Cell Phones - Page 2

I found this article interesting:
http://www.1800duilaws.com/article/s..._cellphone.asp

It was discussed on the local news a few mornings ago. The comparison was made between the ability of people to drive their cars while under the influence of alcohol, or the influence of a cell phone.

Landlines are SOOOO expensive. I don't think I'll be able to afford it anytime soon.

I hate phones. When I had a landline there was always someone from a collection agency yelling about some dude who lived in my apartment five years ago.

My landline is only 30 buck a month. That is about the same as I am paying for my cell. My line came with caller ID, call waiting, and a few other perks. The basic line with no perks is really cheap! And I get crystal clear service!

Hubby and I have cell phones but no landline. I use my phone freely.

While I do think it's rude to be on the phone while checking out at a grocery store or while ordering coffee at your local coffee house, I don't see a problem with people talking while they shop (as long as they're not oblivious to what is going on around them). What's the difference between you (the collective you) overhearing the conversation I'm having with my bestfriend while we're out shopping together and you overhearing (part of) the conversation I'm having with my bestfriend while I shop and she relaxes in the comfort of her home? Nothing.

My husband and I only use our cell phones, but we do have a landline in our closet, ringer always off, no one knows the number. It is for the exact reason that Amber the Bobcat mentioned, to dial 911. The master closet is my "panic room." We pay only $15 a month for it, local calls only, no perks. What's funny is, the telephone jack in the closet is the only jack in our house. The builder asked where we wanted our phone jack boxes at, and we told him closet only. He said you'd be surprised by the number of people that forgo phone jacks altogether these days.

We have only 2 phone jacks in the house. in our bedroom and one in the office. We didn't have the electrician put them anywhere else. We figured we wouldn't really use them.

Landlines expensive? I guess that all depends on where you live. From what I see, they are cheap compared to cell phones and better too. I worked with a guy who payed well over $120 for his cell phone. I aksed him why on earth would he waste his money. He said it was his only phone. I told him I pay less than that for a cell phone and a land line. Of course, our cell phone has only basic features, I don't need all that other nonsense. He had all these different ring tones. I said ok, why? Why pay that money just to have a special ring tone? I don't get it. Our land line costs only $69 per month and that includes unlimited long distance, local toll calling, caller I.D., call forwarding and 3 way calling. Unlike cell phones, there are no dropped calls, you can always hear me now I don't know, I just don't understand why people need to talk to someone on the phone while they are out and about at a store shopping or doing whatever. I just love my freedom to get away from talking to anyone when I go out. It's great to have peace and quite once in a while. Besides, I talk on the phone and radio all day at work. The last thing I want to do is talk on the phone when I get home.

It's true though. My cell phone is 600 day time plus unlimited nights and weekends..all for $45 incl/ taxes. With Landlines my bill was always $65+.

The area that I live in too has a lot of area codes (about 7 different ones) all within a 50 mile radius, so if I call down to my college that's 15 miles away from work or 8 miles from home, that's long distance. Plus some areas that are still the same area code still charge a "local toll" call where I'm dialing the same area code, but still get charged for dialing it. Having a cell phone eliminates all of that pain.

I see now that the Landline company does offer a set fee per month, but its still higher than my cell.

Oddly enough, there was an article about that study in our German Sunday paper yesterday, and I was wondering if I should provide a link and translate it.
I'm a bit shocked at the prices quoted here. We pay c. $30 a month for our land line and DSL (plus c. $10 for a flat rate to our ISP). Costs for my pre-paid cell phone average about $100 a year, and most of that is from making international calls while traveling (6 -7 weeks a year).

We are among those who turned our land line off and opted for cell phones. I was spending $130 per month for a landline and DSL. I turned off the landline, switched over to a cable modem through our cable provider so internet is included in the cable bill instead of the phone bill. My cell phone is paid through work, and we pay $60 per month for my fiance's cell phone. It all equals out to about the same that we were paying before.. but he has a cell phone.

I have both, but since I turned my landline back on, I hardly use my cell, but I'm locked into a family plan and can't drop my minutes any lower- I'm talking between the 2 of us we use about 300 mins a month- and i pay about $55/month for that my landline is a cable phone and I pay 39.95 for unlimited long-distance, all the bells and whistles and VM and like John said, no dropped calls and they can always hear me now

I hate cell phones. I have a landline, my DH got me a cell phone (I don't know why 'cos I told him I wouldn't use it), and my teenager has a Trac-fone. I don't like talking on the phone any more than I have to, and I don't understand people who always have a phone plastered to their ear. It's almost as if they're addicted. I can go months without using my cell.
My teenager, on the other hand, must have hers with her at all times. She's involved in tons of sports, and is driving, so I actually feel a little better knowing she can call if there's an emergency. Makes me wonder, tho--how in the world did I manage to make it thru adolescence without a phone attached to my head?

We both have cell phones, and we have a land line as well. The cell phones are with us whenever we are out of the house. If we're together, they're off unless we're expecting a call or separate to do errands individually and want an "electronic leash" If we're not together, the phone goes on when we leave the house and off when we return. Nonetheless, we seldom come close to using the 100 free minutes we have per month on our plan.

We got the first one, so my Dad would be able to contact me wherever I was if he had an emergency, without our having to think ahead about what number(s) would reach us. That need no longer exists, but I have used the phone several times for road emergencies, and would not feel safe without it.

Few people have our cell numbers, and those who do, know that they can expect to wait for us to pull over if they catch us while we're in traffic. I've had enough near misses with people yakking on cell phones that I don't want to be that person. I'm not even sure I agree with the hands free argument: it's not about how many hands are available, but how much attention.

I have no difficulty with people who use cell phones while shopping: doing a reality check about a product, or checking to see if there's anything I can pick up for Rob while I'm in this shop, is one the things I use mine for. If people want to talk on their cell phones in restaurants, that's OK, so long as they keep their voice low enough that I'm not obliged to hear their end of the conversation. There are lots of other situations where I'll answer, but only to acknowledge the call and promise a callback. I don't get enough calls to warrant paying for call display or messaging.

Ahhh, but don't forget. A landline has unlimited all the time minutes!! And like I said, not having a lindline puts yourself and your kids if you have them, at risk in case of an emergency. (This holds true for cable phone lines as well, at the moment. No 911 information from them either) Our cell phone yes, is a little cheaper than our land line but, if you go over the minutes on your cell, you are going to pay big time. Call information from your cell, you pay big time. My wife can talk all night long to her family, who lives in New York, and our land line bill is the same. No need to worry what time it is or if this is going to affect the any time minutes. Every number we call, is long distance or local toll calling. I do not live in the city or suburbs. I can talk as long as I want and the bill is the same. And the quality of a landline can not be beat by a cell phone. A land line is so much better. To me, a cell phone does have it's purpose, mainly for an emergency if you are out and about. There was nothing worse than being stranded somehwere, trying to look for a pay phone. I hate pay phones, you never knew what was on that thing from all the people who have used it. But, in the home, I would never use my cell phone and I will never get rid of my land line. I also love the idea that no one can get a hold of me when I leave my home. You sound just like me Another thing that bothers me, is when I see people on a date. They may be out eating dinner and the other person is on their cell phone. If that was me, taking a girl on a date or if I was out with a friend, and they were just yacking away on the phone, I would just get up and leave them there. I would figure hey, since this person on the phone is more interesting, they can pick you up and pay for the dinner as well Have you ever listened to these conversations that most people have while they are out? It's like, "hey, what"s up? What are you doing? I am out blah blah blah. Ok, cool, I'll talk to you later". Hardly worth having the phone IMO. Maybe it's just me. Since I am on the phone and talking on radios all day at work, I feel no need to be on one at home. I must point out, that I don't make it a habit of mine, to listen to peoples cell phone conversations. It's just that I am very multi task oriented. Since I am a police/fire/911 dispatcher, I am able to talk on the radio, all the while listening to what someone is saying on the phone at the same time. So while I am out, even though my wife may be talking to me, I can listen to her, know exactly what she is saying and also hear and understand the whole conversation, that someone may be having on their cell phone next to me.

I would be lost with out my cell. Although I get no service in my house, I use it everywhere else. I like the idea of having it there just in case I need it. Unfortuniatly, my contract is up this October. Do I keep my plan, even though I am finishing up my certifcation in May and getting married in June and moving to who knows where, or do I let it expire, leaving me with no phone during one last Erie winter, and mulitple drives to Charleston WV, a 6 our drive, 5 of which I usually talk to my FH, to keep from going crazy. Also I have all my friend's numbers in it and it's the only way I talk to them, besides from showing up on campus.

So Yeah I like my cell.

Normally, and I'm not sure if this is true with the service you use, you don't have to renew your contract with a cell phone provider to continue using the service.

For example:

In 2000, I signed a one-year contract with Sprint. If I had tried to cancel my service at any time during that first year, I would have been hit with some sort of outrageous cancellation fee. After that first year, I never renewed my contract, but stayed with Sprint on a month-to-month basis for another two years or so. At one point I decided to switch to Verizon, and I didn't need to pay any sort of cancellation fee.

Again, I'm not sure if this is how it is with all providers. However, from what I understand, you must first fulfill your contract, and then you're able to continue with the service on a month-to-month basis... much like how some landlords allow you to lease an apartment for a year (or two) and then continue living there month-to-month.

Hope that helps.

I hate my cell phone. But, it is a necessary evil that I require for work. I don't like being that accessible at all hours of the day and night... a person needs some down-time, after all. However, saying that, I believe that a cell phone is a necessity for anyone with a vehicle.

Once hubby paid $200 in overtime charges when BIL borrowed his phone. OUCH!!! His psycho ex-girlfriend calls way too often.

I only pay $10 a month for my cell phone. Hubby added me to his family plan for $10 a month. I am very pleased with my cell phone.

We have a cell phone but i don't talk on it while im driving,
if someone calls i don't answer it...i have voice mail.

I have 2 cell phones...one is a tmobile and the other a nextel (so I can reach my husband, when he is in the field). I use my cell phones all the time...we barely ever use the landline...only if we don't get a signal...the landline is just for the internet. I have no problem with talking on the phone while driving for me....but other people is a different story lol , you can always tell with someone is talking on the phone while driving...they are either driving really slow or hugging the line, but those are usually people who don't pay attention anyway cell phone or not.

I think I am the last person on earth who does not own a cell phone.

I do not like cell phones, I have no need for a cell phone and nor do I want one.


I find some people who own cell phones to be inconsiderate of others when they are on them.

This past year in university, I've heard someone's ringtone go off right in the middle of a lecture more than once. It is absolutely terrible and completely RUDE! and it is always the same 2 or 3 people. I sometimes believe that those people must have huge egos because they think their social life is so important, they can't turn their phones off for an hour!

When we go to the movies, there is always atleast one person who has their phone on and talking (what's the point of coming to a movie) or they have it on silent and they are running in and out of the theatre a million times which is distracting.

I broke down and bought the cell phone in March. I bought to use for my business. I have a local provider which covers the entire state of WI. Too many big carriers did not cover some of the areas in the state that I would call. I had to get the 600 minute plan for voice mail and I think the most I used in 1 month was 100 min. What is nice about this provider is I can add nationalwide cover for just one month like when I went to VA to visit my sister. That is a nice touch. That being said I do not and have not used most of the features on my phone. I have the feature where I can say call home but don't know how to use it!! When DH goes up to the farm I make him take it with him If I'm not along.
I think -perhaps this dates me is how people my age (almost 49) functioned w/o a phone before you know we didn't have these growing up but my god all their precious kids have to have one!!!
Our landline is very reasonable about $35/mo-no frill but 3 cents/minute long distance. I am trying to use the mobile phone more for in state long distance call though since I have all those minutes!!