Mobile phones, what is your opinion?

[yugogypsy]

I had my car quit miles from home the other night, but thanks to a friendly tow truck, I got a no charge boost and got where I was going.

Person I was going to see has mobile phone-called him-he's halfway to my house! And proceeds to give me heck for not having a mobile.

Well I went and got one. Against my own feelings but on further advice from an elderly friend who has one and had it save him a few times.

I still don't like it, and will only have it turned on for emergencies.

Who else has one and what do you think of them in general?

Lois

[happy place]

i got one years ago and have regreted it ever since. can no longer be uncontactable yes there have been times when its been usefull butstill would rather not have one. i would love to get rid of it but beloved won't here of it. (mind you i am a tecno-phob dont even like computerbut then its cleverer than me)

[Shirley]

I have one but don't use it much - it's there if I need it or if I need to be contacted while children are at school/nursery etc.

Uncontactable? You don't NEED to answer if you don't want to.

[happy place]

you try telling beloved that and it's used as a buisniss phone still think its a pain in the preverbial
and why when i break it do all the oiks in the shop try to sell me some kind camera/computer that also makes phone calls i just want a phone


sorry feel better now going for a nice lie down

[MKG]

When, about 5 years ago, I got out of the industrial rat race, I put my mobile phone in a drawer. It's never been taken back out, and I can quite honestly say that I have never once missed it. I still, though, have the sense of freedom I got when I first opened that drawer.

[yugogypsy]

I should have gotten a pay as you go phone instead of being on a contract, but you have to buy the phone for pay as you go and with the plan I didn't. So I am now stuck with something I hate and would rather be without.

It'll get used for emergencies or if I'm travelling alone-but thats it.

Memo to the birthday fairy, I'm not going to celebrate this year, I'm running away from home for 2 days instead

Lois

[Russian Doll]

ive got a pay as you go and tbh its hardly used anymore...nine times out of ten its left at home..i only take it if im going on a long day trip on my own just in case anything goes wrong

[yugogypsy]

Yes Tea,

I should have got a pay as you go. I will be taking mine with me tomorrow as I am going to get off this Island and go see a friend in Chilliwack.

If I get stuck anywhere for bus connections I can get picked up that way.

Otherwise, I'll probably have it turned off as its long distance to everything if I am over there.

Lois

[Ratty]

I have to admit that I'm very reliant on mine mainly because I hate answering the phone at home and not knowing who is calling - the mobile solves that problem for me! I've had one in my previous rat-race life for the past 13 years and I do like having a camera on me at all times but I use photography in my art. Its also useful for keeping the in-laws up to date as they spend much of the year outside of this country.

My parents got themselves mobiles when a similar thing happened to you Lois - my dad broke down & was completely lost as he was doing a very familiar 200 mile drive and didn't pay any attention to where he was on the long stretch of road! It cost him a lot to join the AA at the roadside to be recovered but he could have rung a friend in the area!

[ina]

The only time I broke down it was in a place where there's no mobile reception anyway. There also are no public phones on that stretch of road, of course, nor does anybody live there. If I'd broken down in a more populated area, I wouldn't have needed a mobile - the nearest phone would have been within walking distance. I don't have one, hate them, and won't ever have one, either. I think they have changed society much for the worse; they make people unreliable (why should they stick to arrangements when they can now phone any time, anywhere to say they'll not be coming or coming late?); they've also reduced the ability to talk to each other (how can you have a proper conversation with anybody who's constantly clamped to a phone?). Quite apart from the obvious dangers - can't say I've seen a massive reduction in drivers on the phone - why should they not use it when driving - it's the presence of police that would deter them, not the presence of danger, and there's not an awful lot of police around on the roads here; they bump into you in the shops, because they have to concentrate on their mobile rather than on people around them...

I hardly ever even use the phone at home. Am seriously thinking of getting rid of it.

[yugogypsy]

Yes Ina,
My opinion exactly and I won't use mine if I'm driving, unless theres a place to pull over and stop.

I hate the thing though and wish I'd never got it and you can bet I'm on the phone to the cel place ASAP to see if I can get out of the darn contract.

I would rather hike to a pay phone than use it. And I refuse to use it on my trip except for necessities.

And I'm now in two minds about my trip too, so I may not go, just sit around and cuss the cel phone while I pull weeds in the garden or clean out my car while its grounded with an alternator problem.

Wish me luck on getting rid of that unwanted piece of technology. I won't pay for 3 years for something I'm not going to use.!

Lois

[ina]

Hey Lois - it's your birthday today, isn't it! All my best wishes - and yes, I hope you get rid of the contract, too...

(Where's our birthday monitor? Not got up yet on this Sunday morning??? )

[Lady Willow]

I think mobiles are mis-used. They should be there to make contact in certain circumstances. Instead, people are glued to them! Am I the only person who finds it really rude when out with, or in conversation with somebody and they recieve a text message which they just HAVE to read there and then, or worse still, take an obviously non-urgent call and chat away while you're twidling your thumbs.

I resisted having one for years, then I did have one for a some time but switched it on when I needed to use it (call me eccentric!). Now I only use it when I'm overseas and my hubbie might need to speak to me and won't be able to catch me on a landline.

They're a blight, that's what they are, a blight!!

Sincerely
Old Fart

[ina]

They're a blight, that's what they are, a blight!!

Sincerely
Old Fart

Glad somebody thinks like me!

[Mainer in Exile]

We have ours for emergencies mostly. It's a comfort to have one with me when I'm working alone with the chain saw. I'm extremely careful, of course, but you never know.

I usually have it with me when I'm grocery shopping as well, so the wife can get in touch with me if she remembers something I need to pick up - saves an extra trip into town.