Community poll forum: Could you live without your cell phone? Why or why not?

i was reading the replys on hear and i am now going to rant a bit, yes talking on a cell phone can be dangerous to other people on the road to whom you are not fully paying attention to, i don't know what the laws are over there in the states but here in the UK it is ok to use a cell phone (we call them mobile phones here) as long as you are using a hands free / bluetooth headset and not picking up the actual phone unit itself.

now then i dont drive because i have a visual impairment and am registered blind however i would imagine that using a cell phone with or without bluetooth causes no more distraction to a drivers concentration than them listening to the radio which occassionally involves them changing stations regardless of whether the controls are conveniently built into the steering wheel or not for those few seconds the driver is distracted just as much as they would be if they had picked up the cell phone unit and put it to there ear.

also another distraction is having passengers in your car your bound to end up talking to them and yet again that means the driver still isnt concentrating 100% on the road whats more talking to a driver while they are driving and them talking back to you is advertised as being ok by all those great hollywood movies thus sending out the message that its ok to distract drivers while they are driving which means these big hot shot movie producers are in fact encouraging people to break the law now shouldnt the police do something to make movie producers stop glamourising the distraction of a driver?

and if you really wanna get technical on the law lets talk about why it is illegal to be under the influence of alchole or drugs while driving yet it is perfectly legal to use bluetooth while driving even though it is flooding your brain with radiation that damages brain cells and could effectively have just as much of a debilitating effect on your ability to drive as the alchole or drugs would have had?

the way i see it the law is a bunch of ever contradictory nonsense that really needs to be thoroughly analysed and completely redesigned from the drawing up but hey thats just my opinion what do you guys think?

Stuart

If I lived in a location that had reliable wireless broadband, I'd throw away my cell phone and use Skype on my PDA.

It would have been an "Absolutely...." choice, but where can you find a pay phone any more. Even in a large city.

You need some form of communication. Pay for a land line, a cell phone, or both? I find that for the same rate of a land line, and generally cheaper, I can own a cell phone, and not have a land line. While not all are lucky enough to have good cell service in their home I can take my phone with me, make free long distance calls, and have only a single bill. I think you may find many people going to this venue.

I do agree however that ETFs should be scaled to the gimmies of the service. If you are just renewing, not getting any new hardware, then no ETF. Getting a new iphone or high end product, expect to pay.

Pay as you go is the only way for me. NO ONE is so important, except to themselves, that they can't be out of communication for reasonable periods of time. I bought a years worth of minutes for under $100 and use the phone when NEEDED or for emergencies.

Lee,

While a cell phone could not save our friend James last year, it was a cell phone that became instrumental when I broke my leg skiing (poorly) off-trail in 1995. Backcountry skiing caries it's own combinations of risk/reward and I accept that fact. With 30 years on and off the slopes of Austria, Colorado and New England (at that point) and skied Tuckerbrook dozens of times without trouble and plenty of rewarding memories. When it became my turn for a spiral torsion break, we were fortunate enough to have someone with a cell phone to call for help.
So... anyone who enjoys outdoor adventures like hiking or skiing knows how a cell phone can be a lifesaver. Anyone responding with "I've never had one and never will" is probably a couch potato.
Stan

I did feel the details of my exodus were important. I commend you on your successful extraction. 11 miles in the BC... that's impressive. However... if someone you were hiking or skiing with had a cell phone and called in for help any sane person would take it.
I was skiing with a bunch of engineers and rocket scientists. You can't stop these guys when they get focused on a rescue. So.. yes.. they built a makeshift splint, which I still have with everyone's names carved in it. It was a pretty rough trek for about 1/2 a mile. Then the patrol showed up and reset my leg on the mountain. That was fun.
You're obviously not a CP. You cannot ignore the countless lives cellular communications has saved over the years. I DO most vehemently despise those people who chat endlessly on their phones while they drive, but you can not compare the few lives lost and many fender-benders they have caused to the countless ones saves. Bottom line is.. if you are driving, then that is job number 1.

I would easlly get along with out my moblie phone as i use to in the olden days i wouldnt miss it at all an as in relation to a emergancy i would just do what we use to do before the moblie phone cam along id use a public phone

I'm actually thinking about getting rid of the landline... One reason I haven't switched to all cell phones is because of a ETF on my landline. I think cell phones are the future (you can do a ton of stuff on them now) and land lines will be mainly for companies soon.

Just my $0.02

I am sorry to hear you have had so many problems with Comcast I have had them for over 5 years and think it is wonderful. It has gone out 3 times and was fixed within 24 hours. I could easily live without that silly cell phone (have pay as you go since I cmmute a long distance,in case o an emergency) I would really hate to give up my cable though.
I don't work for Comcast, never have but I can say compared to my friends DSL there is no comparison Cable wins hands down. I have worked for Cell Phone providers in the past and believe me they are not concerned about customer care they have one concern $$$$$.

Since i live in a rural area, a cellphone is a must since i travel to and from school and then work by car. 45 minutes to school and depending where i am when i have to work, about 10 minutes to 1 hour. I only pay about 20$ a month, ( Pre-Paid) so for me its worth it. I feel much saffer in a car with the doors locked waiting for somebody to help me with my car troubles than on the side of the road asking for help.

Aren't the reason I do not own a cell phone obvious? No probably not, considering so many people in the world today, including very young children own them. Cell phones are nothing but an easier way for other's to track you down and annoy you non stop! When I am out to dinner with my partner or family I certainly do not want anyone calling and bugging me. They can call or text and interrupt all sorts of thing's from dinner to shopping to a funeral.
Sure we could shut the phone off or leave the phone at home but then what is really the point in having one? I just do not want to be bothered when I am out enjoying myself. The only thing a cell phone is good for is in the event of emergency. I have to admit a cell would have come in handy the few times I have had a car break down or when it was dire that I contact a family member during an emergency.
I agree cell phones are a good thing for anyone in the business world that may have to travel a lot for work. And the one reason I have actually considered buying a cell phone is for the tracking services they offer so I can track my young child should anything, (God forbid) ever happen to him. If I have the phone with the tracking system then the police and myself would know exactly where my child is. This is a wonderful bit of technology that can and has saved a child's life and even that of an adult that has been kidnapped.
We had a close call last school year. My child and two of his little friends were in the 2nd and 3rd grade and were outside for gym class. A stranger went up to one of the boys and was pretending to have lost his little doggy. Yes there was a teacher outside that was supposed to be supervising our kids during gym class. The boy then proceeded to go get my son and another friend to help find the lost doggy for the stranger.
The man then sent the boys three blocks from the school to a house to tell his friend the doggy was lost, he told them just to go on into the house and get the dog's leash off the kitchen tables so when they found the dog they could put him on the leash. The only thing that saved my son and his friends was the fact that they couldn't follow the strangers directions correctly and did not go to the right house! Otherwise God only knows what would have happened to my son and his friends.
So this incident is why I have considered buying a cell phone. I have talked to my children about strangers from the moment they were old enough to understand, actually I started before they could understand because it has always terrified me that some sick BA***** might steal my child and hurt or kill them, God forbid! I have constantly stressed all the rules of not going anywhere near a stranger for any reason in an effort to keep my children safe but apparently as I found out it can still happen no matter how well you teach your child about strangers. Please all parents out there be aware your child is still at risk! I had specifically warned my kids repeatedly about strangers using pets an other excuses to lure them and he still fell for the trick and my son is an extremely intelligent child so do not tell yourself that your child is to smart to do the same thing.
My son should have been safe at school with his teacher but he wasn't and was lured right from the school property right out from under that teachers nose as were th other boys. They simply walked off right down the street. So for this reason I am thinking of buying a cell phone and that is honestly the only good reason I can think of besides, like I said an emergency.
But when you look around today, every where you look there is someone with a phone stuck to their ear. And it is especially dangerous while driving and even though it's against the law in my state to talk on your cell while driving you still see people doing it all the time. Not to mention I cannot even count how many times I have been having a conversation with a friend or family member just to be interrupted by the dreaded cell phone either by ringing or by text messaging.
So there you have it and I hope all parents out there will head my warning about strangers and learn from my story. Thanks for taking your time to read this post. Sincerely, Cell Free in Indiana

As a farmer in remote Eastern Montana my cell phone is one of the most helpful tools I have. It makes it possible to do things conveniently and timely. Technology, especially cell phones are an essential in keeping cost of production down and being able to better utilize time.

I couldn't talk right in my own home! I couldn't wait for the contract to expire. I checked out the coverage maps on line and Cingular had it all over Verizon, T-Mobile, and Nextell. I haven't had a dropped call call since I went to Cingular. The gentleman in the store explained their dual frequency approach.

If Verizon moved the money from their advertising budget to service quality maybe they can measure up.

I don't think its necesary to have a cell phone... neither do I think its necesary to have indoor plumbing, electricity, a computer, a car, etc. I don't buy the argument that because we survived without them for so many years, therefore, we don't need them. People also survived for a long time without the above listed things and more. The fact is, society is changing and many people rely on cell phones.

Some people might not need one. I don't criticize them for that. But ask yourself how you would feel if you had to go outside and dig a hole in the ground to take a crap in the middle of winter. Ask yourself how you would feel if you had to light candles to see at night, or had to do everything without electricity.

I personally do not NEED a cell phone but I they definitely are worth my investment because of the type of lifestyle I live and my family situation. I have a large family and I can keep in touch with them when we are separated no matter where we are in the country. It is very useful for me.

And just because some people use the cell phone irresponsibly doesn't mean we should limit its use of responsible people. I use a hands free headset when I drive and talk and have no problem doing it. We talk to people that are sitting next to us in the vehicle the same way and nobody is out trying outlaw talking in the vehicle are they?