Cell phones and life

[Guest GunTroll]

I have had a cell phone for 15 years now. Coming Aug 29 both my wife and I contract with Verizon will end. We have been debating on going with an upgrade and therefore extending our contract two years with Verizon. We looked at competitors and with certain discounts we currently get, no other plan(s) are better than what we have. We looked into pay as you go type service, and any other option out there. I'm not looking for ideas on plans with this post FYI.

I saw on TV concerning the hurricane and cell service. The head claimed 96% of Americans have and use cell phones. 26% use only cell phones and or have no land line, cell is primary phone. It makes me wonder what the 4% (claimed) do without a cell, and why it baffles me how they do it whether by choice or circumstances.

I have decided to do an experiment and to go without a cell phone. I'm really curious how loosing the leash will feel after 15 years of being able to get contacted and to contact others at a moments notice. I don't use one for work. I just don't see it being essential to live. Not sure I ever did but I'm shuffling priorities as many others are probably doing as well. Kind of thinking a compass and map will serve me better than a cell at this point as an example.

Am I crazy?

Are any of you "unleashed"?

[krunchnik]

Our cell contract ran out in april with ATT,we now recently dropped our cell service with them.My wife has a T-Mobile no contract phone thats $30.00 a month for 1500 minutes.I on the other hand after 7 years have no mobile whatsoever.My last usage on my phone was 8 minutes for the month,I could not justify $100.00 a month for that low usage.I dont miss having a cell one bit.

[Guest gw2and4]

Seems you could accomplish most of the "real" reasons to have a cell phone with a pre-paid cell charged up with a couple hundred minutes. For instance, to have it in the glove box in case of emergency.

I carry two--one for work and my personal iPhone. Some say I'm crazy, but the leash is only a leash if you let it be. I'm well acquainted with the "ignore" button or the power button if I'm doing something and don't want to be bothered.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

Sent from my iPhone 4 (ironically, given the thread)

[Murgatroy]

I have a a Virgin Mobile phone. I have been using Virgin Mobile for around ten years now. I am not a phone person, and as such, the original plan (something like $.25 a minute for the first ten minutes and $.10 a minute there after) was fine with me. I might use $20 a month.

After a while I changed the service to a $.10 a day, $.10 a minute plan, and used that plan for several years. The phones were featureless, and pretty much just made and received calls.

About a year or so ago they started offering more advanced phones, and more advanced plans. I purchased a feature phone that was similar (but not close) to a Blackberry. They offered Blackberries and Android phones as well, but I had a hard time justifying the upfront price. I chose the $25 Beyond Talk plan. That gave me 300 minutes, and unlimited texts and data.

It was the bee's knees.

Last month I finally decided to take the plunge and get and Android phone, an LG Optimus. It cost me $150 upfront, and I still pay $25 a month for 300 minutes and unlimited text and data. Virgin Mobile still offers this plan, but it now costs $35. That is one thing that I really like about Virgin, once you 'choose' a plan, not a contract, you stay locked at that price. The $.10 a day $.10 a minute plan I mentioned earlier was only offered for about a year, but I stayed on that plan for nearly five years.

Virgin Mobile uses Sprint's network, and as such I have very good connectivity wherever I have gone, as long as it is civilized. I have lost signal when I am in the middle of the woods. I don't have signal in some out lying towns. However I also have an Verizon/Nextel phone (work cell) and my Virgin Mobile/Sprint phone has a nearly identical signal radius.

Virgin has plans that you Top Up the phone and you just go till the minutes run out. Similar to plans from Trac Phone and other prepaid services. If the concept is to just leave the phone in the glove box, and turned off unless it is an emergency, you could feasibly pay less than $7 a month (using a $20 Top Up card every three months to keep the service active) and have the phone as in insurance policy.

[oldogy]

The wife and I both "carry." If you need it you have it. If you don't have it and need it you're SOL. Kinda like something else many of us carry. Neither of us leave home with out them. We use our land line so infrequently it is hard to justify.

BTW, we have a very basic Verizon plan, long time out of contract.

oldogy

[Raoul]

I've migrated my business phones to an internet based service and have all my calls forwarded to my cell from 8:30 to 5:30. For me it's cheaper than the alternatives. I also know how to use the off and ignore button.

I think I have a bigger problem unplugging from the internet.

My thought is you don't really need it just do as suggested and buy a pay per use phone. They are handy in emergencies.

[Caster]

How did folks ever make it without one? Some people literally start withdrawal symptoms if they don't have that infernal device in their hands. I have a cell phone. Whatever had the least features at BestBuy at the time. I only turn it on when I need to use it or when the wife leaves the house.

[Lumber_Jack]

I got my first cell phone in 2003, before I took my first job in Colorado. Turns out the phone didn't even work when I got there. But to now say I couldn't use my phone would be really tough, almost impossible. 15 years ago there were pay phones on every corner, in an emergency what would you do? Can anyone even tell the last time they saw a functioning pay phone? I think what worries me the most is what would happen of cell service collapsed as a whole. Communication would be next to impossible for most.

The ability to communicate at a moments notice has changed our society. Some ways good, some ways bad. I do believe though there are many people out there that can say there lives were saved due to access to a cell phone.

[DWARREN123]

I have a cell phone and use it about the same amount in a year that a lot of folks do in a week or two weeks. Dropped the landline due to even less useage on my part.

Don't like phones, people try to call me.

[Guest GunTroll]

So the majority of you like the "insurance" feeling they seem to give you and yours. I can buy that. However, I think the thing that sits about two feet or so above your rear is even better. Not to mention the firearm you should be carrying at all times.

I wish I could have seen the face of the nice lady on the other end of the phone at Verizon when I told her my plan/experiment when she asked "why the drop in service". She commended me!!!!!! No raise for her this year if they listen to the quality assurance recordings. Then again they are union though right.

[Caster]

Don't like phones, people try to call me.

I'll share a little secret I found out about those pesky phones....if you let them ring long enough, eventually they'll stop.

[analog_kidd]

A lot of people don't know that you can make free outbound calls from your PC with a GMail account. Can't recieve, though.

I could probably live without the cell. They are forbidden at my work, so most of my day I can't even use it. I do like having it for the emergency aspect, especially for my wife. I don't care if anyone else can't get in touch with me, but I do like the fact that she and I can reach each other no matter where we are.

My dad uses one of those prepaid phones and loves it. He never gives out the number, except for family, so he never runs out of minutes. I think he leaves it in the truck.

[whiskey]

I've had a cell phone since 1993. I have been with all the carriers. I have been with AT&T for a long time now. I don't want to be without my iPhone. I do a helluva lot more than place phone calls with it though. Weather radar checks, sunrise/sunset times, address book, checking account management, money transfers, appointment calenders, camera, music, email, games, alarm clock, and thousands of other uses. Sure, I could do this at home on my PC, at work on my PC, use various other devices and keep paper notes, but that would be inconvenient as hell. I also like to be able to text message, especially when sitting in the woods.

There is an area I hunt that has zero cell coverage and I don't like not having service while I am there. If I step in a hole and break my leg, I would much rather use the electronic device in my pocket than to be forced to use the device a couple feet above my butt. (in my case, about a foot and a half). I don't have the feeling that I need to be tough enough to buck technology and conveniences.

[DaveTN]

I love technology when it comes to safety. I wonder how many lives have been saved because someone had the ability to call for help immediately instead of going and finding a phone. Even our cars can call for help when we can’t.

I haven’t had a “land line†for years and have no desire to get one again.

I have been with Verizon for 10 years (wife won’t change). I do wish they would give those of us that stay with them some financial reward instead of focusing solely on new users; I hate shopping cell phone providers.

I have a plan that has unlimited web access, but no data package. Now they tell me to do the “new phone every two†with web and text I have to add a data package to each phone at $25~$35 per month per phone.

I wish I could combine my phone, internet, and TV with one company and get a great rate. It will happen one day.

[Guest GunTroll]

Tomorrow is the big day! Sort of ancy to call and get it over with! Taking one step forward to get off the radar.

I'm in the highly convenient camp. They most certainly are that. I'm prepping for what I see is the inevitable . I'll look up to see the weather I guess. Just conditioning myself for a communication blackout . Plus I'll save $1200 a year roughly.

[Grunt67]

Cell phones are a great tool, like a screwdriver or pliers. Use as needed. When the phone controls

everything you do, it's time to rethink, IMO. Mine racks up maybe 30 mins/mo. Between the phone

& Facebook, my wife disappears from the planet. We don't have a house phone, never used it, got

rid of it years ago.

I work Courtroom security. Cell phones are not allowed inside. Folks hate to leave it elsewhere. Like

pulling teeth, seriously.

Bought mine for emergencies out on the road initially. Glad my wife has one for that. She is on the road

often alone. Peace of mind for both of us. Now, it seems a phone is part PC, part chit chat.

To each his/her own. Just seems to have gotten out of hand to me.

JMHO

[DaveTN]

I also really like texting. No wasting time with chit chat; ask a question or make a statement and get an answer.

[zapfbroad]

Somedays I hate phones. I've prolly used 200min this year. I used to have basically be on call 24/7 and 3am phone calls wore my last nerve, big part of changing jobs. Can't enjoy dinner w/wifey at 8pm at a restaurant because I gotta take this. No more. This spring we took a trip & 20 min out the door I realized in all the confusion of loading her 6 to my 1 bag i'd left my phone inside on the charger. 4 days later I was liberated except I was a little fuzzy headed from not being able to constantly check date/time. Good luck with gettin off the cell grid. I think it's probably healthier, we as a society have some interesting future ahead based on our dependence. Aside from TGO & words with friends(scrabble) & newsfeeds I don't really use my phone other than as a mobile computer. I prefer face to face communication.

via EPIC4G SRF1.1.0 by Android Creative Syndicate

[Spook]

One thing to consider for the pre-paid cell phones is the expiration of minutes on some carriers/models. Usually, the more minutes on a card the longer they last but read the fine print carefully. Its such a ripoff.

[Guest gw2and4]

...Then again they are union though right.

Verizon wireless is all non-union from what I hear. I've been told that the only parts of Verizon that are union are the legacy local area operating companies that do land lines and data. Like the old Bell Atlantic, for example. But I could be wrong...it's certainly happened before.

Sent from my iPhone 4

[Guest GunTroll]

Some are union at least... UPDATE 1-Verizon strike to weigh on Aug jobs report | Reuters another reason to drop em' to me at least. But I won't get into that.

[Guest WyattEarp]

a cell phone is more convenient for me to communicate with friends and family both locally and across the nation, and I can do it without having to pay long distance charges. plus my phone can check email, get on facebook (but i deleted my account back in may). but i can radar updates, tornado warning alerts, browse the net, it has gps if i need directions, it can find restaurants near my gps location or hotels. I can get movie times, buy movie tickets, pretty much do everything I need to. lookup phone #'s, businesses, so a cell phone is essential to me. I'm also a photographer for the school paper, so I get my assignments by text or voicemail.

[Jasongar8]

I had this discussion the other day with a family member. To me it is a tool. Just like a flashlight, knife, or a gun. It has more uses that any of those other tools, but it is still a tool to make your life easier. If I want to see if it storming at my house when I am out of town? In less than 30 seconds I can see the radar at my house. Need to know how much money I have in the bank if I find a great deal on a gun, bam look at my checking acount and see to the penny what I have. Breaking news comes across my phone. And I just like the feeling of my family or friends being able to get ahold of me if they need me. And me being able to do the same if I need to.

Could I live without it? Sure. Would I want too? Not really.

[Lumber_Jack]

I had this discussion the other day with a family member. To me it is a tool. Just like a flashlight, knife, or a gun. It has more uses that any of those other tools, but it is still a tool to make your life easier. If I want to see if it storming at my house when I am out of town? In less than 30 seconds I can see the radar at my house. Need to know how much money I have in the bank if I find a great deal on a gun, bam look at my checking acount and see to the penny what I have. Breaking news comes across my phone. And I just like the feeling of my family or friends being able to get ahold of me if they need me. And me being able to do the same if I need to.

Could I live without it? Sure. Would I want too? Not really.

Bingo

[Guest justluck]

Cell phones are very good tools, they can save lives even. I find them very necessary at times. However, there is that bumper sticker that is very relevant: "Hang up and drive". Few would doubt its relevancy if they could just follow themselves down the road sometime.