# Forget petty vents, this is a REAL crisis...



## caseydog (Jul 13, 2017)

Sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 this morning... my iPhone died!!!

I'm in San Jose, and when I get home to Dallas, I have no land line. No phone. NO PHONE!!!  

How do people survive without a cell phone? 

Pray for me sisters and brothers. Hope I make it until tomorrow morning, when my new iPhone arrives. 

CD


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## Just Cooking (Jul 13, 2017)

ain't first world problems hell??....


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## msmofet (Jul 13, 2017)

My hub REFUSES to get or use a cell phone.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 13, 2017)

It *is* a crisis!  My whole life is in my cell phone! Thank goodness its all backed up so if something happens to it, I can get everything back.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 13, 2017)

I do just fine without a cell phone...


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## Andy M. (Jul 13, 2017)

Oh, that really stinks.  Hope you can get back in play soon.


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## roadfix (Jul 13, 2017)

I use a hand me down iPhone 6S, prepaid, voice only, $25 every 90 days....  I don't yap on the phone, 2 hours a day, every day, like some people.    My calls are very short, and maybe one or two calls per day max, on average.   I text more often, and that's free.   For data, I use free wifi....they're everywhere.
We got rid of our land line more than a dozen years ago.   It was just a matter of convenience to carry cell phones instead.    But I'm sure in twenty years from now I wouldn't want anything to do with cell phones unless they came with simple, huge, quarter-sized mechanical buttons, and none of this touch screen crap.


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## Merlot (Jul 13, 2017)

Oh I'm so sorry!!  My phone is my life line!  Sad but true.  I like to be able to get a hold of my child, my parents and my fiancé and like them to be able to get  ahold of me.   Work is a different story.


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## caseydog (Jul 13, 2017)

Just to clarify, my tongue was firmly in cheek with my OP. Sort of.

It is amazing how central a cell phone is to most people today, especially the self-employed, like me, and those who are on the road for weeks at a time, like me. I feel like I'm on the moon without it. I depend on my iPhone for calls, texts and emails -- especially on the road. I'm trying to work out two jobs for the next three days, and can't call or text my customers. 

It is really amazing how these little objects can become so central to your daily life. 

CD


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## Kayelle (Jul 13, 2017)

Casey, I can sure understand how your lifestyle dictates how much you need your cell phone more than most of us. 

For me, my flip cell phone is for emergencies when I'm not at home, and that's all. In fact, I don't even turn it on when I'm away from home, unless *I* want to use it. We have little control of many things these days, and that freedom of not being available every second makes me feel "powerful".. I've never sent or received a text in my life either. I'll voice speak with you on my land line when I get home, thank you very much. 

The mother of my DIL said she only texts with her grown kids because she doesn't "have time" to talk with them. 
You can imagine what my response to that was! That will be the day I'm "too busy" to talk with my sons on the phone, or in person!! Hearing their voice can make my day. 
What's happened people?


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## Just Cooking (Jul 13, 2017)

caseydog said:


> Just to clarify, my tongue was firmly in cheek with my OP. Sort of.
> 
> It is amazing how central a cell phone is to most people today, especially the self-employed, like me, and those who are on the road for weeks at a time, like me. I feel like I'm on the moon without it. I depend on my iPhone for calls, texts and emails -- especially on the road. I'm trying to work out two jobs for the next three days, and can't call or text my customers.
> 
> ...



I can certainly understand how today's business world can be a bit of a mess without the cell.. 

Before the wide spread use of cell phones, I constantly traveled the country on business.. Looking back, the only saving grace was that we had no idea that constant contact with customers and associates would eventually be the norm..  In some ways, I see how we did it was both kinda good and kinda bad..

Ross


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## roadfix (Jul 13, 2017)

We were all on a level playing field.   There were no cell phones, but we all carried pagers.


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## Cheryl J (Jul 13, 2017)

I mainly got into the habit of texting when my daughter had a newborn, a toddler, and a pre-schooler.  We wanted to keep in touch and decided that a text alert was better for her to get back to me at her convenience, rather than having the phone ringing away. I also have a couple of friends who are disabled and I never know when they can easily get to the phone, so texting helps there, too.  

I see where cellphones are necessary nowadays.  My brother runs a business out of his home and like so many others, doesn't have a landline.  He depends on his cellphone for business. For me, half the time when I go out I forget it - I figured I got along nicely without it for decades, so I don't panic when I realize I left it home. 

I do love the great pictures it takes though, and found they're even better than my digital camera which has sat in a drawer for a couple of years now.


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## blissful (Jul 13, 2017)

10 years ago my boyfriend at that time (DH) really wanted me to get a cell phone in case my car broke down. What I found was that everyone had them and would lend me one if I actually had an emergency. Finally got one, not a smart phone just a flip phone, and I pay for service a year at a time 4000+ minutes for $150. I don't care to talk much on the phone and I generally don't text and I can use it for 12 minutes per day and not run out. I left it upstairs 3 hours ago and I don't miss having it on me.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 13, 2017)

I got my first cell phone in 1996 when I had a job just outside Washington, DC, and still lived here in southeastern Virginia. I drove up on Sundays (four hours), rented a room in a house and drove home on Fridays. If I had a breakdown on the highway two hours from home, the last thing I would want is to depend on someone else to call for help for me. 

I got my first smartphone 7 or 8 years ago. My job was to develop and maintain a large website, which included keeping up with technology, including mobile webpage development and QR codes; I needed to be able to test it. And I'm a computer geek  It's fun. I play Scrabble (Words with Friends) with friends who live in other states; I can keep up with the weather, which changes frequently here; and lots more. 

And now my calendar, my contacts, my photos and lots of other information is always available to me. 

Btw, just because someone calls doesn't mean you *have* to answer


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## RPCookin (Jul 13, 2017)

Wife and I both have cell phones, no land line.  But that doesn't mean that I'm tied to my phone just because I can take it with me.  I figure that's what voice mail is for.  I'll turn it off for 4+ hours when I play golf.  When I'm out in the mountains, I'm often out of service range.  I don't get shaky or sweaty palms.  Guess I'm just an anachronism.  

I like the technology, but I can leave it behind without any qualms.


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## roadfix (Jul 13, 2017)

I think I only spend less than 1% of my smartphone time actually talking.   The other 99% I use it for texting, using the web, emails, taking pictures, playing games, etc...


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 14, 2017)

*casey*, you killed your phone.  Poor little thing probably never had a vacation in its life. I suggest you get a back-up phone next time, just to be sure you can always be connected for work.



Kayelle said:


> ...We have little control of many things these days, and that freedom of not being available every second makes me feel "powerful".. I've never sent or received a text in my life either. I'll voice speak with you on my land line when I get home, thank you very much...


*Katie*, you don't have to be available "every second". If you have an answering machine, do you screen calls before deciding if it's a real call (family or friend) or a junk call (telemarketer)? A cell phone is the same. Look at the screen, if it's someone you know answer it. Heck, you can even set up a personal ring tone for each person who calls you often, and tell by the ring. I've found over the years that if it's a junk call they usually don't leave messages. I never miss anything important.

As far as text messages go, it isn't the matter of time to talk, it's the pleasure of thinking out something before replying. When we head to OH (or FL, or VA) to visit family or friends, it is so much easier to exchange plan information via text because you actually can make an arrangement before texting back or calling. Saves a lot of "let me check on that and get back to you". I was an avowed anti-texter...until the first time we spent Christmas at our daughter's. Between her work and our making arrangements on our end, I was convinced of its purpose.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 14, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> ...I got my first smartphone 7 or 8 years ago...It's fun. I play Scrabble (Words with Friends) with friends who live in other states; I can keep up with the weather, which changes frequently here; and lots more.
> 
> And now my calendar, my contacts, my photos and lots of other information is always available to me...


Most of the time, ours aren't our phones. They're jjust tiny, pocket sized computers we have at our fingertips when needed. Heck, between Himself and me, most months we rarely talk even the minimum 100 minutes! Unless we have to call our (terribly understaffed) doctor's office.


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## dragnlaw (Jul 14, 2017)

Like a lot of you, I don't have a land line, why pay twice for a service that doesn't even give you as much?  I am not a slave to it. If I can't answer - leave a message!
If it is important to call back, they will leave a message, if they don't...  too bad, so sad, no call back.

I also don't hold the phone to my ear, unless I absolutely have to - everyone goes on speakerphone. It makes me gag when I see other's phones with sweaty ear prints on the face of them... shudder.

Both my boys have jobs where they cannot answer their phones - so I text and they answer when they can.  Both my girls live in a 2 hour time difference - so I text, again, they answer when they can.  One has a hearing loss (since birth) so in actual fact texting is ideal!

I too, love the camera on it - my digital is also sitting lonely in a corner! It is my alarm clock, appointment reminder, GPS, weatherman, step counter (show more steps and longer distances than the FitBit ).  

There are more gizmos but I am far from being a techy and don't know how to use them   It sounds like my DIL has the same kind of job as GG did, so when they come out I get her and/or my son to show me something new.  LOL don't overload me with TMI!.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 14, 2017)

That would be a crisis for me, too, since a cell phone is actually a requirement for my work. I haven't had a land phone for 11 years now.

Funny thing. I moved into my house 10 months ago, and the best deal I was able to get from the cable company was a phone/TV/internet bundle. So I apparently _have_ a land line, but have never plugged a phone into a jack or used it. I couldn't even tell you what my phone number is.



Cooking Goddess said:


> ...If you have an answering machine...


Answering machine?? Do they still make those?


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## dragnlaw (Jul 14, 2017)

Steve Kroll said:


> That would be a crisis for me, too, since a cell phone is actually a requirement for my work. I haven't had a land phone for 11 years now.
> 
> Funny thing. I moved into my house 10 months ago, and the best deal I was able to get from the cable company was a phone/TV/internet bundle. So I apparently _have_ a land line, but have never plugged a phone into a jack or used it.* I couldn't even tell you what my phone number is.*
> 
> ...



That's too funny because the exact same thing happened to my son. I gave him a set phones to use but he said "what's the use - I don't even know the number"  I found it for him but he never plugged them in. LOL
In the end he cancelled the phone and the TV, just kept the internet, he doesn't watch a lot of TV so Netflix settles it all.


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## roadfix (Jul 14, 2017)

I definitely agree it'll be a crisis for those who depend on cell phones for work.
I get people from time to time asking to borrow my business phone because they're unable to use their cell phones for one reason or another.    Corner phone booths and highway call boxes are now pretty much non existent.


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## cjmmytunes (Jul 14, 2017)

Hid you get your phone yet?


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## Kayelle (Jul 14, 2017)

Being spoken to on a speaker phone is yet another gripe of mine. When I'm speaking to you I expect my conversation with you to be *private,* not heard by just anyone within ear shot! Grrrr...


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## roadfix (Jul 14, 2017)

I don't get the speaker phone thing in public where people can clearly hear the conversations.


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## RPCookin (Jul 14, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Being spoken to on a speaker phone is yet another gripe of mine. When I'm speaking to you I expect my conversation with you to be *private,* not heard by just anyone within ear shot! Grrrr...



In the right circumstances, I don't have an issue with it.  But I too prefer most phone conversations to be reasonably confidential between me and the person I'm talking to.  I don't call people just to chat when I'm shopping or in a restaurant, or in any crowded area.  I'm just not comfortable with it.


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## Kayelle (Jul 14, 2017)

roadfix said:


> I don't get the speaker phone thing in public where people can clearly hear the conversations.





RPCookin said:


> In the right circumstances, I don't have an issue with it.  But I too prefer most phone conversations to be reasonably confidential between me and the person I'm talking to.  I don't call people just to chat when I'm shopping or in a restaurant, or in any crowded area.  I'm just not comfortable with it.



Not to mention if the person happens to be with someone you definitely don't want to hear what you're saying. I once asked how surprise birthday party plans were going, he was on a speaker phone with the birthday person in the room!!


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 14, 2017)

Steve Kroll said:


> ...Answering machine?? Do they still make those? [emoji38]


I dunno. Our 17-year-old wall phone does, but it's in the basement waiting to be tossed. I just figure that if you use a landline, you might use an answering machine.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 14, 2017)

I use the landline as my "spam" phone.  I don't want "out of area", or " unknown" along with other telemarketers calling my cell.  I've lost many free cruises to the Bahamas.  My cell is for family and friends.


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## Kayelle (Jul 14, 2017)

Cooking Goddess said:


> I dunno. Our 17-year-old wall phone does, but it's in the basement waiting to be tossed. *I just figure that if you use a landline, you might use an answering machine.*



Sure, an answering system for leaving messages is included in my landline telephone. I doubt separate answering machines are sold any longer though.

I have an idea of the ages of the regulars here, and I think most folks remember buying your first answering machine!! I vividly recall making outgoing messages to beg callers to "please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for calling". Geeeeze.


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## Addie (Jul 14, 2017)

Dawgluver said:


> I use the landline as my "spam" phone.  I don't want "out of area", or " unknown" along with other telemarketers calling my cell.  I've lost many free cruises to the Bahamas.  My cell is for family and friends.



I get the ones that want to help me pay off the mortgage. Do you think maybe HUD will let me do that for them? They are the ones holding the mortgage on this building. And then there are the ones who want to cure my diabetes. Good heavens, I didn't know there was a cure yet.


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## Kayelle (Jul 14, 2017)

Sure, I screen my calls at home. If I don't know the phone number I don't answer, and they never leave a message. I can even see who's calling on my tv screen.


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## roadfix (Jul 14, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> I have an idea of the ages of the regulars here, and I think most folks remember buying your first answering machine!! I vividly recall making outgoing messages to beg callers to "please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for calling". Geeeeze.



I worked in the office supply dept at Sears during the early to mid 70's and we sold a bunch of Phonemates back then.    Large, rectangular boxes the size of a thick phone book, they were reel-to-reel phone answering tape recorders.  They even came with those 4-prong phone plug adapters....


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## Andy M. (Jul 14, 2017)

My first (and only) separate answering machine was a crappy Panasonic with a mini cassette tape in it.  The problem was, you could play the message but couldn't replay the message so there was always a mad scramble to have a pencil and paper ready to go when you hit play.


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## Kayelle (Jul 14, 2017)

roadfix said:


> I worked in the office supply dept at Sears during the mid 70's and we sold a bunch of Phonemates back then.    Large, rectangular boxes the size of a thick phone book, they were reel-to-reel phone answering tape recorders.  They even came with those 4-prong phone plug adapters....



Yep and we were warned to never say we were "not at home right now" but "unavailable to take your call".


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## Addie (Jul 14, 2017)

When I moved here I still had a landline. I also used to enter all my sugar readings on line. So I would send them by fax to Winthrop. Otherwise I had no use for my landline. Then one day I got smart. Ended the landline. I upgraded my free cell phone from the nine dollar one they sent me to one with a qwerty keyboard. Easier on the eyes and large enough to hold. The service no longer sells the one I bought. They give new customers a phone with a much larger screen and all the goodies of a smart phone. I could have one, but I am happy with what I have. And I don't have to learn a whole new phone. I get 150 free minutes a month and all the texting I want to do for free. I mostly text. 

I am presently in the middle of a lawsuit for all the idiots that want to sell me something like a mortgage on a building that I don't own. And I have been on the "Do Not Call" list since 2004. Sometimes I answer them just so I can shake their bells. Everyone who matters to me will send me a text. So if my phone rings, I know it is a telemarketer. Most of the time I ignore the call, but there are days when I am in the mood for fun.


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## Just Cooking (Jul 14, 2017)

Good Lord.... I was over 40 before we bought our first answering machine... Bought a video player about that time too...


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## caseydog (Jul 14, 2017)

cjmmytunes said:


> Did you get your phone yet?



Yes. And, that's when my old one started working, again... sort of. It has been on its way out for months, and now it is barely functional. It is very unreliable. So, I needed the new one, anyway.

My OP was an observation on just how much a cell phone (at the least) or a smart phone have become so essential for most people. And, yes, phone booths are gone. Land lines are redundant. 

CD


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## caseydog (Jul 14, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> Good Lord.... I was over 40 before we bought our first answering machine... Bought a video player about that time too...



My father had a cellular phone in his company car in 1979. It was one of those huge "bag phones." 

CD


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## msmofet (Jul 14, 2017)

caseydog said:


> Yes. And, that's when my old one started working, again... sort of. It has been on its way out for months, and now it is barely functional. It is very unreliable. So, I needed the new one, anyway.
> 
> My OP was an observation on just how much a cell phone (at the least) or a smart phone have become so essential for most people. And, yes, phone booths are gone. Land lines are redundant.
> 
> CD



My hub refuses to admit pay phones are gone. And the few you do see don't work.


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## Just Cooking (Jul 14, 2017)

caseydog said:


> My father had a cellular phone in his company car in 1979. It was one of those huge "bag phones."
> 
> CD




One of my business friends had one of those... Funny thing is.. He was fiddling with it and ran over a curb, into a street sign.. Took him forever to live that down..  

Ross


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## GotGarlic (Jul 14, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Sure, an answering system for leaving messages is included in my landline telephone. I doubt separate answering machines are sold any longer though.
> 
> I have an idea of the ages of the regulars here, and I think most folks remember buying your first answering machine!! I vividly recall making outgoing messages to beg callers to "please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for calling". Geeeeze.



I sure do. DH was in the Navy and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea for six months. I was in college and working in Norfolk; my family and his lived in Michigan. I kept missing calls from our families and my mom convinced me to get an answering machine. While I was (probably) at work, DH called from somewhere in the Med. It was really difficult at the time for sailors to call home; they had to wait until they were in port somewhere and stand in line at a pay phone in a foreign country. So he was pissed at he** when he got the answering machine instead of me   

One other thing: Due to serious chronic health issues, I have spent a lot of time in the hospital, especially over the last 15 years. It was very comforting to me to be able to text DH during the day while he was at work and he would respond when he could   I also sent him lists of things I wanted or needed while I was there. It was much easier for him to refer to a text than try to write down a list of stuff and then keep track of it.


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## Just Cooking (Jul 14, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> One other thing: Due to serious chronic health issues, I have spent a lot of time in the hospital, especially over the last 15 years. It was very comforting to me to be able to text DH during the day while he was at work and he would respond when he could   I also sent him lists of things I wanted or needed while I was there. It was much easier for him to refer to a text than try to write down a list of stuff and then keep track of it.



An excellent use of texting... I will keep this in mind...  

Ross


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## Cheryl J (Jul 14, 2017)

Addie said:


> ....*I am presently in the middle of a lawsuit for all the idiots that want to sell me something like a mortgage on a building that I don't own.* And I have been on the "Do Not Call" list since 2004. Sometimes I answer them just so I can shake their bells. Everyone who matters to me will send me a text. *So if my phone rings, I know it is a telemarketer. Most of the time I ignore the call, but there are days when I am in the mood for fun.*


 
Addie....really? I would love to hear how this *lawsuit* is progressing. As far as I know, it's not a crime for telemarketers to 'want to sell something'.  Please keep us informed. 

And how can you fault them if you play along with their game in the name of 'fun'? I just don't understand that....


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## Cheryl J (Jul 14, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> An excellent use of texting... I will keep this in mind...
> 
> Ross


 
+1. Just today my daughter texted me my grandson's extracurricular activity schedule for the rest of the summer.  So nice to have that to refer to and write it down later for the fridge calendar, rather than try to do it when we're talking.


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## roadfix (Jul 14, 2017)

It took me a long while to understand the practicality of texting.   This is now my primary way to communicate with people on my contact list.


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## Andy M. (Jul 14, 2017)

I communicate with my two daughters primarily by text.


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## Addie (Jul 15, 2017)

Cheryl J said:


> Addie....really? I would love to hear how this *lawsuit* is progressing. As far as I know, it's not a crime for telemarketers to 'want to sell something'.  Please keep us informed.
> 
> And how can you fault them if you play along with their game in the name of 'fun'? I just don't understand that....



I have a list of the numbers. I let them talk long enough to find out what they are selling. I then write down the number and what they are selling in a booklet I have just for this purpose. The diabetes folks are the worst offenders. I have told them at the end of every call I am on the "Do Not Call" list. But it doesn't seem to matter to them. They just keep calling. I have sent the list to the lawyers and will be sending another one shortly. It is the latest for just one week. 

I have to listen to what they are selling, so I can let the lawyers know just how many times they have called me. So why not have some fun while I am gathering the needed information. I tell every caller that I am on the "Do Not Call" list. But they insist on calling back every day. 

Am I annoyed by this? No. It just means more money in my pocket when the lawyers take it to court. It doesn't matter what I say to them, they just keep calling. Also, I keep all the numbers in my phone. My phone is a piece of evidence. A lot of the calls are robot calls. A person doesn't come on the line until they hear a human voice. 

Believe me, I keep a record of everything that happens when I get one of these calls. I am beginning to recognize the numbers and what company it is.

And Cheryl, it is against the law to keep on or even call once, when your number has been on the "Do No Call" list.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 15, 2017)

caseydog said:


> My father had a cellular phone in his company car in 1979. It was one of those huge "bag phones."
> 
> CD


I worked in Ohio Bell's "Special Services" office back when bag phones were a hot item - 1974. There were only so many numbers available. If they were all in use, you had to put your name on a list and wait for one to become available. There was a list *all* the time! I didn't work a "mobile telephone" desk. Instead, I was one of two representatives who set up the orders for "Foreign Exchange" lines. 

Back in the "old days", each neighborhood's Central Office (CO) handled numbers assigned to that neighborhood. If you moved, you could take that number from your old CO and use it at your new location, but the phone company had to set up a pair of lines - one from the old number to the new CO, and one from the new CO to your new location. When someone called your old number, the call went only as far as the new CO. Then the equipment passed the call along to the new number. Customers were paying for two lines that way, but for a long-established business it was worth every penny.

Nowadays, with cell phones, EVERY line is a "Foreign Exchange" line.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 15, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Yep and we were warned to never say we were "not at home right now" but "unavailable to take your call".



Shrek recorded "you know what to say and when to say it" on our answering machine.


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## Addie (Jul 15, 2017)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Shrek recorded "you know what to say and when to say it" on our answering machine.



Mine said, "At the sound of the tone, you know what to do, so do it." 

I have never been a fan of the phone or the answering machine. It always rings at the most wrong time. When I am in the middle of washing dishes, taking a shower, etc.


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## Merlot (Jul 15, 2017)

When I was in jr high or high school I read a post from dear Abby that said what they used on their answering machines, found one and put it.... I know you called just to hear my voice, now it's my turn, let me hear yours!  Well as soon as my dad heard it he flipped out and made me change it lol, I guess it could have been cutesy for a jr high gal but not a working civil engineer


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## dragnlaw (Jul 15, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Being spoken to on a speaker phone is yet another gripe of mine. When I'm speaking to you I expect my conversation with you to be *private,* not heard by just anyone within ear shot! Grrrr...



I use speaker phone all the time... unless I'm in a public place.  I also tell the person they are on speaker and if someone is near me I tell them that too.  "Jo-Anne is here with me" for example.  

But I am rarely, in a public place receiving a call.  Then I usually either don't answer or say I'll call them back!


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## dragnlaw (Jul 15, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> : It was much easier for him to refer to a text than try to write down a list of stuff and then keep track of it.



That's another reason why I prefer texting...


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## dragnlaw (Jul 15, 2017)

Merlot said:


> When I was in jr high or high school I read a post from dear Abby that said what they used on their answering machines, found one and put it.... I know you called just to hear my voice, now it's my turn, let me hear yours!  Well as soon as my dad heard it he flipped out and made me change it lol, I guess it could have been cutesy for a jr high gal but not a working civil engineer



I used to change mine with the seasons...  

snow - sorry, out shoveling either come over and help or leave a message...  
spring - chasing the basement flooding gremlins - leave a message or call later..
fall - gremlins have moved from the basement to the barn, loading my rifle, bring over a couple of gunny sacks for the bodies or leave a message...

it changed all the time...  but then I put the farm up for sale and didn't need to mention flooding or other things to a potential buyer.  My friends said they really missed the different blurbs.. |LOL   except my kids used to get tired of them - said they were too long once you'd heard it...  sigh, just can't win


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## Kayelle (Jul 15, 2017)

dragnlaw said:


> I use speaker phone all the time... unless I'm in a public place.  I also tell the person they are on speaker and if someone is near me I tell them that too.  "Jo-Anne is here with me" for example.
> 
> But I am rarely, in a public place receiving a call.  Then I usually either don't answer or say I'll call them back!



I'm so old I vaguely remember when you couldn't trust your phone conversations to be private if you were on a "party line". Others could know your business then. 
If you're with someone, why is putting the phone to your ear a bad thing?


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## dragnlaw (Jul 15, 2017)

dragnlaw said:


> I also don't hold the phone to my ear, unless I absolutely have to - everyone goes on speakerphone. It makes me gag when I see other's phones with sweaty ear prints on the face of them... shudder.
> 
> .



I'm referring to cell phones in this instance.. (post #20).  Seeing as I don't have a land line - which for some reason holding it to my ear would not/did not bother me, guess I can't see "ear prints" on the shiny surfaces! 

But when I do chat on the phone (key word here is 'chat') I like to have both hands free - land line or cell.  I do other things at the same time and trying to hold a regular phone, much less a cell phone, to my ear with my shoulder just doesn't work for me anymore.  I only have to remember to go back and flush the toilet after I get off the phone...


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## bakechef (Jul 15, 2017)

I'm not much of a phone talker, I prefer to text.  I call my mom and Rob calls me on his way home from work, that's about all the talking I do.

I like texting because you never know if someone is busy, in the middle of a meal etc..  It's a great way to stay in touch quickly and efficiently.

My smartphone has replaced my camera (I still have a digital SLR for fun), it's replaced my GPS (satnav), gone are the days of having out of date maps.  I'll have questions from customers at work, often about wine (I know very little) so I'll google it on the spot and get them an answer.  If there is an issue and the bosses are on a conference call, I can text them if needed. Heck there are so many ways that it makes work easier.

I remember having my first cell in my car in 1993 or 94, it was installed in the car with the main guts under the seat.  Back in those days you had to pay by the minute, so you didn't give your number out to just anyone!  I remember getting a 60 minute plan and thinking "how would I ever use an hour a month on a cell phone?" My plan also covered the WHOLE state of Maine without roaming!


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## Bigjim68 (Jul 16, 2017)

msmofet said:


> My hub REFUSES to get or use a cell phone.



Smart hub.  10 years ago one could go to dinner and have an enjoyable conversation.  Today a dinner party starts with everybody placing their cell phone beside the plate "in case of an emergency"  or "it might be important".   

Socializing is a dead art.

Rant over.


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## Addie (Jul 16, 2017)

Bigjim68 said:


> Smart hub.  10 years ago one could go to dinner and have an enjoyable conversation.  Today a dinner party starts with everybody placing their cell phone beside the plate "in case of an emergency"  or "it might be important".
> 
> Socializing is a dead art.
> 
> Rant over.



My oldest son Spike has had eight heart attacks. He is the main reason I always have my phone with me. The second reason is me. I have had three heart attacks. When I am out of the  house, I keep my phone in the little zipper pocket on the front of my purse. I keep the pocket unzippered so I can hear the phone ring. 

One day I left my home on my scooter and had just reached the end of the driveway. I started to have chest pains and even after two hits with the nitro spray, the pain was still there. I reached for my phone, called Pirate who was upstairs to come help me. He was there in a flash. By then the pain had subsided. But he stayed at my side while I brought the scooter inside and up to my apartment. Usually the pain is gone with just one hit. I was facing the third hit which meant call 911. 

I have the nitro "spray" that the medics on the ambulance use. It works much faster than the pills. I keep a bottle at my bedside, in the Velcro bag on the arm of my scooter, on my computer desk and one in my purse. And as I move around my home, I keep my phone with me so I can hit the 911 button if necessary. I do not take it out if I am out to dinner with others. With four or more of us at the table, I am sure one of them can call 911 in time. There is always one phone "on the table." 

I only talk to my kids. Mostly Spike and Pirate. And it is always a text message. The phone only rings when it is Winthrop calling me to remind me of an upcoming appointment. 

Fork, knife, spoon and plate belong on the table. Along with other needed items for a meal. Phones are not an eating utensil.


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## dragnlaw (Jul 16, 2017)

Bigjim68 said:


> .  Today a dinner party starts with everybody placing their cell phone beside the plate "in case of an emergency"  or "it might be important".
> 
> Socializing is a dead art.
> 
> Rant over.





Addie said:


> Fork, knife, spoon and plate belong on the table. Along with other needed items for a meal. Phones are not an eating utensil.



Hear Hear!!! 
I try to remember to turn my phone off while at appointments. Also when out for dinner.  If I forget at appointments ...  well, I just don't answer! simple as that.* IF* I am expecting an urgent call - I put it on vibrate in my purse (which in restaurants is always between my feet). If it tells me I have a call, I check the caller - then let them leave a message if it is not my expected call.  I have no problem ignoring the phone. I was a slave to the calls when I was in Customer Service....   but no more !!


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## Andy M. (Jul 16, 2017)

It's not the phone's fault.  It's not all that hard to teach your family manners.  We have no issues with phones at the table because all our children and grandchildren have been taught that electronics have no place at the dinner table.  

As for other adults, all you can do is make a suggestion that dinner be phone-free and hope for the best.


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## roadfix (Jul 16, 2017)

Yeah, common sense and proper etiquette.    
How about your hairdresser yapping on her phone while doing your hair?....makes your hair stand up.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 16, 2017)

Anybody providing service yapping on their phone.  Makes me angry.


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## Addie (Jul 16, 2017)

dragnlaw said:


> Hear Hear!!!
> I try to remember to turn my phone off while at appointments. Also when out for dinner.  If I forget at appointments ...  well, I just don't answer! simple as that.* IF* I am expecting an urgent call - I put it on vibrate in my purse (which in restaurants is always between my feet). If it tells me I have a call, I check the caller - then let them leave a message if it is not my expected call.  I have no problem ignoring the phone. I was a slave to the calls when I was in Customer Service....   but no more !!



Our phones are tied to our security system. You have to know the code of the person you want and dial those numbers on the key pad next to the door. My phone has a special ring to it telling me someone wants in. If I am expecting a package, our UPS or FedEx drivers know my code and use it to leave a package. There have been times when I was getting my vitals done at Winthrop and the phone rang. I knew it was FedEx as I was expecting a package. It took not even two seconds to let him in. I just have to press one number. 

I also have to leave the phone on because of Spike. I know the number of his hospital and if I see it come up on my screen, you can bet, everyone else can wait until I take that call. If it were Spike, he would text me. And it would be his number showing.


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## Chef Munky (Jul 16, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Being spoken to on a speaker phone is yet another gripe of mine. When I'm speaking to you I expect my conversation with you to be *private,* not heard by just anyone within ear shot! Grrrr...



That irritates me as well. Especially when your in a restaurant your stuck over hearing a mundane conversation about someones dog.

I didn't make reservations, slap on the war paint. Do my hair and put on heels for that! We can do that at home. The Mr. and I always leave the phone in the car. People can wait.

That was before Mr. Munky's stroke.
He's lost the use of his left arm and hand.Now his right hand is going.
Without the use of the speaker he has no way of talking to anyone.He can't hold a phone to his ear.He at least tells the person he's talking to that he's on a speaker phone.Most people understand why and are very patient.The ones who complain *sigh* alot they've been put out because they actually have to listen for a change,have a conversation. Can really just get over themselves!

Munky.


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## bakechef (Jul 16, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> It's not the phone's fault.  It's not all that hard to teach your family manners.  We have no issues with phones at the table because all our children and grandchildren have been taught that electronics have no place at the dinner table.
> 
> As for other adults, all you can do is make a suggestion that dinner be phone-free and hope for the best.



Definitely, we have friends over often and we're usually so caught up in conversation that nobody picks up their phone, and these are nerdy techie types.  

Even the two of us while eating don't use our phones, we either talk or have our Echo playing music.  It's not really a conscious thing, just habit.


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## rodentraiser (Jul 16, 2017)

Cheryl J said:


> Addie....really? I would love to hear how this *lawsuit* is progressing. As far as I know, it's not a crime for telemarketers to 'want to sell something'.  Please keep us informed.
> 
> And how can you fault them if you play along with their game in the name of 'fun'? I just don't understand that....



It's the same thing with creditors when they call  you. Each state has their own laws about when and how often you can be contacted by a creditor. If a creditor breaks the laws of the state you live in, they can be sued. There are lawyers who make a living solely on suing those creditors, meaning a lot of them break the law. The creditors, not the lawyers. Oh, well, maybe both. LOL

I'm in two minds about the telemarketers. On the one hand, I know they're people just trying to make a living like the rest of us. On the other hand, they set themselves up so well....Give this a listen sometime and I dare you not to laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmKtS-k12b0

I personally wouldn't have fun with the creditors, but the spam calls are something else. There's a couple sites devoted to how you can scam the scammers. Some of their stories are hysterically funny.






I got a new phone when my old one was lost. I ended up with a Smart Phone and all I use it for is incoming calls. Since I have the computer, I just use Skype for a phone. For a couple of bucks a month, I can call out anywhere in the US that I want to. So I'll add minutes to the cell phone (it's a pay-as-you-go phone) and when someone calls that I want to talk to, I call them back on Skype. Works well for me.

By the way, if any of you are planning on being a phone sex worker, you need to have a land line. You know, just in case you were considering...


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## Merlot (Jul 16, 2017)

rodentraiser said:


> It's the same thing with creditors when they call  you. Each state has their own laws about when and how often you can be contacted by a creditor. If a creditor breaks the laws of the state you live in, they can be sued. There are lawyers who make a living solely on suing those creditors, meaning a lot of them break the law. The creditors, not the lawyers. Oh, well, maybe both. LOL
> 
> I'm in two minds about the telemarketers. On the one hand, I know they're people just trying to make a living like the rest of us. On the other hand, they set themselves up so well....Give this a listen sometime and I dare you not to laugh:
> 
> ...


 that was hilarious!!


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## dragnlaw (Jul 16, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> It's not the phone's fault.  It's not all that hard to teach your family manners.  We have no issues with phones at the table because all our children and grandchildren have been taught that electronics have no place at the dinner table.
> 
> As for other adults, all you can do is make a suggestion that dinner be phone-free and hope for the best.



Andy - I agree and my kids know it and obey...  
It's when I'm out and I see it that I wonder why they are even with each other???


PrincessFiona60 said:


> Anybody providing service yapping on their phone.  Makes me angry.



PF - again, I get upset when someone is going thru a cash and yakking on their phone...  how rude is that? The cashier is human and that is a very degrading attitude to put out - they should be ashamed. 

I have not figured out a way to get them to hang up and look at the cashier. I mean, I have, but it would create a big stink. I'm trying to figure out a subtle way to embarrass them.


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## Andy M. (Jul 16, 2017)

dragnlaw said:


> Andy - I agree and my kids know it and obey...
> It's when I'm out and I see it that I wonder why they are even with each other???...



I think I've told this story before but it bears repeating.

SO and I were in Aruba on vacation.  We were dining al fresco at a very nice Italian restaurant.  A young couple was shown to a table near us. Handsome young couple.  They could have been on their honeymoon.  

As soon as they were seated, the broke out their gear.  Smart phones, portable hot spots, whatever.  The immediately became engrossed in their respective devices and only stopped and looked up to order their food and eat it.

They were oblivious to their surroundings and probably didn't even know what they were eating.  What a waste.


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## dragnlaw (Jul 16, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> ... They immediately became engrossed in their respective devices and only stopped and looked up to order their food and eat it.
> 
> They were oblivious to their surroundings and probably didn't even know what they were eating.  What a waste.



so sad...   I wonder if they will remember how they begat their children between texts...


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## Addie (Jul 17, 2017)

Chef Munky said:


> That irritates me as well. Especially when your in a restaurant your stuck over hearing a mundane conversation about someones dog.
> 
> I didn't make reservations, slap on the war paint. Do my hair and put on heels for that! We can do that at home. The Mr. and I always leave the phone in the car. People can wait.
> 
> ...



Maybe it is just me. but when I come upon a "Mr. Munky" kind of person, I am more interested in their medical reason for what they need to do than any inconvenience their may be to me. Also, is there anything I can do to help. If not, then I just back off and let them do their thing. I am positive the Mr. Munkies of this world would much rather not be in their position. 

So Mr. Munkies, keep those phones up on the table, put all your calls on speaker phone and do whatever you need to do to make your life easier and more comfortable. The rest of us will practice our social graces and keep our phone out of sight and our conversations private.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 28, 2017)

Merlot said:


> Oh I'm so sorry!!  My phone is my life line!  Sad but true.  I like to be able to get a hold of my child, my parents and my fiancé and like them to be able to get  ahold of me.   Work is a different story.


I like the text message function. I don't have to wait until people are in and I don't have to waste time when I only want to send a short message (and have proof that I sent it.

Don't have a land-line as I'm not in the house much and I got fed up to the teeth with sales calls despite having the avoidance thingy on my phone.

Good mobile phone manners in public are essential though.


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