Cell Phones

[shorty6049]

Kind of a rant here... but lets try and keep it light..

Is anyone else here sick of cell phones? Sure, i carry mine around with me, and yeah, i even use it occasionally, but I went to the Mall of America today, and its just kind of sad to see what our society has become. I stood in one place, and within 5 minutes of watching people, i probably 5 or more people on phones. It seemed that when mobile phones first came out, they were more for business people and just to have in case you had an auto emergency. Now, people are abandoning their children to talk on phones while out with the family. They're distracting everyone from their driving and causing tons of accidents. I dont want to get hit by someone driving while texting their friends just becasue they cant stand to be out of touch with EVERYONE for any amount of time. We outlaw marijuana because its apparently a dangerous substance, and drinking and driving is super illegal, yet right now, the only laws i know of concerning cell phone use while driving, is some states (not sure if its all of them yet) dont allow teen drivers to use phones while driving . I just dont like driving anymore having to watch out for people who dont do it for themselves. Anyone else kind of wish they'd never been invented?

 

[nossie]

Lonliness and isolation is a product of society and cell phones are a solution. People in the masses wouldn't have gravitated towards them if it didn't feed a need in them. If you want to try and change society's problems go ahead.

I agree with the Swedish, it's not the phone but the conversation that causes distraction - typically when I'm working I can't concentrate on what my girl is saying when she calls, I'm the same when I'm driving, I don't listen I drive.

Excessive drinking affects driving but a couple of drinks in my experience produces a better driver than a sober stressed head.

Texting when driving should be a compulsory 1 month ban for a first offence.

When I leave the house I check for my keys, my money and my phone, not because I'm addicted to my phone but rather because I'm self employed and my clients depend on my 24/7 service and availability. Also it's a feature of the times so that my peeps can get in touch with me.

Anyone else wish they were never invented?.. well I supposed the occasional criminal that was tracked by the use of one here and there.

Sounds like a rant... yeah it does.

 

[mrodgers]

I have only a prepaid cell phone and the only time I find it useful is when I'm standing in the middle of the store on it saying, "What did you need again hun?"

I live 40 miles from pretty much anything. When I run 40 miles to the store, there were many many times I stood in the middle of it thinking, what the heck else did she say she needed. It's really the only time I wanted one and the only time I use one.

Scratch that, I now use mine all the time at work. My watch battery died and I need a new one. Until I "remember" to get one at the store, I'm carrying around my cell phone for the clock usage.

Prepaid cell phones FTW. You can't beat $20 for 3 months service.

 

[shorty6049]

ok, maybe in ireland they're not as bad as here. If i try to talk on a phone while i'm driving, i just cant do both equally well at the same time. I'll end up at home and not remember how i got there . I dont like not being totally in control of my driving so i try to stay off the phone while i'm doing it, and i know a lot of people are the same way, because its always the slow person on the freeway, or the person whos sort of drifting around their lane, and sometimes the next lane, and oh, they just HAPPEN to be on a phone. I think thats pretty good evidence that although some people are fine driving while talking on a phone, others arent. I think bluetooth headsets (even though they kind of make you look stupid) are a great thing, as well as speaker phone. But people used to get along just fine before they were invented, but now that they're around, nobody can seem to stop talking on them. I work at a subway, and its a real pain when you're trying to keep the line moving and someone is talking on their phone in line while ordering too. THey just seem to cause a lot of problems. I agree they're a valuable tool as far as business goes, but all the people who just talk to their friends and relatives 23 hours a day on them seems a bit much. The only reason this sounds like a rant, is because i'm afraid for my safety, and its a proven fact that people on cell phones (hands free or not) are still more likely to get in a crash (or cause it)

 

[shorty6049]

haha, i just read the post above mine. thats what i used to have, but it was getting expensive, because i would never really use the minutes and still have to pay for more service. I told my parents i wasnt going to use a phone anymore because i didnt want to pay, and we got a family plan... haha

 

[Josh66]

I never leave the house without mine. I'm not constantly on it either though.

You never know when something is going to happen, and when it does you're going to need a way to communicate with people. Could be something as simple as a flat tire, or something a lot worse.

Text messaging is important to have to. Sometimes you can't get through on a voice call (network too busy), but a text message will still get through (they're on a different network and won't get bogged down as easily).

 

[Corry]

Yes, I'll agree that the stupid and dangerous stuff has to stop....


....but, I also must admit that I'm addicted to my cellphone. I don't think I could handle losing it!

 

[shorty6049]

Yeah, Like i said, they're good for important things, but just because there are WAY too many people causing crashes because of them. And for some reason i just got annoyed when i looked around me today and it was like, look left- theres someone on a phone, look right- nobody there, look down (i was on somewhat of a balcony so you could see the floor below me) theres someone on a phone, look over a little, oh theres a mom with her family, shes on her phone. sure, they connect people, but they also distance them. When i'm at work, and someone is texting their friends all night long, that means they're talking to people in OTHER places, but not people where they are. So its like yeah, we're all connected, but its always to the people that we dont really NEED to be connected to...

but yeah, they definately have their purpose. I got rear ended by a semi a couple days after my 18th birthday (couple years ago now) It didnt even seem like he stopped. I dont know if he was on a phone or not. I'd hope he wasnt, but he hit me going pretty fast (fast enough to spin my car around and pretty much get rid of my rear end) but anyway, i luckily had my phone with me so i could call my mom and let her know what happened. I just sort of feel there should be more rules in place to keep the roads safer

 

[Josh66]

I know what you mean. I don't think it's fair to blame it on the phone though.

I know the kind of people you're talking about, and I can't stand them either.

 

[ThomThomsk]

It has been illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving here for some time, and about a year ago they raised the fine from £30 to £60, plus 3 penalty points on your licence. You get points for speeding and other offences as well, and 12 points means you lose the licence. Any points at all probably means higher insurance costs and if you get six points within two years of passing your test, your licence will be revoked and you will need to re-sit the test.

Of course it doesn't stop people using them completely, but I think it is probably less common than it was. There has also been a government publicity campaign, which has made people a lot more aware of the dangers.

Thom

 

[RyanLilly]

Oh, NO! what would we do with out cellphones in an emergency? It would be unthinkable situation; the dark ages...like the 1980s. How could we survive?!

(clutches cellphone and shivers.)

 

[Corry]

Oh, NO! what would we do with out cellphones in an emergency? It would be unthinkable situation; the dark ages...like the 1980s. How could we survive?!

(clutches cellphone and shivers.)

I KNOW!!!!

Scares me, too.


...I guess this isn't the time to bring up my excitement about the fact that I'm getting an iPhone in March, is it?

 

[EBphotography]

I KNOW!!!!

Scares me, too.


...I guess this isn't the time to bring up my excitement about the fact that I'm getting an iPhone in March, is it?

Getting an iPhone this week...so pumped.

 

[Josh66]

...I guess this isn't the time to bring up my excitement about the fact that I'm getting an iPhone in March, is it?

Are you getting that 6x lens for it too?

 

[RKW3]

Isn't it weird when you do something without thinking about it because your involved in something else?

For example:

When I play xbox a lot of times I'm on the phone or whatever, and although all my concentration is on something else I still play the videogames pretty well. Ya know?