The fall of the phone

I think like everything else in life (other than vintage clothing) a cell phone is best used in moderation. I have installed in my home 3 -30s era phones that are wonderful. On the other hand, I own a cell phone because it is helpful for emergencies. Now that I have moved to the wilderness of DC, it is the only way I can keep in touch my friends back home in SF. It costs less than a long distance land line call. Despite all that, I rarely use the cell. I have few emergencies. I refuse to feel compelled to answer it just because the phone rings. However, I get back to people right away. So I am not anti-social. I just approach the cell like I would a regular tool. I own it, it does not own me. Although it is darned helpful when you are trying to get a job without your employer knowing about your search.

I've never had a cel phone and have no plans to get one. My landline phone at home is intrusive enough...I certanly don't want to be "reachable" when I'm out and about.

And the last thing I need is another monthly bill!

I have a cell phone but I'm not bothered by people trying to reach me because I've never given the number to anyone except my wife. It's strictly for emergency use - a great convenience when your newest car is more than 20 years old and has a broken gas guage.

telephones.

I put off getting a cell phone for twenty years, we however had a pager for twenty years being in the service trades and in the habit of doing service calls we had too have one. However the big joke was being in a amish customers house and the pager went off, and they want you to call them back on what. So one night two years ago my wife said to before bed you are going too mad, looking at her , what have you done? all it was getting me a cell phone and for the business its be good but i dont give out the number to many and if it rings with my wife beside me in the van its a wrong number. We are getting sick with communication, we once rented a house for two months in a village and had no phone at home, if we needed a call, we walked to the main corner and used a payphone it was cute and calming but an emergency would have lost the humor in that. MANY of my amish customers are now getting phones, really, the rules are that they have too be in a phone shack, outhouse like, more than 30 feet from the house and they have bell call answer hello this is jacob stoll please leave a message and this summer we saw a amish farmer in his garden talking on a cell phone. OH MY THE WORLD IS COMING TO A END. 59 LARK:rage: fftopic:

I have a cell phone and carry it with me pretty much everywhere. This is for a few reasons:
I am a single mom. Because this necessitates my children being at home while I am away, I need to be available to them. This also allows the schools to contact me in the event of a bumped head or attitude problem. Because I work several part-time jobs I can't reliably leave a work number, the cell is the only constant.

I am unable to obtain a land line. Lots of babble here about exes and credit ratings but no boo-hooing. I just don't have any other means of communication with friends, family or clients if I didn't have a cell phone.

I don't trust my car as far as I can push it. In heels. In the rain. So each time it breaks down/dies/fails to restart I bless the day some genius invented the contraption that brings the tow truck.

It is a great security blanket when you are the only adult in the house at night. If anything were to happen (heaven forbid) I would be able to not only call an emergency number but also have the phone tracked in the event my call were ended abruptly. Again with the single mom thing.

Having said that, I do not answer my phone every time it rings. If I am in a place where I am unable to speak privately, I either ignore the call or excuse myself to another room. If I am working I will mute the phone and return the call when I am able. In public places, the phone is put on vibrate and tucked in a pocket so that I may choose whether to respond. And if it's my mother, lord help the child who answers that call.

A note for movie theater etiquette: merely muting your phone is not enough. Please turn your phone off. The wireless headphones used for hard of hearing patrons pick up even a muted ring as static which interferes with their enjoyment of the film.

In short, this is a wonderful invention but like all technology, the danger lies in allowing it to control you. We elect whether and when to watch television, surf the internet, play the lottery, and answer the phone. Once we forfeit those choices we are in dangerous waters.

LizzieMaine said:

Don't own, have never used, and will never own, a cellphone or any other portable communications device.

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Same here. Over my dead body!

I tend to keep my iphone in my outer jacket breast pocket, if I have a vest, in the top left breast pocket and when dancing I keep it in my shirt pocket.

Matt Deckard said:

I tend to keep my iphone in my outer jacket breast pocket, if I have a vest, in the top left breast pocket and when dancing I keep it in my shirt pocket.

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Do you mean as opposed to over your dead body? lol

I've been getting a kick out of watching Adam-12, where the cops themselves have to stop at a real phone to dial headquarters. There are still a few pay phones around here, but not a lot. And certainly no telephone *booths*. On the one hand, I welcome cell phones - no germy receivers, no change necessary, and I can make and receive calls if I need to without hunting up a pay phone. On the other hand, I hate being considered "on-call" for anyone and everyone. I'll often be urged to "Pick up the phone!!!" when it's going off, but I don't always. That's why I have voicemail. (Voicemail, in contrast to cell phones, is a wonderful invention.) When I'm home and available, I try to get it; if I'm in the store deciding between Extra Hold Anti-Frizz Hair Gel or Super Strength Volumizing Hair Mousse, I don't think it necessary.

Wasn't there some discussion a while back about the gov. wanting to remove all the emergency call boxes along the freeways? The reasoning was something like "But everyone has cell phones now!" Erm, not so much. And cell phone batteries die at the worst times. I hope that one never got anywhere. [huh]

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Short story:

One evening last week I decided to take a walk down to the grocery store, just to get out and enjoy the air, phone tucked in my pocket in case of emergency. It was one of those foggy nights that are downright gorgeous: everything is a little hushed, lights glow more softly, and you almost start expecting Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade to materialize out of the mist. The occasional car passed, the headlamps diffusing light all over the road before disappearing. I was appreciating the welcome quiet, the beauty, and the crisp, cold air.

And then my cell phone rang. And suddenly, it was just a dark city street with cracked asphalt in front of me and a credit card-sized piece of modernity buzzing away in my pocket.

I can't tell, but I'm pretty sure I saw Spade tip his hat and disappear.

(I'm also pretty sure cell phones not on "silent" weren't designed for anyone with an appreciation for quiet and an imagination.)

Nope, no Cell here. I have thought of breakin' down to get one but then no one would call me at my house and I couldn't use my REAL PHONES!

Will I ever get one? Maybe when I feel like adding another bill to the pile... I like my land line so much, never drops calls and it's just better to chat or catch up with a friend wile laying on my couch or bed then talking with someone some place else.

Simple solution; just get one where you buy a set amount of minutes (no monthly bill) and don't give anyone the number! Use it for the (hopefully rare) car breakdowns. You'll never have to hear anything at home other than the beautiful sound of real brass phone bells ringing...

Forgotten Man said:

Nope, no Cell here. I have thought of breakin' down to get one but then no one would call me at my house and I couldn't use my REAL PHONES!

Will I ever get one? Maybe when I feel like adding another bill to the pile... I like my land line so much, never drops calls and it's just better to chat or catch up with a friend wile laying on my couch or bed then talking with someone some place else.

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Emergency Cellphone; No Service Needed

Even better! you only need to have a cellphone in your car for emergencies.
You do not need to have service. Keeping our Vintage loving lovelies safe on the road - that's what matters. This is also why so many women shelters etc. ask for phones to be donated.

Full Details:

"Many people buy cell phones to keep in the car for "emergency use only." They often pay rates such as $15/month and $50 sign-up fees. These fees are NOT necessary.

You can use a used cell phone to call 911 without paying anything at all. Cell phones are regulated by the FCC. FCC requirements state that ALL cell phones, regardless of status of service (or even the lack of service) must be able to dial 911. Whether you have a telephone number or not, whether you have signed up for service or not, your cell phone can connect to 911.
...Used digital phones sell for less than $15 on Craigslist etc.

In many areas, you can place other calls as well. Test this by dialing a friend's number and see what happens. You may get an operator who will offer to place the call for you and bill your credit card. The call may cost up to $3 per minute, but that's cheaper than paying $15/month for years. You can use this if you have a flat tire and so on.

In some areas, when you press 0 (zero) or dial a number, an operator will answer and ask if you want to charge the call to your credit card. Just use your credit card to place the call. You can also have the phone reprogrammed. Reprogramming enables the cell phone to make credit card calls. Some services can reprogram phones for about $30.

Keep your emergency phone in your car under the seat or the trunk (but not in the glove compartment, where things are often stolen.) You don't need to recharge it or keep it charged. Just plug the phone into your car's cigarette lighter, turn it on, dial 911, and it will work."

MissJeanavive said:

Keep your emergency phone in your car under the seat or the trunk (but not in the glove compartment, where things are often stolen.) You don't need to recharge it or keep it charged. Just plug the phone into your car's cigarette lighter, turn it on, dial 911, and it will work."

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Well, if anyone tries to steel anything, it would be the whole car. lol Also, my car's electrical system is 6volts so, nothin' can plug into the cigarette lighter. lol

I've always been lucky to run out of gas or have a minor issue next to a call box and get AAA on the line.

Good ideas though, I'll keep'em in mind.

Just make sure you keep the emergency-only cell phone charged.

The consensus here seems to be mine as well.

It's a product that enslaves you to communication as well as helping you.

The thing I hate most about cellphones though is text messages. I can see where they would be useful but so many people use text messages as a primary means of communication. If you want to talk to me fine but I'd rather talk to a real person. Text messages have enabled us to communicate without taking the time out to focus on the person you are speaking to. Magically, people are too busy (lazy) to hold a verbal conversation, you know the kind full of inflection, breath, and a human voice.

justaktty said:

The people who are cutting me off on the road, while babbling on cell phones, drive me nutty. I hate the fact that their self absorption is endangering me. Ktty

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Tell me about it! One two separate occassions, I've t-boned two vehicles with a bus who's drivers were babbling away on a cell and decided to make a right or left turn across my lane! Fortunately nobody was hurt either time.

Funny I should find this thread. I was just going to search for a vintage phone thread on FL.

I recently got a bug for antique phones and am in the process of trying to get a working 30s model, or even a non-working but fixable model, maybe even learn to fix them myself, the electronics don't appear to be very complicated.

I've had only a cell and no land line for several years because for a while I was moving every couple years and doing the roommate thing. Not having a spouse or offspring, I don't get many calls. I bought a blue-tooth a while back so I could talk hands-free on my cell, but not while driving, my elbow gets stiff if I hold the phone to my ear for even a few minutes. I turn it off in the car. Thinking of going to a land line once I get a working vintage phone, only have the cell handy for emergencies.

I hope to continue to use a land line, but sometimes I start to wonder whether or not it will be too expensive to have bills for both a land line and a cell phone plan. Seems like a good way to cut costs would be to stay with one, and while I do have gripes about cell phones, they are more helpful than not. I just miss being able to use my vintage 1930's rotary dial.

ScionPI2005 said:

I just miss being able to use my vintage 1930's rotary dial.

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Why can't you use it?

Brinybay said:

Why can't you use it?

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No texting..