Cell Phone Use

[Greathands]

A couple of years ago I decided to get rid of my land line since I was only using my cell. I've never really regretted my decision. A cell phone is certainly convenient, and I have gotten used to having a phone (as well as calendar datebook, etc) with me 24/7.

 

Over the last couple of months, in a conscious effort to "slow down and enjoy life", I've often turned my phone off or leaving the phone at home for short periods of time, such as taking the dog for a walk.

 

I'm in my early 40's and have an eclectic group of friends, ranging in age from early 20's to late 70's. In addition, I often work with older kids and teenages. I've found it interesting that several of my younger friends find it annoying that I may not have my cell with me or may not be answering it immediately.

 

I remember being in college and being impressed by a college professor who moved east from California who had something called an "answering machine". Wow! Now I'm feeling old because a couple of my younger friends have been raised with voice mail and barely know what a answering machine looks like.

 

I think it's truly sad that our younger generation will not truly appreciate the convenience of a cell phone. On the other hand, they will also not be able to appreciate what it's like to spend a few hours without being able to be tracked down by family, friends, coworkers and telemarketers.

[doctordoctor]

lots of good points, hands...

 

I'm, too, in my early 40s and we actually are still young enough to embrace new technology without complaint....nevertheless, I agree with much of what you say....of course, the youngest folks out there never knew what they missed, so are miffed that everybody today isn't using the latest and greatest.....

 

around 1986 or so, I got a new TV and refused to get a remote with it, thinking it was only for lazy people...I've since changed that thinking when I got a newer TV....I still do not have a digital camera and a new DVD player has sat in a box for several months on top of my VCR waiting to be set up....I only got a cell phone (pay-as-you-go) last summer for quick calls and emergencies...and I always had felt an answering machine/voice mail was rude, so resisted that until a few years ago...

 

much of the new technology is, obviously, for the good....however, clever marketing plays into much of it....I do lament losing the "simpler" days and it's hard to face the future and move on, sometimes....we usually resist change

[KMEM]

I am not in my 40's and I am fairly conversant with cell phones, fax machines, personal computers, etc. I do not have a PDA. The cell phone allows me to leave the office with relative impunity as I can take care of business by remote control. A PC at home also allows me to work there before, during and after normal working hours. I remember when pagers came into fashion and never had one. I generally use my cell phone to call others and turn it off when business hours are over.

 

I watch people drive and barely survive with cell phones attached to their ears every day. I also see younger folk in constant contact. Who are they talking to and what are they saying? Nothing compared to what they could be learning from a good book or even a trashy book. LOL.

 

Caller ID is wonderful. I can take a call from a telemarketer and hang up before he says, "I". Or, let it go to the VM aka my answering machine. Ignoring calls and other interuptions to having a peaceful life is a very pleasant thing.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ purplekow]

Cell phones are right up there with waitstaff that interrupt conversation to ask if the food is alright, as an annoying inconsideration of modern life. At my office, we ask that people turn off their phone when entering the office, as we have had sensitive equipment damaged by cell phones. We have land line phones readily available for the clients use and they are told they may use them at any time. There are many signs and the receptionist makes it a point to ask people politely to turn off the phone. Yet, many times during the day, people will be in conferences and phones ring. I have had conversations with clients interrupted by a cell phone ring and have asked them to please turn it off, only to have them fumble with it appearing to turn it off only to have the phone ring again. Many times, when the phone rings, people answer it just to say they will return the call. Some people will allow the call to go to voice mail only to have the phone ring again and again, presumably with a call from the same message sender.

 

I am not sure when most of us all became so fucking indispensible that 15 to 30 minutes out of touch is tantamount to a national disaster. It seems that some people can't decide which flavor of toothpaste to buy without a conference call to the entire household.

 

I can envision that in the cell phone era, St Pete at the pearly gates giving a review of a recently ended life and about to pronounce the departed's fate, only to have his pronouncement interrupted by an incoming call.

 

I have never seen a purplekow;

I never hope to see one;

I can tell you anyhow;

I'd rather see than be one

 

Help there is a purplekow in my mirror

[buckyball]

I like this thread. I am about to hit 40 and while I have all the fancy gadgets, I am not a slave to my cell phone or to any of them. I had 2 PDA's but they were so annoying that I gave them to my younger brother and his wife. I never answer my phone when I am driving, and I turn the phone off when I go to bed. People think I am weird and that I should have it on 24-7. The thing I hate the most is cell phone usage at the airport. The things people talk about sometimes is just really annoying.

 

I teach college students and my syllabus specifically says that if your phone goes off you must sing a song of my choosing in front of the class. I usually let them sing "It's Raining Men" or "I will survive". Needless to say, once the first incident happens, everyone makes sure their phones are off when they enter my class. There is no better punishment than a little bit of humiliation.

[+ Charlie]

I only turn my cell phone on when I want to make a call or am expecting a call, which is very rare, since only two people have my cell phone number, and one of them can never remember it. While I like the option of being able to call easily from anywhere, I prefer not to be accessible to others 24/7. I think computers are wonderful, but I don't own any other devices--iPod, digital camera, laptop, DVD, etc.--because I don't have enough storage space in my own memory to handle all of them. Besides, they would just detract from my time available to observe and interact with the real rather than the "virtual" world.

[Guest carter07]

I'm well past 40 — that is, I'm 71 and I have my phone on at all times during the day. It's very useful, although I don't get that many calls on it. My wife can reach me in my studio space in an emergency. I use it for all of my long distance calls at considerable savings. If i'm in the grocery and some other store and need instant instruction or explanation about something I'm supposed to purchase, in a few seconds I have the answer. When I'm in places where a phone shouldn't ring (meeting, restaruant, etc.) I either shut off the phone, or set it on silent or vibrate, and let voicemail take the call. The cell phone is one of the most useful pieces of technology to come along. No, I don't have an iPod, PDA or other such stuff. But the cell is a must these days — even at my age.

[+ deej]

>I only turn my cell phone on when I want to make a call or am

>expecting a call, which is very rare, since only two people

>have my cell phone number,

 

I'm almost that spartan. The phone is almost always on, but only a few people have the number -- immediate family and a few close friends. Folks at the office have it but show considerable respect and restraint in using it. I can count on one hand the number of work-related calls over the last 5 years. (That respect is one reason they've earned having the number!)

 

I turn it off when it should be off (theater, movies, dinner, cute boytoys, nap time).

 

Phones are a tremendous modern convenience, but they do NOT need to be in our lives 24/7. It's OK (no, really, it is!) to take a break from them.

 

It is PARTICULARLY OK to take a break from your phone when you are burdening others with your own life. We don't care. No, really, we don't, and we'd rather not hear it. ;-)

 

People let phones rule them. It should be the other way 'round.

[seaboy4hire]

>>I only turn my cell phone on when I want to make a call or

>am

>>expecting a call, which is very rare, since only two people

>>have my cell phone number,

>

>I'm almost that spartan. The phone is almost always on, but

>only a few people have the number -- immediate family and a

>few close friends. Folks at the office have it but show

>considerable respect and restraint in using it. I can count on

>one hand the number of work-related calls over the last 5

>years. (That respect is one reason they've earned having the

>number!)

>

>I turn it off when it should be off (theater, movies, dinner,

>cute boytoys, nap time).

>

>Phones are a tremendous modern convenience, but they do NOT

>need to be in our lives 24/7. It's OK (no, really, it is!) to

>take a break from them.

>

>It is PARTICULARLY OK to take a break from your phone when you

>are burdening others with your own life. We don't care. No,

>really, we don't, and we'd rather not hear it. ;-)

>

>People let phones rule them. It should be the other way

>'round.

 

I agree cells are great to have when really needed but lately it seems people are letting their cells rule them rather the other way around. It seems all too often I am one of the few who know when it is NOT ok to use one. All too often I see people on their cells talking about absolutely nothing while trying to place an order at a coffee shop, restaurant, a movie theater etc. Technology is great and I usually welcome it but all too often people forget their manners and safety when on these devices. Before allowing people to purchase the cell, ipod etc they should be required to take and pass a class in technology manners. No pass no purchase!

 

Hugs,

Greg

seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

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[+ deej]

When I'm stuck standing in line behind someone having a loud conversation on a cell phone, I sometimes start answering them loudly.

 

"Really?"

 

"Oh, hell no!"

 

"You don't say!"

 

"Damn straight!"

 

"Fuckin' A!"

 

MOST of them get the point and hang up. Usually with a hostile glance. But I've had more than a few *other* people thank me quietly later. ;-)

 

The funniest was the guy giving tech support. He was giving absolutely wrong instructions so I yelled out the right ones.

 

You know your phone conversations are too public when you get corrections from random people in the crowd. ;-)

[Guest showme43]

it's the people yapping away while driving totally oblivious to the rest of the world that make me crazy...wish i had an amroured vehicle sometimes and could just run them into a ditch before they blow thru a red light and kill someone...

 

}(

[Guest showme43]

it's the people yapping away while driving totally oblivious to the rest of the world that make me crazy...wish i had an amroured vehicle sometimes and could just run them into a ditch before they blow thru a red light and kill someone...

 

}(

[uwsman2]

I resisted getting a cell phone for the longest time, but now I appreciate the convenience - especially when hiring escorts! I like to go to them, rather than vice versa, and sometimes the boys will give an approximate address and ask that one call when one is on their block for further instructions. Which used to mean being sure to have coins and find an operating pay phone... no longer!

 

I keep my cell phone off once I'm ready to go to bed, and apart from turning on to check for messages, only keep it on at times when I'm not concerned about being interrupted at something, because I got it only really for the purpose of making calls, facilitating meetings, etc.

 

My biggest gripe is cellphones going off at concerts or the opera. At many concert halls and opera houses they make very conspicuous announcements to turn them off, but I noticed that people would turn them on at intermission, make calls, and forget to turn them off again, so it seemed that the beginnings of second acts or second halfs of concerts were always being afflicted with cellphones. So I wrote letters to the general managers at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall (I live in NYC) recommending that they repeat announcements before resuming performances after an intermission. Maybe I wasn't the only one to write, but shortly after I sent my letters (and received acknowledgements) they began making cellphone announcements after intermissions at both locations. It's a bit obtrusive (the NY Philharmonic plays the announcement so loud it is startling) but it works - cellphone interruptions after intermissions have declined dramatically. )

[Guest skrubber]

I, as well, resisted getting a cell phone for the longest time. It was only when a friend trying to find me at the airport commented that I was a dinosaur upon finding me that I made the decision to get one. While I only actually use it when I am on vacation trips I have found it to be quite convenient at times. I still find it disturbing to see people wearing the phonepiece on their ear. Are they really that important? If I got better reception at my house I really would get rid of my landline, but my house is like a lead box.

[edjames]

Great thread.

 

I think most can agree that cell phones have changed the way many live their lives. It irks me to no end to get on a bus and find the person behind me or next to me chatting away as if no one can hear them. It's always some mundane conversation. The best is the lady on the cell who called her friend to tell her she was on the bus and then began to announce what streets we were at all the way uptown...groan!

 

Last year, in Florida, I witnessed a woman driving in a car, with her dog on her lap, cigarette in one hand and cell phone in the other. Who was driving the car? My guess is....THE DOG!

 

There is no argument that cell phone technology is terrific. Last week we had a horrific steam pipe blast in midtown Manhattan, and I was unaware of the accident. Walking across town to join some friends for dinner, I approached Lexington Avenue, and I saw all these people in the street in front of the Gramercy Hotel. At first I thought Julia Roberts might be back in town as she lives across the street, but as I got to the corner and looked uptown, I realized something more dangerous had occurred. The young fellow standing next to me had an I-phone and had CNN up on his screen checking the news information. That's when the new technology comes in handy!

 

Although, a warning to those who might be tempted to give up their landlines. In the event of a blackout or other emergency, landlines are often more reliable than cell phones. Once those cell phone towers go down it takes forever to get service back. This happens frequently in areas prone to tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters. Most cell phones were knocked out for weeks after 9/11 here in New York. It's a great backup. If you don't use your landline, check with you local telephone service provider and check out the rates for the minimal and basic packages.

 

ED

[Epigonos]

I am a 66 year old retiree who loves his technological gadgets. I have a cell phone on which I do all of my long distant calling. I have a computer and spend, at least, a couple of hour a day on the internet doing research for future trips. I have a digital camera which I use as a toy. I am about to purchase a lap top to take with me on trips to stay on top of my email and look up information on the internet.

 

Now what absolutely enrages the hell out of me is the rude inconsiderate behavior of many of the assholes who use cell phones in public. Why can't, the vast majority of these people realize that the rest of the world doesn't want nor need to be privy to their business or private calls? Why can't cell phone users at airports move to a secluded location or at least lower their voice. The one that really gets to me is the cell phone user taking a call in a nice restaurant and talking as if there wasn’t anybody within a hundred miles. One of my most enjoyable cell phone experiences took place about two years ago in a very expensive restaurant in Los Angeles. The cell phone belonging to a woman at a table near me rang. The woman took the call and spoke for about two or three minutes in a natural tone of voice. The entire room was a part of her conversation. No sooner did she hang up than the phone rang again. Again the woman answered it and began another conversation. This time, however, a man setting directly behind her turned around and loudly said “Lady get off the fucking phone”. Initially she looked surprised but the surprise turned to shock when the entire room erupted into applause. Damn I enjoyed that moment -- yes I can be petty!!!

 

The issue here is simply one of good manners. I sincerely believe that we live in a “me only” society today. If someone wants to do something they do it NOT even thinking that it might inconvenience or offend somebody else. I sincerely wish that these inconsiderate assholes were aware of how rude they were being and just didn’t give a damn but I don’t. I believe that most of them are simply too stupid to realize that they are being rude.

[edjames]

FYI...it is now a NYC city law that all cell phone use in NYC theaters is illegal.

 

For some reason, although many venues make the initial announcement, some don't stress the fact that is unlawful to use your cell phone in the theater.

 

The last time the announcement was made, with the law caveat, the audience broke into spontaneous applause!

 

Somehow, some folks don't understand what it means not to use a cell phone. Some feel that "texting" is OK and have the phone out during the performance and text their little hearts out! That annoying little screen light glows throughout the row. It is so f**king distracting! I had a young guy do it throughout a movie last year. Hoping he'd finish up and get back to the movie, he kept it up for a good 15 minutes. I finally got up, walked over and told him how distracting he and the phone were. I asked him why he even bothered to go to the film if all he was going to do is text or email his friends throughout the show. I didn't wait for his answer! He was sufficiently embarrassed enough to put the damn phone away.

 

I'd love to see some technology that blocked all cell phone transmission within the theater. OK for the lobby but not for the theater.

 

Also, I have been told there is a little gizmo available that allows you to zap a cellphone conversation and disconnect the users!

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

Ed, I didn't boycott Hairspray after all. My punishment was to sit behind a mother with talking children. Mommy had a hard time staying off the phone herself! Several people in the theater found it necessary to check their big screen phones during the show. I said nothing, being the quiet kind...

[edjames]

Shame on you Lucky..I would have hit her over the head with a big bag of butter soaked popcorn! HLOL

 

A good firend decided not to boycott Hairspray and saw it over the weekend. Her opinion...John Travolta's portrayl of Edna Turnblad was "disturbing." She didn't like the film.

 

I'm still out on this one, I have no overwhelming desire to see it and will wait to see what people say. Lucky, you didn't mention if you enjoyed the movie or everything about your movie experience was disappointing.

 

I notice it wasn't the top grossing movie of the weekend, and another gay-themed film took top honors..horray for Chuck and Larry! Perhpas Kevin James (no relation! teehee) would have made a better Edna. Maybe Drew Carey?

 

ED

[+ deej]

>For some reason, although many venues make the initial

>announcement, some don't stress the fact that is unlawful to

>use your cell phone in the theater.

 

The only announcement like that I've ever heard that seemed to have 100% effectiveness was for "The Vagina Monologues".

 

A very sultry female voice purred "If you have anything in your pocket that rings, chirps, vibrates, or THROBS, please turn it off now."

 

(I didn't know until later that the voice was Erin Brokovitch, who was appearing in the show. Not Julia Roberts -- the *actual* Erin Brokovitch.)

 

It got a chuckle and I didn't hear a phone go off through the whole show.

[Guest zipperzone]

>Perhpas Kevin James (no relation! teehee) would have

>made a better Edna. Maybe Drew Carey?

>

>ED

 

I've always wondered - - do you think Drew is gay?

[edjames]

I sincerely doubt that Drew Carey is gay. He seems to be a nice guy and is known for generosity. I am told that even when he stops into a burger joint for a quick meal he always leaves a $100 tip for the waiter or waitress. Drew is also known for patronizing strip clubs and dating strippers.

 

Why not? He's free and well over 21. He's been named as the new host of The Price Is Right and has said that he isn't doing it for the money. The Drew Carey Show and his improv show, Whose Line Is It Anyway are in constant reruns and he is enjoying the residuals.

 

Drew says he wants to give away cars and things to the people who probably need them, and that is why he took the Price Is Right position. Unfortunately, he says, he might have the host job for a very long time.

 

He still intends to do standup and use four-letter words.

 

ED

[+ deej]

He also thrilled Bob Barker by pledging to keep the traditional signoff reminder to spay and neuter your pets. :-)

[Guest zipperzone]

>I sincerely doubt that Drew Carey is gay.

 

You're probably right. I have wondered because when watching "Whose Line......." his banter with Ryan Stiles had very strong gay overtones. I know Stiles is married, but still.....

[+ Tygerscent]

I'll have to say I could not imagine being a traveling Escort, being a model, porn star etc., and not having a cell phone. The lads at my house gave up the land line about 5 years ago and went so far as to dismatle the unsitely wire running fromour house to those cumbersome telephoen polls. It's great for me because I can be anywhere in teh world and still have phone access. Granted there is a polity to cell phones that I observe: off while driving, flying, on the set, with a Client, working on emails... but the other conveniences far outweigh those of a conventional phone for me. The newer trend seems to be text messaging and some pole designated text messaging as the most polite form of communication. I am planning on upgrading my phone to one that has higher text capabilities and internet services.

Of course, on my wish list is the new phone/computor the size and shape of a pen. You pull off the cap and stick it on the pen part, project your key pad and monitor screen onto any flat black or white surface and work away at whatever! It's not out here for purchase though yet.

I like the discretion of the cell phone as well... prefer that to having confidential messages left on an answering machine that might fall upon curious or unwanted ears.

Cell phones (and hands free head sets)... I'm all for them!

But please! Don't text and drive~

Tyger!

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