Is there anyone who DOESN'T have a mobile phone?
 

Basically everyone i know, over the age of 13 or so, has a mobile phone (although only my sister in our family has one). Anyway i have quite a few pet peeves about mobiles.

My main gripe are those people who rely on their phone too heavily, and only those who don't have it for business purposes. These people frequently check their phone for messages and just fuck around with it a lot. This includes quite a few of my friends.

Also some of the unesscessary messages and phone calls i hear/eavesdrop on, make them seem purely for entertainment purposes.

More recently with all those damn cameras, anyone and everyone is taking picutres of all kind of crap. Theres also all those stupid ring tones that i despise.

on the plus side, they're good fro storing numbers in, cause writing something on my hand, always seems to dissappear by morning....

Basically they've become part of popular culture and i don't really like them. I do think i'd get one, eventually for business purposes, although i don't really like the idea that someone could contact oir try to contact me (i know you can turn them off etc). I think there might be a lot of lonely people out there who rely on it too much. Although, I am not suggesting that if you're got one, you're lonely.

Anyone else not really like mobile phones and doesn't have one?

Ummm... My grandmother really doesn't like mobile phones. But that's just one of MANY topics she can do a half-hour rant on. Don't get her started about the Department of Transportation, boy!

I have a cell phone, and I love it. Before I got one, I felt about the same way as you--all these people carrying all these hunks of plastic that they use to do some stupid junk I don't understand. The minute I got one (HAD to, eventually), I suddenly realized why I'd needed one all along.

It was just like ratbastid for me, I never thought they were really that useful until I got one. Being able to be reached at any time is very useful, 99% of my friends got a cell and it comes in very handy when we want to meet at the last minute =P Also, I can never remember phone numbers, now that I have my cell, it's not a problem anymore..

But I agree that having a camera and games on cell is not necessary at all.. so i got a cheap one that can only do phonecalls and no fancy stuff

To an extent, they're exceeding there purpose with all those other attachments. Although, I actually would like to tinker with one of those java ones and maybe write a java game or other app on them... ahh the irony.
As for getting one myself, probably when i get a job (still studying atm)

Although it'd be interesting to see if there is not one other person (on this boartd or who reads this thread) who doesn't have one.....

Heh I am between cell phones at the moment, since my old one died and I sent it in for replacement (the company I work for provided me with it). So here's another person with no cellphone.

Even when I did have my cellphone, I hardly ever used it, and then its only to call mom letting her know I'm still breathing. The people who do call are most of the time those who I'd rather not talk to (ie: clients for whom nothing I do is good enough).

I find that face-to-face communication is alot more effective, and would take that over a nifty cellphone any day. Still, there are some really sweet phones out there, especially in Europe (ie: 3G), that I would not mind using to perform PDA functions like storing contact info, and keeping track of jobs currently in progress. Have you seen the NEC 808? *drooooool* :D

I'm an older board member, 35+.

I have cell phones at my disposal, when I have a specific need, like long trips in the car. I do not have a cell phone for regular usage. I find them valuable to use on occasion but somewhat annoying to use.

My bet is that being unconnected will be the luxury item of the future. I appreciate it (a big help here to accomplishing this lifestyle choice is that I have a 10 minute commute).

Thanks for listening.

I find mine extreamly valueable.

Being a single female who travels alone a lot I don't know what I would do without mine.

It gives me a sense of security.

20, college, work, no cell.

at times it sucks, but i cant find my self spending 40~ bucks a month more then i allready dont want to or can spend.

Quite a few people I know don't have cell phones right now, but they plan on getting one sometime soon.

College student, don't have one. Money is spent better elsewhere.

College student, but I plan on getting one after November. I believe that's when everyone get's their own number, as in, you can change your company/cellphone/whatever, but you will keep your cell phone number as your own.

We've had telephones for almost a century without them being mobile. And before that, we didn't even have telephones. So I can live just fine with no mobile phone. Only reason I'll ever get one is if I absolutely need it for business purposes - and that won't happen anytime soon at least. Not to mention, I'd rather not do something that I don't really need to when the data is still inconclusive as far as whether or not it contributes to cancer.

If anyone is worried about brain cancer, try the hands free option.

As for myself, I think that its important for me to stand up and be counted. I feel like I'm one of the few left without a cellphone. I don't really need one and I belive that monthly payments are the devil.

My mom is trying to get me one for my birthday, but I'll see how that works out.

Teathered by technology anyone?

Well, I don't have a cell phone, and it doesn't bother me. I'm don't despise them, but they do get on my nerves for some reason. Although I'm sure before long I'll cave and buy one.

No cellphone here. I don't really like talking on phones for some reason, even regular ones, so the idea of having one constantly with me isn't too appealing.

Of course they can be pretty usefull. One of my friends is constanly out and about, so he needs one. It can be annoying though when someone constanly pulls one out and talks for ages.

Besides, I would hate to be the one to have the phone go off in class or at a movie. Don't have to worry about it with no cell phone =)

no cell phone here and no plans on buying my first one anytime soon - I dislike being that easy to reach.When I am out of the apartment, I like being free from annoying ringing devices.
would get/or use one for business purposes, but would need to see a good reason first.

How cheaply can the monthly payments for a cellphone be? I don't have one, but if I could get one without forking out too much every month I might consider it

Most people I know pay around 40 bucks a month. But there are a lot of things, I.E. you can get phone cards with a certain ammount of minutes... lots of different plans.

I've had about 8 or 9 mobiles since '95, but am currently without one and it's not so bad... I miss it at times, but I'll live.

My wife has a phone, and has had it for about a year now. I bought it for her. She was to set it up as a pay-as-you-go thing because paying 25-40 a month for a phone that would rarely be used didn't seem logical.

She has yet to take it in. *shrug*

I love new technology, and have lots of gadets around the house, but for some strange reasons even I don't understand I still refuse to get one. I think I like the fact that I can't always be contacted.

I do not have a cell phone for several reasons.

1. I don't want to sign a contract for service that may end up sucking. (I know, I could use month to month if I wanted).

2. I don't want people to be able to contact me when I don't want to be.

3. And this is the big one - the annoyance factor. Americans will take any invention, name one (cars, radio, tv, phones) and they will figure out the most annoying way to implement it. In Japan, everyone above the age of 13 has a cell phone but it is considered rude in Japanese culture to talk on it in public. Everyone uses text messaging.

If Americans used them this way, it would be great. I think the technology is awesome, I'm just sick of sitting in the back of the bus/train listening to some middle-age office manager in the front of the bus describe her entire day for all of us.

Wow, do I fell better.

Had one for years since they were the size of good size bricks. Haven't had one for five years now and don't miss it a bit.

Only got one about 2 mos. ago because my work FORCED me to.

I like being incommunicado sometimes.

To me, cell phones are just electronic leashes.

I would have one but
A) no credit and I don't have the money for payments and the downpayment
B) parents won't buy it under their name cause siblings have bad credit history

it sucks because I really need one sometimes to contact people.

I despise them personally. I actually got run off the road into the oncomnig lane by someone who was on their phone once...luckily for me there was no traffic at the time. They are very dangerous in the wrong hands. Now I know not everyone is this way, but the majority of cellphone owners have no manners or respect for those around them in public and tend to talk loudly in restaurants right at their table, or anywhere in public.

I must ask one question; why does every cellphoner wait till the 4th ring to answer it? I mean 99.9999999 % of ppl who have phones in public let it go to at least the 3rd ring before they bother to answer it. It's one thing to sit there and jabber loudly in public but at least pick it up by ring 2. Is that too much to ask?

and like kirk said I had one of those nextel walkie talkie phones for work and I HATED carrying it around. Only ppl who need to be reached that badly IMO are doctors or other crucial personnel.

No hatred to those who are respectful and courteous with their phones but I will keep from owning one myself as long as I possibly can because I hate them.

I was without one for a while.. for many of the reasons above.
I got a nice one for graduation recently and I am very happy with it. Great for storing those numbers!

And if you dont want people to get ahold of you... turn it off. Its not that difficult=P And usually even if you phone is off people can leave a message on your voice mail.

I think they are very usefull.. just for the fact that you have a way to call someone if u get in trouble, car breaks down ect. And what if someone needs to reach you for something really important?

But I see how peolpe could not like them.. personally I always turn it off or at least put it on vibrate if i'm in the movies or in public. And I dont know about other people but when I talk on the phone I kind of like to not have a bunch of people around listening so I find someplace without people around.

Im just guessing cause i dont have one but maybe the caller id doesnt kick in until then? I know mine at home takes a few rings before it comes up.

If i ever get one it will probably be a nextel so i can piss everyone off with the walkie talkie, but i will probably not get one unless they get it for me at work.

along with what holo said; i don't have one, i don't need one, and i don't want one...

I'd really like to have a cell phone, but it's only something I want. It's not like I have to have it, but it would help me and my family out at times when I can't always be around a phone.

I dont have one but my sister does. the bad part of that is she had one but lived at home and i moved away to college and went home every weekend and i didnt get one. oh well ill live i guess btu i didnt even get to take it when i went home during a snow storm.

I don't have one, and I don't want one. I Like being out of touch. And as a bonus, it means that most of the people who do go to the trouble of tracking me down actually have a good reason for contacting me.

I don't have one.


I used to but had to get rid of it when I was fired.

well i dont have one... if i had one... i would prolly leave it off a lot of the time...

i like to not be on call all the time... and i would definently not interupt a conversation i was already in to anser the phone... thats just plain rude...

I got one just last week, and i don't see myself getting addicted to it. I keep my contacts limited, and i only really use it for emergencies and as a phone book.

I don't have one, but I need to get one for emergencies.
We had a bad snowstorm a couple of years ago and the power went out for five days. Phone lines, too.
Our house uses central heat for warmth.
Well, we try to leave to spend the night with my brother and the car won't start. (yikes!)
So, we had no phone, no heat, not much food, and a few batteries for our lanterns.
Luckily, we had a couple of little foot tall butane indoor heaters that put out enough warmth to heat about a six foot circle.

I want a cellphone just in case it happens again and then maybe we can get a little help.
I don't know what I'm waiting for, either. (just a big procrastinator, I suppose) ;)

Cellphones, in general, are a good thing, imo.

i dont have one, nor do i want one.

what really makes me mad is seeing like 10-14 year olds with them, they cant drive, and they have to get their parents to pick them up anyway.

take some quarters, use a pay phone

As long as I have an easily accessible net connection, I don't need a cell phone. I do most of my communications via email or IRC, etc. Most of the people I want to talk to are already 'net inclined, so it all works out for me. There has never been an emergency so great that required me have my own cell phone, although there has been cases where I needed to use a pay phone, which are conveniently located everywhere.

I have one and use it whenever. Talk while driving, while in public, never have used it during a movie though.

I find them annoying, gay, obscene, cubersome, expensive, REALLY EXPENSIVE, OVERPRICED PLANS, hard to type on especially to TEXT someone, and that having one will just conform me to the group of conceited, money-wasting assholes who already use them. :D Explained in detail: (10 through 14 year olds who call their van/explorer driving soccer mommies to pick them up from school) and stupidfied idiots who buy them in color-screens using them to check their email and play half-assed video games (It's a fucking phone! Not a PS2!) on them just to be cool. :D

I don't have a Mobile Phone.

Could I use one? Yes.

Do I have the extra money to pay for it? No.

Ahhh, The Student Life.

I'm 18 and a college student. I don't have a cell phone, I don't even have a watch. But I do have three computers (four if you count the one that doesn't work).

I have one provided by my employer. 98% of it is personal use, though. :) The free nights & weekends come in handy.

I don't have one right now, but I think I might get one when I find a real job and get settled down.
I do have a 2-way pager, and that's actually pretty nice. I can text all of my friend's cells, and I get sports updates. So, I think I'll just deal without having one for the time being.

I usually keep my phone on vibrate. At first, I thought that paying $39.99 a month is a waste---and I still do. However, I'm on a family plan that only costs $10/month so that's not as bad.

ok, good to see a lot of other people don't have them and don't plan to whimsically purchase one :)

Well, I'm another one that doesn't have one. I feel bad sometimes not having one when I need to get in touch with my fiancee if I'm going to miss a bus, but being in a city, it's not to hard to find a payphone. So far though, I'm pretty much content not having one.

wow THANKS! you just gave me my topic for a sociology essay!!!

I can write about 5 pages from that statement alone ;)

I don't. I'd like to get rid of my landline, though, and go to all cellular. We'll see.

I don't have a cell. I don't have a job at the moment either. ;) I might be getting a decent job after this semester of class, and so if I do, I plan on getting a cell. They're nice, and can make long distance calls nice'n'cheap! :D

I have one, use it mainly for work. My employer pays for it also. It's nice to have when trying to hook up with friends and you don't know where they are at. HA HA, just as I'm typing this my cell phone rang..................toodaloo

i have friends that still don't have cell phones.. and these kids are in their 20s... i've had once since i was 14.. so.. yeah...

It's funny cause I never liked talking on the phone much, and I used to think everyone that had a cell was just a zombie following the crowd. A few years ago I got my own, and now I dunno how I got along without it. I have all my numbers stored in there and I can talk to pretty much any of my friends at any moment. My friends that don't have them kind of annoy me because it seems like I can never get ahold of them.

haven't given in, yet........i've got a pager that keeps breaking, so i'm close!

I don't have a cell phone and I'm perfectly happy that way. There are times when it would be useful to have one to call someone spur of the moment. However, not having one also means I can't be reached at every second of the day by, say, my parents. That would annoy me to no end.

not yet, but I may get one soon since I'm so far from home, (in Rhode Island for school after living in Illinois)

I have one

Ah...cell phones, FedEx, lap tops and fax machines. These are the items that cause the most stress today. Everybody wants it now, now now. Nobody can wait for anything anymore.

Personally...I don't <i>want</i> to be so available that I need a cell phone. I am not so important in my job that I have to be available 24/7. My work can wait until I sit down at my desk with my cup of coffee. I see people all of the time talking on thier cell, working on thier lap top and drinking a nice hot cup of coffee...while waiting for the traffic light to change. Why? Will the company they work for crumble if they are not working every available second? Give me a break. No...correction give <i>them</i> a break.

No, I do not have a cell phone. I do not want a cell phone. Since I don't want/have a cell phone...I don't miss it. On the other hand, I survived very well for years without a microwave oven. I would probably curl up and die if I didn't have my microwave now. I guess it's all relative.

I don't have one..... will never get one..... but the wife wants one bad!!!

I had one for years, then I finally decided that I didn't need it. My main use was for emergency/long distance call, but I didn't make enough long distance calls to warrant the $30.00 a month charge. I am SOOOOOOOOO glad I do not have one, and I do not want one. I know I'll need to break down at some point to get one, but until then, I'm very happy.

My gripe is all the people driving, they drive like shit in the first place, and the phone/tilted head only makes them worse. And, who the hell needs to be on a mobile phone at 8 am??? Can't the call wait til you get into the office or where ever you're going???? When I'm out with this friend of mine, when we see any one on the phone, the first thing he says is "chick chatting", the first time he said it, I laughed my ass off.

Not for me, thanks. I sometimes wonder if my wife should get one, but that's just being selfish.

Don't Have, Don't Want

One of my daily quotes "HANG UP AND DRIVE!!!!"

Cell phones push me to near road rage nearly everyday!

I was cut off today by a lady on cell phone going 45 in a 70 and swerved directly into my lane!

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I don't have one. I just really don't feel like shelling out the cash do get one, and the monthly fees. No one in my family has one. Old TV, too.

Proud to say I don't own one and never will. I drive bad enough without one! HA, lol.

Anyhow, our society has taken multi-tasking to the heights of the rediculous and totally absurd. Saw a bimbo drinving down the freewy a coupla week ago, putting on maskara eye goo WHILE talking on a hand-held phone. Pretty scary!

Am I right?

18, college, No phone. :(

Re: Is there anyone who DOESN'T have a mobile phone?
 

You and I = siblings. I hate cell phones. Everyone at the local highschool has one, and it's in the rules you can't even bring it into the building off. Yet when people get suspended for having it ring during class, they bitch about it. Holy shit, I want to break every cell phone I see. I don't quite know why, it's just something I really, really hate. Oh, and I used to own one, then I realized how utterly pointless it is. If someone can't get in contact with you every second of every day, they flip. Western culture is on the downslope.

Sorry for the rant.

I don't have a mobile phone. Useless things aren't worth paying for in my opinion.

I have one and have dropped my landline at home. I figure, if I am not at home to answer the phone, why pay for it. I deplore answering machines and voice mail. I tell people who have called and got no answer, If you call and get no answer, call back later. If I want to talk, I will answer. I really imagine in the not too distance future, Most homes will not have landlines. since mobile phones have gotten smaller and the battery technology has brought longer lasting life for power.

Keep one in the car that I just buy minutes for when I need them. Only charge battery if I plan on being on the road any amount of time. Otherwise, I make my living on a "land line" phone, and have no intention of spending any more time than absolutley necessary on a cell. Now that I think about it, nobody has my cell number but me, hell I don't even know what it is...

I would get it but I can't justify $40 a month + the cost of the phone. That kind of spending can bankrupt a poor college student.

I have one, my company provides it for me but I can use it as a personal phone as well. I leave it off most of the time. If somebody needs me they can leave a message, if I find it worthy of reply I can call back at my leisure. I like having it if my car breaks down or if I'm going to be late for an appointment I can call and let someone know but I've never been much on phone conversations, I'm usually happy with my own thoughts and just find people being able to contact/interrupt me at any time to be annoying. So, good for basic important communication but if I sudddenly didn't have it I wouldn't care.

If I didn't have to be available 24/7 for work, there is no way in hell I would ever carry a cell phone. I utterly hate them.

My personal rant against other people and their cell phones are the volume in which they speak into the phone. I really do not need to hear their personal business. If you can't speak in normal tones, then get a better phone so you don't have to yell. The other morning on a 5:30 AM flight, the woman in front of me was on a PERSONAL CALL discussing her drunken weekend. That really was important?

The thing that drives me even crazier, is the insipid ring tones. Phones are supposed to go RING RING -- not play these stupid tones.

Best cell phone story I remember, in Bryant Park, in NYC, I had gone with some friends for free outdoor movie night, and seated near us was this sweet young thing, a tourist with a heavy southern accent> From the start of the movie til the point of the "episode" she called at least 4 different people, all telling them the same story about where she was, and wasn't it so cool, after being shushed more than once by different people, someone (not me, thought I thought it) got up, walked over to her, took the phone out of her hand, told the person she was talking to that she'd call her back, and made a beautiful 3 point shot into the trash can about 25 feet away. To the applause of everyone around her. Little miss center of the universe, didn't quite get that she wasn't the only person in teh world - and that she could possibly be bothering someone else with her phone.

I could rant for hours about cell phones- I hate them hate them -- hate them.

I have had a cell phone for many years now...

I have never been a phone person, the phone is simply a tool for making plans or exchanging info, IMHO. I hate talking over the phone...

But, I love the freedom a cell phone gives me. Now I need it for business purposes, but even before I did I owned one with pleasure. However, I am not afraid to either turn my phone off or not answer it if I don't want to talk. The security it gives me and the freedom it offers outweight the monthy charges. One of the things that ticked me off when I was younger was when people couldn't do something or go anywhere because they "were waiting for an important phone call" - now it doesn't really matter.

I don't really have a landline, we have one in the apartment but I'll get rid of it as soon as my roomate no longer depends on it.

I'll agree with you though, some people need to learn how to drive to begin with, and it's quite a stretch to do it while talking on a cell phone. And some of the rings are the most annoying things on earth. Also, people, get a better phone if you need to yell into the damn thing to get the other person to hear you.

So, in summary...

Cell Phones: Useful, Convenient, potentially annoying as hell.

I want one, but i live in an area where there is next to no coverage, so it would be pretty useless for me to get one. A few of my friends have them and can never get a signal, so i dont understand why they have em.

I don't have a cell phone. I haven't had one in over 3 years. I love it and hate it sometimes. I hate it when I miss out on a piece of ass or some cool plans. I do wish I had one on occasion but I do like not being able to get in touch with me plus it keeps me out of trouble sometimes. Also I don't have a cell phone bill. That's another 40 - 100 bones extra in my pocket every month so it really doesn't bother me one bit.

I didn't get a cellphone till over halfway through my first year at college. It was incredibly frustrating being fairly busy on campus, but being completely out of touch if I left my dorm and walked the 20 to 25 minutes to class and such, and often missed out on stuff that I had no clue about because it was waiting on the answering machine while I was on campus.

Now this year, I don't even bother with a land line and use my cell, a nice cheap durable $10 phone that has fallen and I have fallen on before in water yet still works, as my only phone line. Its nice since I deal with stuff at random hours to have a phone that I can count on having nearby whenever I want, and also nice only having one number period to worry about.

I also don't randomly 'chat' on the phone with anyone but my parents, the rest of the conversations are short and to the point about meeting someone at a certain time or something else short to communicate, or at least have a purpose and cover lots of ground for longer convos.

Ah yes, and I have a '93 Ford Taurus, so cell comes in handy with that piece of work too.

I absolutely fucking DESPISE talking on the phone. I'm not sure why, maybe it's some primal thing. I don't even answer my landline, I will wait for it to go to the answering machine to decide if it's important. So, no, I don't have a cell phone, never will, atleast not that I can forsee.

I don't have one, but I'd definitely like to get one/have need for one (at least my girlfriend says so.)

That's called a leash, darlin', be careful there... :D

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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. :D

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.

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

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.

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.

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.