cell phones...

[vacuumfreeeke]

I wanted to start a thread to talk about cell phone use for a little bit.

*Almost* everyone has a cell phone these days. Typically, owning a cell phone means throwing manners out the window. Personally, I have very specific rules about cell phone use that I adhere to. I never talk on the phone in a public place (be it restaurants or grocery stores, or any other public place), and the ringer is completely off while I'm at work. If I must talk on the phone while I'm out, I go and sit in my car so I don't annoy other people. I do talk and drive (though I do have a bluetooth headset)... I don't think that talking on the phone is any worse than talking to a fellow passenger or singing along with the radio. If dialing is the safety issue, then one can do that before starting the engine or at a red light.

Anyway, the issue I'm having becuase of cell phones is that they are being used as a leash. I'm kind of seeing a guy right now who seems to have trust issues. If I miss his call I almost have to explain the reason why! When I call him back after having missed a call, he'll say something like, "Well, I tried to call, but you didn't answer. I was hoping to talk to you, what happened?" I think he says that so I will tell him that I wasn't with another guy or something. I usually say, "Well, we're talking now. Do you want to have a real conversation, or do you want to talk about talking on the phone?" Or, "Well, I couldn't answer because I was in the arms of my other lover. But we're done now, how are you?" This guy and I aren't even exclusive yet (though he's made it clear he wants to be "with" me, I enjoy being single and don't feel ready for a relationship) and he's alreayd getting jealous and wondering what I'm doing when I miss his calls! Why do I need to explain myself? Has that happened to any of you before? How did you handle it? I've been jealous before too, so I know that it's not a comfortable feeling to wonder if someone you're interested in is with other people, but before even establishing a relationship... I think that's a bit much!

I hear stories about girls with jealous boyfriends who get angry if they can't be reached at any time by their phone (leash). I wonder what would happen if I just took the battery out of my phone for two days! Anyone else "unplug" like that before? Was it liberating?

What do you think?

Thanks )

 

[shanonabc]

I have an iPhone and it comes with me everywhere... I will email and SMS from it when around people but if a call comes or goes I have to leave the room/building...

I work in a Deli and refuse to serve people who are chatting away... It is a waste of my time trying to lip read.

 

[whirlcool]

I make a lot of people mad the way I use my cell phone and not for reasons that you would think.

I only use my cell phone as a "phone away from home". When I am home it is usually sitting in the charger, turned off. I usually use it on trips, and the majority of the few phone calls I get are from Karen, or company dispatch.
When I am in a restaurant and it rings, I cancel the ringer and look to see who is calling. If it is work, I'll go outside and return the call, otherwise I'll return the call later.
I get a LOT of comments "We tried to call you but all we got was your voice mail". My reply is usually "I was at home and my cell phone was turned off" and then the other person usually comments "Then why do you have a cell phone in the first place?"
When I am away from home I use it to call home, call places of business to check on an order, are they open, things like that.
I didn't get my first cell phone until 2000 or so, and that was only because our company required us to have them. Believe it or not I know a lot of guys who still don't have one for the very reason mentioned in the original post. They don't want to have a "leash" on them. But for our airline members that are working reserve they can be a god send, you aren't confined to your house waiting for the phone to ring. You can get out a little bit.

 

[rp2813]

I refuse to be a slave to my cell phone. I reluctantly had to give out the number when things were nearing the end with my mom, and then with all of the various entities we were dealing with in the aftermath.

I don't even like being interrupted on the land line at home. Some of this can be traced back to the advent of things like "call waiting" on land lines. When is the last time you heard a "busy" signal? That sound will probably go the way of the time lady at some point. People expect to either have you answer or to be given the option to leave a message. And some refuse to settle for that. If they are calling your cell, they expect to reach you, period.

Personally, if I had someone trying to keep me on a cell phone leash, I'd advise them in no uncertain terms that I'll answer MY cell when I want to, and if they couldn't cope with that I'd dump their ass. Anyone with the sort of personality that needs to exercise that level of control is sick and should be quickly eliminated from one's social circle.

Cell phones are addicting. I think the commuter train wreck a week ago that killed 26 people in Southern California is a classic example of the worst that can happen as a result of cell phone addiction and/or abuse. But will people learn from that? Nooooooooooooooo.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Remember when a family of 5 had ONE phone number?
Now each person has 5 phone numbers.
At first the cell phone was a luxury to me. Now it is an indispensible (sp?) business tool.

Still cant stand the fools tht are holding the phone to their heds while driving or worse, texting.

Rumour has it that those two trains that collided recently (was it in California?) happend due to the engineer texting.

Just remember boys and girls I was involed in a cell phone company WAY at the beginnig when potable phones were the size of a shoe box (and not ones that fit the shoes of a Chinese woman whose feet were bound, either)! It was known from the very beginning that cell phones may not exceed (IIRC) three watts of output or one fries the brains sooner, rather than later!

Please don't drive withot a hands-free headset.
And for G-d's sake-- look up when crossing the street and talking on the phone. If you are crossing the street with a baby carriage methinks it is CRIMINAL to be distracted with a cell phone conversation.

Discussing your feelings and thoughts and gossiping ad-nauseum may feel great to you, but please not at the risk of hurting or killing all of us who are physically near you when walking or driving.

Boy am I complaining today! LOL sorry.

 

[rp2813]

Steve, yes, that train wreck last week was caused by texting, even though it's going to take a year for the NTSB to officially say so. Metrolink came out right away and advised that texting was the cause. The NTSB has only stated that the engineer was indeed texting but won't say at exactly what time. Recipients of the text messages say the last one came in one minute before the crash occurred. The paper also said that the California Public Utilities Commission ruled yesterday that no engineers in this state can use a cell phone. Individual agencies may or may not have had this rule in place already, but now it covers all trains in the state. Apparently there is no such federal rule yet.

What amazes me is that there was ever any doubt that cell phone use while piloting tons upon tons of locomotion would lead to catastrophic results. You'd think any particle of doubt would have been removed after last week's tragedy.

 

[gyrafoam]

been REAR ended twice by other drivers using their cell phones here in atlanta. I even think twice before dining out because of their use. I have taken the stance that if it bothers me, I adjust, and try to avoid exposure as much as possible.

 

[maytagbear]

I got a cell phone in May

and I am mixed about it.

Kind friends from church added me to their plan, I give them 10.00 a month.

It's a nice enough LG from Verizon.

I hate feeling as though I have to have a cell, but coin phones have diminished greatly in the last few years.

I have been shifting more of my long distance calls to the cell, even though it is slightly less clear than my landline.

I keep it on "vibrate" most of the time, and turn it off COMPLETELY in church, or meetings of my support group, or movies.

Had a cell waaay back in the analog days of '98-2001, when my Ma was very ill and needed to reach me at any time, and that was good, but didn't have one for years.

Mixed blessing, mixed blessing.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[toggleswitch2]

~been REAR ended twice by other drivers using their cell phones here in Atlanta.

Hmmm why use the cell phone in bed when the landline is right there?

And why would one use a cell phone up there, anyway?

 

[countryguy]

My cell phone is in the glove compartment of my car - turned off. The only time it is turned on is if I need to make an emergency call or if I am traveling out of town and need to make a call. It is for emergency purposes only. I have no desire to carry it with me anywhere. And there is nothing I hate more than to be walking in a mall, sitting in a restaurant, etc. and hear the people talking on their cell phones. I also refuse to have call waiting on my home phone. If someone tries to call and I am on the phone, they can leave a message or call back. Nothing is so important that I should be rude to the person I am speaking with, put them on hold and take another call. If someone does that to me...then I hang up on them rather than wait for them to get back to my call.

Gary

 

[hoover_elite]

I have this....

I have had this thing since 2001. All I can say is its tough as a rock, but AT&T has been stalking me lately to get a new phone.

(the case has been replaced with another phone, but its at&T ven though it says verizon)

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=fb0fe034f7&attid=0.1&disp=inline&view=att&th=11c7c8aeb2945045

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=fb0fe034f7&attid=0.2&disp=inline&view=att&th=11c7c8aeb2945045

 

[petek]

I had to have a cell phone for work reasons 24/7 pretty much from the day they were invented, remember the old ones in a bag. I didn't use it for person stuff and always prayed it wouldn't ring. When I retired I was so glad to get rid of it. My partner has one for his business etc but I will never have one by choice. There's nobody on this planet including my own elderly mother whom I love to death that I need a cell phone to keep in touch with.
I also keep our home landline set for about 8 rings before the answering machine kicks in. It's amazing how many people just hang up about the 3rd or 4th ring and ask why you weren't home or why I don't have an answering machine. I don't drop what I'm doing and rush over to answer the phone. I may put it down and walk over but that's it and if they can't wait for 6-7 rings too bad for them cause I really don't care anymore.

 

[andrewinorlando]

I use it as my only phone...won't pay ridiculous landline prices to have one in the house too, no need. It comes with me wherever I go, and has saved my ass on a few occassions too. If it rings and it's a convenient time, I answer it, otherwise there's always voicemail. I have no trouble driving and talking at the same time, though it's not something I prefer to do since I really don't like talking on the phone much to begin with. Has an excellent hands free feature that really comes in handy in the car, and a voice dial that works great. Can't ask for more. There are people I want to be able to get in touch with me at a moment's notice, and my team at work does need to reach me when out of the office, so it stays with me always. For everyone else, there's voicemail. Like anything else, a cell phone is a tool...use it as you need to use it, but be considerate of others at the same time. The folks at the table behind you don't need to hear about the great new brand of lube you and your boyfriend tried out last night.

As for boyfriends using it as a leash, there too, is voicemail. Drives them crazy!! And no, I wouldn't answer it just because "he" was calling. He'll get over it, trust me. And if he doesn't....bye bye birdie......

 

[charbee]

[rant]

We still don't have one, and probably won't get one unless forced to. Then, it would be something like that "jitterbug" thing that has REAL BIG BUTTONS and only makes phone calls. Our eyes are gettin' old, and who can really enjoy a movie on a 2" screen? Have enough trouble seeing the numbers on the tiny screen of the cordless we have.

Besides nearly being killed on a regular basis by idiots talking while they drive, I absolutely hate the rudeness with which people wield them: shrieking into them at top volume while ignoring their cashier at the grocery store, etc. Why do they "need" for us to hear them? Does it make them feel important?

And the people that really creep me out are the ones with them implanted in their ear like some sort of "Locutus of Borg" device. We were in Central Market a couple of weeks ago and noticed this woman just shouting to the air, gesturing with her hands, staring at some imaginary spot in front of her, while she was standing in line at the deli. She just shouted her side of the conversation as loud as she could, while everyone either ignored her or stared. When it was finally her turn at the deli counter, she didn't stop talking, just gestured to the clerk and kept on shrieking. Twenty-thirty years ago they'd've sent for the men in white coats and the butterfly net. I have to fight back the temptation to smack people like that.

whew...OK, I'm done.

[/rant]

 

[rp2813]

If I gave up my land line I couldn't use my vintage phone anymore. My 1950 model 500 is my desk phone where I conduct all of my business. These days, menus are voice-activated and you don't even need a touchpad. I like the feel of a firm grip on a solid handset that was built better than anything American Tourister ever dreamed of. I'll never give up my land line. It's the most reliable service in the house and always has been. We lose power during a storm plenty of times but I think I can count on one hand the number of times the phone was knocked out in my lifetime.

Cell phones are out of control. We are stuck with people on cell phones behind the wheel and it's going to take MANY catastrophic accidents caused by cell phone use to even have any attempt to legislate their use go forward. It will be a civil liberties issue and another freedom that would be taken away, blah blah blah.

What the cell phone addicts and abusers don't realize is that with freedom also comes an equal dose of responsibility. Failure to adhere to that concept is what has fuched up this country over the past couple of generations and it is rapidly getting much worse with cell phone abuse kicking it up a few notches.

It's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

As for the "locust" device, they are commonly known as "Blue Tooth" headsets and are required when behind the wheel in California and a few other states. The law in California has been on the books less than three months; there were constant reminders in the media about the new law and it seemed at first that people were complying. But the fine is low and again, less than three months into it people are already ignoring the law and you see more people holding phones to their ears while driving than you do using a Blue Tooth type device. See my earlier remarks about adhering to the freedom and responsibility concept.

 

[bleacho]

wow, good subject..

its really disgusting to see our world so obsessed with talking and communicating.. i was in the store yesterday, next in line. i was holding a heavy box. the customer before me was oblivios to the surroundings, remained at the counter trying to communicate to the cashier, while carrying on a stupid conversation with someone on the phone.. she continued on and on, holding up the line, then i finally jumped in and asked her to "move along already" she looked at me as if i had the problem..
i simply cant imagine what people have to say thats so urgent they have to make a call at any given moment... while walking across a manhattan street, driving, etc.. its just crazy!!! what a great topic- its so out of hand..

 

[alanlendaro]

for charbee's rant

I hear you! I am always amused by the people talking to the cukes and zucchinis at the grocery. I actually started to engage someone in conversation and she quite emphatically stated that "she wasn't talking to herself, she was on the PHONE!". She had one of those ear appendages that wasn't easily seen. I laughed and just started talking about the size of the cukes. And do not get me started about talking on the cell while driving, even on hands free! You may think you are safe, but you are a hazard! A study in Brittan was done a few years ago that said you were safer with 2 drinks in you then talking on a hands free cell phone. I have the cell phone integration in the car but rarely use it. My partner was following me home one night and I called him to tell him I needed to stop for fuel. He was right behind me and said my driving went to shit as soon as i was on the phone - and this is with hands free, voice command, etc. I hate cell phones.

 

[sudsmaster]

Be careful. People who insist on staying in constant contact may not just have trust issues - they may have control issues. And sometimes those people turn out to be violent abusers.

 

[rp2813]

Rich, you are so right!