Tophat665

I despise mobile phones. I despise people who use them in traffic. I want to strangle the idiots who don't turn their ringers off during movies. $10 is worth more than these lives to me (not worth my going to jail though.). I despise their half-assed midi ringtones (IIRC, there are three people on my floor at work who have "The Thieving Magpie" as their ring tone and two who have "Ode To Joy" - wretched. Wipe your ass with a Van Gogh while you're at it.) It disgusts me that when I inevitably have to buy one of these.... things, that I will probably have to PAY to get a noise that sounds like a frickin' phone.

I don't want to be connected to the world. I have a phone in my house, and few enough of the calls on that are worth the air it takes the caller to make the noise (and even those are being replaced by autodialers.) let alone the time it takes me to answer them.

All that said, I am very likely going to have to get one of these ... things for work. I am displeased, but recognize futility when I see it. I will get a headset and wear the darn thing during business hours and define very carefully with my manager when I am "on call", and the phone will be off at all other times.

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MSD

I enjoy ignoring calls, then calling people back 5 minutes later after listening to their voicemails. It's kind of funny that people assume I'm doing something important if I can't answer my phone while in reality, I'm just lining up a shot for pool or finishing my lunch.

I respect the right of others to not have to listen to me talking, and I'll always go outside when I'm at a restaurant and come back to stare in disbelief at my friends sitting there playing with ringtones. If I can't move away from a crowd, I'll shrink back into a corner and talk quietly.

Speed_Gibson

already posted in here 10 months back but what the hell. I can tolerate landlines usually as they are useful on numerous occasions, but generally despise talking on those and have no desire at all to be anywhere near a portable phone when out of the apartment. The only real exception would be having something convenient if my car broke down and walking to a phone or waiting for help was not practical or rapid for whatever reason.

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Started talking to yourself I see.
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Black Adder

Karby

no moblie phone for me, although everyone else in my family has one. i hardly use the landline phone i have now. my only gripe about not having a cell phone is that i won't beable to reach who i need to in case of an emergency unless i just happen to be by a payphone. then there's the issue of loose change to actually use the phone.

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raeanna74

Hubby and I don't have one. I'm 30 and have never owned one and only used one about 3 times total.

We've talked about dropping our landline completely and just going cell. Our landline is just basic - no perks or nothin. I'm home 24/7 almost so no need to try to catch me. Plus hubby is usually reachable at his place of work and he only drives about 30 min there and back daily.

A couple reasons we've not gone with cellular is the contracts, coverage, and cost. If we found a deal that gave us unlimited local minutes any time of day for about $17 a month plus long distance for 4 cents a minute - in state and out of state, then we'd go for it. Since I don't drive to work and I'm available most of the time we don't have much need for it.

Plus whenever we travel just 2 hours northeast to hubby's parents there is no coverage from practically ANY cell phone company. When we lived up there we couldn't even choose a cell phone company - I think there was only one available up there and it didn't cover the rest of the state. It's stupid.

When cell phones have better coverage and are the same price as my landline (which may drop in cost even further if we move - charter offers local for only about $10/month) then I will get one. Until then, they're practically useless to me.

Now my neighbor works a lot, has two kids, and is a single mom. Plus her job requires driving and moving around town a lot. I've watched her kids for her and it's nice to know I can get ahold of her anytime in an emergency. She only has a cell, no landline, and she always returns my calls when she's unable to answer. Plus she turns her phone off when she's at work and just checks the messages on her breaks so she's not interrupting anything or bothering anyone.

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powerclown

Don't have a government issued, mobile citizenry-tracking device (w/optional videocam), I mean, cellphone.

Manic_Skafe

I've got a cellphone and I love it - it's a fully functional mult-purpose tool. It stores all of my contacts phone numbers and their e-mail addresses, it has mobile web built into it, it can be easily used for most text messaging and mobile im services, I use it as my alarm clock, it's got a built in speaker phone so it doesn't have to be directly next to my ear, and I can plug it into my laptop and use it as a modem so I can go online from anywhere. Not to mention the fact that it plays black/death metal everytime it rings.

It makes more sense to carry my cell phone on my hip than carry a planner, a notepad, a tape recorder....

But I do agree with all the people against those pointless accesories. There's no need for a low-quality camera/camcorder. They're useless because they're so cheap (yet the phones are so expensive) and no one really needs to take a pictures at all times.

And with the fact that I have a MTA Metrocard, anyone watching me knows where I'm going, besides I'm not doing anything on my phone worth of a red flag except all the drug trafficking.

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analog

I sell them. As a side-note, it is my only phone, I have no home phone- there's no reason to have one anymore.

If i'm sitting enjoying a meal with someone, and having a conversation with them, there is no difference between that and me talking to someone on my phone while doing the same. Not while chewing, obviously.

Movie theaters are obvious- you don't talk to anyone, most especially not someone on a phone. I yell at people who don't silence their phones in the theater. YELL.

What is the problem with some people and communication? It's like being able to talk to another human being (instead of typing words in chat, in an instant messenger, or a web board all day) is a fuckign crime, a waste of their time, or a terrible inconvenience. Well, I'm sorry i'm not worth your time to talk to, but it turns out it's your loss to be so closed off.

Also- every time I hear about people being stranded on the road, stuck in a bad part of town, feeling threatened by their surroundings, etc., I think about all the whining I hear from whiny people about cellphones.

If it's not for you, that's fine. Be out of touch- but don't bitch at me because I've realized the importance of communication (and security) in my life.

KellyC

I don't have a cell phone. I don't really need one as of yet, whenever I need to make a call, which is rare, I bum off my friends.

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Casus Belli

A year ago cancelled my net-subsciption at the regular phone company and decided to continue with only one phone: my mobile. I have had mobile phones since 97 and i'm just completely used to them. I'm not at home that much, and for me the cellphone is just the way to go. I use it stealthly, and don't call much in public places. I try to find a corner and not shout out loud into the phone. I hate noisy people on the phone.

I would be in trouble if my phone would be taken from me.

edit: even considering leaving your phone on in the cinema or at the theater is just plain wrong and antisocial. I hate ringtones, too. It's a phone, not a radio.

Speed_Gibson

the only reason I would want or possibly need one. (currently I should add - if work ever demands one then it would be tolerated) Every time that I make the 800 mile round trip to Oregon it crosses my mind what could happen if my car broke in the middle of nowhere; and there is quite a lot of 'middle of nowhere' in Idaho and eastern Oregon. Still not enough justification for me unless it was one of those 'calling card' type plans or had low ($12-15) monthly fees.

I hardly use my landline but my DSL package is tied to it so probably not dropping that anytime soon

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Started talking to yourself I see.
Yes, it's the only way I can be certain of an intelligent conversation.

Black Adder

maleficent

Ooooh let me WHINE some more please...
and last time that happened to me I was in a cell phone dead zone -- so it was completely useless...

There's a huge difference between talking to someone in person than there is talking to somoene on the phone. When you are in person, you generally have their full attention, when you are on the phone, everyone multi tasks, you rarely have their full attention so what's the point.

Cell phones serve their purpose, but people have lost all sense of decorum these days. It's one thing to use a phone for an emergency, it's another to call your boyfriend and screech at him on the phone, in a public place, or to sob to tyour mother on the phone, in a public place, and then when people look at you, to shreik back at them saying it's a private phone call. You are in a public place, sweetheart. Keep private phone calls, private.

and there was woman who was in the next stall in the airport bathroom, and never ever stopped talking, even while peeing (that's not quiet) or flushing (not quiet) the entire time... WOnderful use of technology.

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analog

I think it's reasonable for me to make a generic comment about being whined to (I work in the industry, YES, people do whine) without anyone taking personal umbrage as though I were speaking directly to them.

"Dead zones" (meaning areas with no cell coverage at all, not even analog) are usually found on federal land (national parks, swampland, forests, mountains, etc.), as no one can build towers there- or maybe your phone couldn't use the analog towers (there are many that cannot), and there was just no digital available. At any rate, it is unfortunate you were left without its use.

and maybe i'm the only one, but when i'm on the phone with someone, they have my attention. Yes, I may be doing other things as well, but that does not mean you do not have my attention. It seems like some people think that every conversation that ever occurs between two people should be direct, eye-to-eye, no distractions, nothing else going on. completely undivided attention. Well, I am glad for those who have the time to spare on such a time-intensive endeavor, but a lot of us do things while we chat.

I don't think this is a problem with us not being personable, I think this is more of a lack of understanding of people's time needs. I can get LOTS of things done while on the phone, and there are few things so important that I must stop everything just to use my mouth.

As in all things, there will always be people without tact, people with no class, and people who are just plain stupid. I believe this sums up your problem- you are still just looking at a cross-section of the entire population, and it sticks out to you because of your negative feelings towards cellphones.

Stompy

I don't have a cell phone.

I'm glad I don't. Some of my friends have 'em and honestly, something like that would make me miserable.

If you wanna get a hold of me, email or IM me. If you can't, then call my house. If I'm not home, leave me a message.

Short of someone dying, there's no matter that's so important that you need to get a hold of me right then and there. You can wait.

[edit]
I used to have one that my old job paid for completely. I hated it. Well.. it wasn't bad. When I didn't wanna be bothered I'd just turn it off (it was off most of the time), but I can't justify paying $30-50 a month for one.

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