring why since just the phone didn't do any good, and you can get free ones for signing up for service. I thought they'd be selling them or something.

The guy with whom I spoke said they give them to eldery poor people to use to dial 911 since no service plan was required for that. I gave them one, kept the other, for that reason.

[FreedomAngel82]

59. That's a great idea

If they are in trouble and live by themselves and get hurt they'll have a phone with them all the time they can dial for help. I like that idea. And I didn't know either you could've called 911 without a plan (makes sense though).

[Dave Sund]

85. I can vouch for this

Absolutely, yes. 911 can be dialed from any cell phone regardless of service.

[SnoopDog]

13. I hate cell phones for so many reasons....

Bad reception... They can track you with them... I hate when people drive and talk. I hate when people walk around and "talk to themselves". And talk like they are the most important people on earth. Then you have all the fees.

You know, I gave mine up and have not lost anything. When someone calls you and you don't answer - they leave a message. You call them back.

Only one legitimate reason for a cell phone - emergencies.

.02

[RC]

22. "Free" unlimited long distance.

A couple of hours to a place 4000 miles away, it adds up.

[RoyGBiv]

27. LD ...

I can't currently name any major land-line carrier that doesn't offer unlimited long distance, so that's not really the selling point it once was. I pay $48/mo, taxes included, for my land line, which has unlimited LD and every feature the company offers. It'd be less if I took off those features, but I like them, so I don't.

Being able to use those long distance minutes on a trip is another thing entirely, which, along with use in private emergencies, is the only real advantage I see in them. But, I just use a calling card that comes with my land-line service, and the only issue I have is sometimes having to look for a phone.

[StellaBlue]

17. Have any of you used

Pay-as-you-go?

Would that be more economical for those of us who only want one for the occasional meet-up call or emergencies?

[wysi]

26. I use a pre-paid phone...

... I only put money on it every two months or so (so it costs about $10 a month to operate). I use it to get or make calls for my business (which are pretty infrequent - and I make calls on it only when it's a toll call, so my regular employer doesn't get charged), for emergencies (calling the Automobile Association), and to phone home if I'm late. That's it. The display gives me the correct time, so I've not had to replace my broken watch.

Most teenagers here in New Zealand seem to have them (the ones I see, in any case), but they are mainly pre-paid ones (you can get unlimited texting for $10 a year or something like that). The other day I was standing at the bus stop and watching a teenage girl texting someone. Her thumb was moving at a startling rate of speed. In a few years she will have carpal tunnel syndrome, I'd bet.

Emergency calls are free. I had to call the ambulance for my father-in-law using it, and it went into something called 'emergency mode' that I had never seen before.

[arcos]

20. I pay about $10...

Basic fee is $6, and each additional minute is 6 cents (4.6 cents nights and weekends). SMS messages are just 0.3 cents.

Of course, I cannot choose carriers because Costa Rica has a government monopoly on telecommunication services. Only Grupo ICE, the state owned electricity and telecommunications company, offers landlines, cellular phones and Internet access.

This also means that some services are not available fast enough, but overall we have some of the best fees in the world.

[tuvor]

24. I love mine.

My wife and I pay on average CDN $80 per month for both or ours.

The only thing that's making us keep our $65/mo. landline is that the long distance is cheaper.

So far.

What REALLY drives me nuts is good friends who purport to embrace cel phones, but never seem have them turned on or on their person. I mean, what's the bloody point?

[FrankX]

46. I use pre-paid and keep it on off. Total control. Love it.

[FreedomAngel82]

60. With my mom's phone she has

it set to where she has the lid closed but she can still recieve phone calls and it'll ring and everything. Have you tried looking at your settings with that? :shrug: I don't know how to do that though but it should be in the instruction book.

[jim3775]

25. Absolute progress, in 25 years the concept of "desktop computers" will...

be outdated and replaced by robust mobile computers (not laptops) built on the foundations of mobile technology we are laying right now.

[Orrex]

28. Cellphones are utterly gratuitous

Except when they're not.

If I needed one in an emergency, I'd have to console myself with the knowledge that we got by just fine without them for 99.999% of human history, and most people in the world still do.

Still, I can't deny that they're an extraordinary convenience in certain circumstances.

Regardless, the vast majority of cellphone calls that I overhear are about what someone is wearing to the club tonight or what someone's trying to buy at the grocery store.

On a trolley, I once overheard someone narrating the whole ride: "I'm at third street blah blah blah now I'm at fourth street blah blah blah now I'm at fifth street blah blah blah" and so on. Is that kind of conversation worth $45 per month? Not to me, but maybe to some people.

And when I say "overhear," it's not because I'm eavesdropping. In the history of distance-communication, no cellphone call has been conducted at anything less than a full-throated shout.

That's a fact. I looked it up.

[Pretty_in_CodePink]

47. I'll confirm the yelling

And the more trite the conversation the louder it can be.

I read an article about restricting usage in public transportation, perhaps in the NYT. One rider interviewed employed the tactic of repeating what the caller said - like a 5 year old does. I bet it was effective! I may try it some day.

Almost every day I nearly crawl out of my skin to ask someone to talk quietly. However, I am afraid because in FL people are nuts and now they can shoot you if they feel they are threatened. So I just move on......coward.

But it has made me very conscientious about my own volume and discretion if I need to use my phone in public.

[FreedomAngel82]

61. Speaking of silly things like that

I remember one term at college I was walking down the hallway and heard someone talking to another person and they were asking "where are you at?" and they repeated where the person was and it was on the other end of the hallway. Heh heh. People at my school have them just all the time and they check messages and call their people right when they get out of class and chitchat.

[BuelahWitch]

29. I hate 'em too

I once worked for a cell phone company and one of the "perks" was that I got a phone at a lower price and a calling plan that was discounted as well. When we got laid off all that stopped. I had the damn thing shut off.
The only time I was really glad I had it was when I was in LA and didn't have to use or pay for the hotel phone. Otherwise it was just a nuisance.

[uppityperson]

30. I use mine mostly as a work answering machine.

It is good in case I get stuck somewhere, but mostly it is a portable answering machine for my business. You don't have to download special tones and all that crap. I have mine on "ring ring ring" tone, sounds like a phone so I realize that it is a phone ringing when it rings.

Forget all that heavily advertised "you need it to make your life complete" bs. You don't need it. If you do, send me the money and I'll use it to help you get real satisfaction by helping others in need.

[pitohui]

34. i like the ring tones

no you don't gotta but there are certain ppl i like to have them on their own ringtone so i can know right away if i need to rush to the phone or not

[Fescue4u]

32. Both

I've had a cell phone since the mid 80's and I wouldnt give it up.

Its an excellent tool that helps me accomplish a number of things.

That said, they can be a pain in the ass.

[buzzsaw_23]

35. Way more than an 'annoyance'-Cell phones fuel civil conflict in the Congo

and play a huge role in destroying habitat for the soon to be extinct Eastern lowland gorilla.

One of the most prized minerals in the world is coltan. 80% of the world's reserves are found in the Congo.
Cell phones are wicked devices in numerous ways. Very toxic concoctions.

Noone wants to give up their toys.

Did you cell your soul to the corporate devil? Nokia

Talk to your neighbor for free.

Guns, Money and Cell Phones
By Kristi Essick
The Industry Standard Magazine
Issue Date: Jun 11 2001

The demand for cell phones and computer chips is helping fuel a bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The substance for sale wasn't cocaine or top-grade opium. It was an ore called Columbite-tantalite - coltan for short - one of the world's most sought-after materials. Refine coltan and you get a highly heat-resistant metal powder called tantalum. It sells for $100 a pound, and it's becoming increasingly vital to modern life. For the high-tech industry, tantalum is magic dust, a key component in everything from mobile phones made by Nokia (NOK) and Ericsson and computer chips from Intel (INTC) to Sony (SNE) stereos and VCRs.

<snip>

The pillaging of the Congo's natural resources is exacting a devastating human and economic toll, says Leonard She Okitundu, the Congo's minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation. He told the United Nations Security Council in early May that "a consensus was clearly emerging in the council and in the international community on the links between the shameless looting of Congolese natural wealth and the massacres of the Congolese people." The fighting, he reported, has led to "assassinations of civilians, deportations, torture, rape and deliberate spreading of HIV/AIDS," as well as the displacement of millions of refugees.

<snip>

The U.N. report does not directly blame computer manufacturers and mobile phone makers for the bloody trade, citing instead the companies trading minerals as "the engine of the conflict in the DRC." But the high-tech industry's demand for tantalum clearly has fueled an increase in coltan mining worldwide - including in the Congo region. After all, the trading companies sell coltan to processing companies, which in turn sell to tantalum capacitor manufacturers - whose clients are none other than high-tech companies such as Ericsson, Intel and Nokia.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/Africa/Articles/TheStandardColtan.asp

[Hello_Kitty]

36. I hate mine too

But they've become a necessary evil now. Have you noticed that payphones have pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur? The few that are available usually won't let you receive calls. I agree that reception sucks here in the US. I was considering getting rid of my landline entirely but I live in a hilly area and my cell reception sucks at home so I'm stuck paying for 2 phones.

And I'm SO with you on how inane most cellphone calls are. I rarely overhear anything that I'd remotely consider to be an important conversation, one that couldn't wait, from someone on a cellphone. I turn mine off when I get in the car now too. Answering calls while driving is just too dangerous. And for some reason if my phone rings, I'm compelled to answer it in this Pavlovian dog way. So the phone goes off in the car. It's for emergencies only.

[laura888]

37. Also, when you sign up, they ask you for every imaginable form of ID

I happened to sign a 2-year contract with Cingular TODAY. They asked for:

- driver's license (which they made a copy of)
- home and work phone numbers
- place of work
- Social Security number
- date of birth
- driver's license number (yes, I had to actually also write it down)
- home address


OK - do I feel invaded? WTF do they need all this info for??

[mtnester]

76. They do a credit check on you now

that is what they needed all that for.

[newportdadde]

38. I use a pre-paid cell phone. Its not bad.

I only use it for letting my wife no I'm stuck in traffic after a wreck or to see if my toddler is still up If I go to the gym so I wont pop the garage door open. Its kept me from sleeping on the cough a few times so I will keep it.

[AintIgreat]

39. Sounds like you have Verizon Wireless

[tech3149]

40. I only ever had a cell phone for work

The value for a private citizen would be based on access for emergencies or if you can't be reached at specific locations that could be predetermined. It's easy and a lot cheaper to give a few contact #'s to people who need to reach you if you're not home. Outgoing calls in emergencies would be the only other positive. My parents are in their 80's and my mother has carried a cell phone for years. I figure it's worth the cost to know if she needs help she can get it. My Dad won't deal with it, but he's not much of a problem.
For commercial purposes, it can be a saviour and very cost-effective if you spend a lot of time out of the office and can handle problems without relying on resources outside of your skull. While I was working, I spent most of my time on the road or where phone service (wired) wasn't available. I spent waaaay too much time with the cell phone and headset as my lifeline.

In either case, without considering emergencies, the cost can be made unreasonable by proper planning and procedures.

Since you mentioned being in the UK previously, I thought I should mention that the difference in capabilities between Europe and the UK was reconstruction of infrastructure post WWII. In the US we are decades behind because communication infrastructure did not have to be replaced. ISDN technology was widespread there when it would take 6 mo to a year to get service here. I got trained on Siemens phone systems a few years ago an the intro was truly eye opening as to how far behind Europe the US has fallen.

[Dees]

41. Former cell phoner here. I rate the technological importance of the

cell phone right up there with the salad shooter.

[Oeditpus Rex]

42. The thing I understand the least

about the cell-phone phenomenon is, why do so many people consider constant accessibility a good thing? Why is it important to be able to call someone, or for them to call you, no matter where you are?

Maybe I have some sort of social disorder or something, but in my book this is a negative, and the greatest invention of the last 20 years (besides the internets) is caller ID, which helps deny access.

[JanMichael]

43. Saw a guy trying to take a piss in the urinal while talking on the phone.

That's just wrong. Period.

[BuelahWitch]

64. I had a coworker who used to use it all the time in the toilet

I was like WTF? Why would you ever call someone, I don't care how intimate, and talk to them with the sound of urine flowing in the backround?
Another annoyance: people who talk while they're driving because they're bored. Putting other drivers' safety at risk so they can be entertained.
Many a time I've almost been rear ended by some idiot who wasn't paying attention because they were more concerned with "where you at?" than where THEY were at stopped at a red light. SHEESH!

[Silverhair]

44. I haven't had any problems. Five years with Verizon.

Service area has grown from local to now includes the entire USA, no fee for long distance, rarely our of coverage and never in local area. I never get the text messages that you are complaining about. Price is reasonable and has come down each contract renewal.

I would NOT be without my cell phone.

[Silverhair]

48. Example of a very important cell phone call.

We were away from the house. Wife's cell went off. Call was granddaughter telling us she would be at a local resteraunt in a few minutes. Would we like to meet her? If we had not had cells, we would not have gotten that call and missed a change to chat with her.


To us, that was a very important call, even if we do see her about twice a month anyway.

[handshakeit]

50. Cell Phones

hi,
I feel like I am wasting money. Paying $60 (that's about 20 movies in my neck of the woods!) for a service that I only rarely use and is only a 'convenience' rather than a necessity... well...

I am under 30, but I clearly remember when nobody had one. And how until recently they were only used infrequently, rather than as a time-wasting device.
Mobile is both inportant and waste thing.
thanks:
www.handshakeit.com

[wellstone_democrat]

49. I have a "pay as you go" and its for MY use not others

mainly for travel / emergencies and being in western Texas its more "out of range" than in when driving beyond the few major cities. But, only when I travel do I give the number to those who might need to reach me. Its for MY convenience and safety, not so I can wander the supermarket describing what I am doing at this second and then the next second. Here that is what public life is like: everyone in their "zones" communicating NOTHING with someone else on the phone. "I'm food shopping. what are you doing? I don't know, I'm trying to decide what to have tonight. what are you having?" etc etc. and then stop dead in the middle of the aisle to talk. Drives me nuts.

The pay as you go is cheap and I buy minutes when I want them

[pimpbot]

51. Cell phone only for the last 3 years

No land line for me. I dont get any telemarketers.

I really cant imagine meeting up in a large place without one anymore. Its so much easier to herd a big group of friends together through wireless communication. Instead of the "meet by the big statue.. Oh THAT big statue, sorry."

Also, anytime I go out its a lot easier to meet up with acquiantences that might be out in the same area. Plus it keeps track of all my phone numbers in an easy to use interface, which I can organize on my computer. Not to mention I can get directions and use yahoos yellow pages through the internet. No more $1.00 directory assistance charges!

I pay a whopping $36 a month after taxes/fees for 3000 night/weekend and 1000 daytime. Have had the phone and plan for 3 years now.. Its battery is on the way out so I have to upgrade soon, probably to one with a camera.

[BiggJawn]

52. blasted double-post!

Never Mind....

[BiggJawn]

53. Both.

When you have to stand in line at the store and hear ALL about somebody's D and C...

Or you're walking across campus and you hear 50 versions of "Hey, whatchadooin? Uh, nothing, just got outtaclass..."

Having said that, I used one today to co-ordinate a sattelite uplink with 2 parties and only one landline. Nice. No muss, no fuss, business completed in a minute, as opposed to having to hang up and call back 20 times...

I'm a diabetic. I ride my bicycle out in the boonies where it might be 2 miles to the nearest farm, but there's plenty of cell service available. Peace of mind.

And I use a 25-cent a minute pre-paid. Costs me $20 every 60 days, and right now I've rolled over 100 minutes.

[tuvor]

54. I'll bet they come in handy at at anti-war protests of 100,000 or more.

[FreedomAngel82]

55. I have one

I don't use it quite so much though as other people do their's. I think they're good if you're a business type person and talk on it all the type. I mostly use mine for the internet when I'm away from a computer and things like that. My mom, dad and I are on the time-share which I think helps. I'm on the internet plan which is like your home computer basic service and my phone has a camera on it (I actually got 20% off on the original price since the provider, Cingular, was having a sell when I bought mine).

[OrwellwasRight]

58. Thanks for the Onion article. I am LOL at 2 am.

as to the larger question:

Cell phones and iPods are part of a larger trend (internet, home entertainment systems, gated communities, online shopping, etc.) that cut us off from each other.

We used to bump into people (literally and figuratively) in the public square, in the store, on the subway, etc. Now we are in our own little music/talk world and unable to meet and connect with strangers to share a common experience. And that is assuming we even shop in public anymore. These technologies and trends reduce connection, community, and empathy.

Cell phones do more harm than good. I often give out my home phone instead of my cell because I don't want to be chased around by people. I find that I am the rare person who may decide to let the phone ring in the bag rather than stop the conversation I am having with a live human being to dig in my bag and answer it.

-A cell phone owner.

[gulfcoastliberal]

62. I'd give it up but my parents insist on me having one so I insist they

pay the bill. And I'm 29. Only use it with a headset when mom or dad calls. I am not big on phones, period. No land line. I'd rather just email people. Maybe vonage or one of those free voice to packets services if I really wanted a land-line, which I don't. I just use my mental telepathy. ;)

[wickerwoman]

63. I refuse to get one.

Someone tried to give me one but it's stuck in a drawer somewhere and I've never even learned how to use it.

I could see how they'd be useful in an emergency, except I don't have a car either and never drive anywhere. They could be handy for meeting with friends but I prefer good old fashioned punctuality. It drives me batty when someone says "I'll meet you around 9" and then call you at 9 to say they'll be forty minutes late and then expect you to be impressed that they had the "courtesy" to keep you updated.

Mostly I haven't gotten one out of self-defense. My time away from work is *my* time. I know if I had a mobile my boss would be ringing me every five minutes at home to ask me dumb ass questions or my coworkers would always be calling to chat.

Basically, I just really like being able to disconnect from the world for a few hours. And I agree you get some seriously stupified looks when you tell people you don't have one.

[wrathofkahn]

65. I had one years ago when they first came out

and I got so fed up with people calling me every 5 damned minutes that I got rid of it.

It's a Catch-22 if you have a cell phone. If you have it on and with you, then you're constantly able to be disturbed. If you have it off, or not with you, then everyone bitches at you for not having the thing on or with you.

The only logical solution for me was just to get rid of it and tell everyone that I don't have one. Then, no one can bitch. Leave me a voice mail; I'll get back to you when I'm ready to.

[NMMNG]

66. After years and years of holding out....

I finally broke down and got one a week and a half ago.

[Skidmore]

68. Land line=Slave to the marketplace and hapless victim of

telemarketing onslaughts

Cell phone = Slave to the coporate structure

I don't have one, won't get one, don't want one. I quite often don't answer my phone, don't respond to all calls--even from my relatives. Usually people can figure things out by the time you respond. When I go home, I want peace. It's bad enough to deal with the phone at the level I need to at my job. It is an intrusion. Telemarketing is a severe intrusion. I can post a sign on my door to warn soliciters away. I hope that do not call list remains intact. If that goes the land line goes as well.

I believe that ther is a basic right to solitude.

[sendero]

69. Really..

... I literally could not do without my cell phone. My business line is forwarded to it, because I cannot be in the office all the time and I don't wish to pay for an "answering service" or such - they are pretty much useless.

Yes, with every phone bill be it cellular or landline, there are a boatload of fees and taxes. It's annoying, but what are you gonna do?

Only you can decide if it is worth it to you. You might consider one of those prepaid phones, if you keep the minutes down (don't answer calls that you don't want to take, let them leave a message and if they don't it must not be important), they can be pretty cheap, about half what you are paying now.

Also, for keeping track of my 3 teenaged sons they are great. I basically tell them now that if they want to go out (they don't drive yet) and hang with friends that is cool, but they'd better have their phone with them, charged, and on. :)

[Ilsa]

70. "Abused" blessing.

I think people are way too accustomed to being able to get anything and everything now and not having to plan ahead. I see this in my home business where people think they can pick up a phone and get something NOW without ever considering that it may not be available for another day or I may not be able to see them for 24 hours. I think cell phones are wonderful, but to some degree, they mess with people's organizational skills.

I have one because we drive long distances for my autistic son's appointments.

[Deja Q]

71. distraction

Humanity did not need cell phones 25 years ago.

Why do we now?

"increasing productivity" is a lame excuse. There's also a point where productivity can only go so far. People need to unwind at times too (and today's rabidly hectic "society" gives them precious little chance to do so; virtually none of they've taken the "responsibility" of breeding a family.)

[Cats Against Frist]

72. There are better things to hate than cell phones

Seems to me that, when taking into account "use value," that, though a bit overpriced, cell phones come closer to hitting the target than luxury items, overpriced clothing, and numerous other gadgets that we could do without.

With a 3-year-old child, a cell phone has given me peace of mind. Until this summer, I only had a cell phone for a very brief period, in 2001, when I was a transient, and couldn't have a land line.

When I would get a land line, I would get "PHONE," as in, no voice mail, no call waiting -- none of that crap. Well, now I've moved to the country, and my son is in school, and my boyfriend works in another town -- they wanted me to pay almost $40 a month for my land line, pay more for LD, and put down a $100 deposit, even though my credit was fine. For $80 a month, I get two cell phones, free long distance, can talk to everyone I know for free, pretty much, and didn't have to put down as much of a deposit. I also have a walking phone book, a walking Internet, an alarm clock, a calendar -- and I can go wherever I want, knowing that people can reach me, or I can reach others, in case of an emergency. Not to mention that I spend 1/3 of the year in Seattle, and I can just take the phone with me, and not have to worry about getting new number or hooking up another landline.

Unlike some others, I'm not really sensitive to sound stuff, so like loud music, neighbor playing their tuba, etc., people gabbing on cell phones, in public, doesn't even phase me.

In some European countries, the gov't subsidizes cell phones, like Telia, in Sweden. My friends paid around $10 US for their cell phones, per month, and EVERYONE had one.

If the price would go down, just a bit -- I think they're progress. And I'm something of a minimalist, and choose my purchases very carefully.

[notadmblnd]

73. I have a cell phone but I refuse to let it be my leash

When I leave the house, most of the time the cell phone stays behind.

Just like when I had a land line, leave a message and I might get back to you. As far as kids go, the cell phone is the best leash money can buy.

[minerva50]

74. As Needed Only

I got the cheapest pre-paid plan I could find - Virgin America, $20 every 90 days. I don't give the number out, except as needed, and don't turn it on except as needed. I've built up a balance.
It does help me feel more secure when travelling. You can hardly find a pay phone anymore.

[Buns_of_Fire]

77. Same here. It's for MY convenience, not everyone ELSE'S.

So Virgin works well for me. I got it around Christmas last year, and I've yet to MAKE a call on it, although I've received several. Only a handful of people know the number, and they're all programmed in the phone as "contacts," so whenever it rings (or vibrates, whichever), their name shows up. If it rings without a name showing, I just ignore it.

A worthwhile thing to do, BTW, is to set up an entry on your internal cell phone directory called "I.C.E." (In Case of Emergency). That way, if you're unfortunate enough to get run over by a runaway garbage truck or something, and the phone survives, the first responders can quickly know who to notify.

IMO, it's a tool, like any other, only distracting if I allow it to be. :shrug:

[algerhiss]

78. Cell phones

I'm going to chuck my phone as soon as my contract is up now that I don't travel for work anymore...

Having it implies that people who are insistent about having their mundane and routine concerns addressed immediately can do so.

Like is short... go outside or something.

[wildhorses]

79. another technological necessary piece of evil

[Tracer]

80. I don't have one ... and don't really want one ... and ...

... it's very annoying to speak to someone who is calling from their cell phone Ñ especially if they are driving in their car at the time.

"Hello Tracer ... I called to tell you mmmpph, bbzzzzt, sssssssss that ffffssst. Is that OK with sssssssssssss?

[anarch]

81. I resisted for years...

and then one day I came home, and Mrs. anarch presented me with a brand new, "free" phone that she had gotten for me through some kind of special deal, adding the service on to her pre-existing plan.

They have their good and bad points. More people should catch on to the fact that you can turn them off when you're, say, at a movie, or eating dinner in a restaurant and so on.

I'll tell you one thing that really annoys me: it seems nearly impossible now to find a working public phone anywhere. I mean, I have a cell phone now, so I guess it's not an issue, but this was very annoying while I was a cell-phone resistor.

[Dave Sund]

82. Heh

I'm an employee of a telemarketing company that takes customer service calls for the company I'm going to assume you signed with (the "merger" comment and the automated menu thing were my clues). I might be wrong, but the advice still holds if it's that other company that recently had a merger.

The $15 extra in "services and fees," as I'm sure you realize, are government mandated taxes. $15 seems a little high, though, for a $45 bill. I'd check to make sure you're not paying for any extra features you don't need.

A lot of the time if your signal sucks, it's the phone. I have never had a problem with my carrier's signal. Very few dropped calls and good call quality. Pre-merger, my coverage sucked. I found out later, when I started working for them, that the phone I used to have was a complete piece of shit that needed a software upgrade to keep it from randomly losing signal in good areas. Call the company about your phone (just don't call *on* your cell phone, they can't help you if you're on the cell phone).

I pay roughly $75 a month for my phone bill (and I work for the company, practically) for two lines. I use it in place of a landline, which would be completely useless for me at my apartment.

My vote's for progress.

[Pithlet]

83. The internet. What a waste of time.

I mean, humanity has existed without computers and the internet. Why do they need them now? People going online when they should be doing work. People chatting on message boards when they could be living life. And cars. I mean, what do people think their feet are for? Ever heard of a bicycle? Humanity existed for thousands of years without them. Don't get me started on the cotton gin... :crazy:

[StellaBlue]

86. bwhahahaha

:rofl:

Thanks.

I better go, actually, gotta get back to churnin' that butter.

[Pithlet]

88. Mmmm. Fresh churned butter.

A true casualty of progress :)

[StellaBlue]

91. Hmmmm

I think I am going to have to pop some popcorn...

Dunno if I have any fresh ears out back, though....

:popcorn:

[Pithlet]

92. That's okay

Popcorn has been available for centuries. ;)

[imperialismispasse]

90. Ha ha ha!

"Dont get me started on the cotton gin..." ! :D

[bigwillq]

87. Progress

But of course some people have the need to be on them 24/7.

[ucmike]

89. pluses and minuses.

i have one that i rarely use now, but i was constantly using it for my last job. i hated it, the very sound of the ring made me cringe.

of course they have their place for emergencies, family organization, etc. but they are overused. in my experience they lead to too much "multi-tasking". instant contact with field personel can put them in the situation where nothing can be put on the back burner. everyone with your cell number expect instant results because they can get in touch with you for anything, and of course, most people expect you to prioritize their crisis.


i worked on a huge construction project with lots of players and VIPs involved on a daily basis. we would hold job meetings with all the big shots and got nothing done because of the constant phone ringing. finally my boss asked everyone to leave their phones, pagers, radios, palmpilots, etc in the truck during the meetings. this was met with a huge argument from everyone at the table. they all felt that being out of contact made them less productive and they were all verrrry important to the functioning of the world...meanwhile we never had a productive meeting because at least one person would get up and walk out to talk on his/her phone. we also had meetings where someone would say "Jim should be involved in this, let me get him." a phone would be dialed and then laid on the table so everyone could yell at the phone so Jim was involved.

my boss demanded that people leave their phones out of the meetings, so most of them stopped coming to the meetings.

one of the guys had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. he refused to give up his phone and was trying to run the project from his hospital bed. the president of the company went to the hospital and physically took the phone away from him.

[youspeakmylanguage]

93. One point...

The reason there is a cancellation fee for breaking the contract is simple - the phone carrier is selling (or in some cases, giving) you the phone at a very steep discount. Most people do not realize that the phone they are getting "for free" cost the phone company a hundred bucks wholesale.

Read the fine print in the store, and you'll find you can purchase cell service at a month-to-month basis with no contract - but the cheapest phone will be around $150. My fiance "inherited" an older phone from a friend and signed up for Sprint service. She doesn't have a color screen, but she doesn't have a contract either. Check eBay if you don't have any friends with old phones to spare.

My 2 cents: Do you homework before signing a contract, learn cell phone etiquette, and find out what kind of network is in your area BEFORE blindly walking into a store and cooing over the newest video phones.

Yes, I used to work for a cell company. A crappy one at that.