Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

[jdkid]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

Hi ya
i do have a cell phone but i only use it to call out.. parts ride home etc etc ,i find it a pain to stop and talk to people so not many know my number .get's used more like a frist aid kit than a way to keep in touch
catch ya
JD Kid

 

[ERNIEB]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

To me it's a business tool. I've told family and friends "If it's important call me, if it can wait, call me at home."
Generally, I don't use it when I'm driving the dump truck. I'm kept busy grinding gears. I might answer it if I'm on the highway, and if I'm in the big hole. Oher than that it has caller ID and a voice message feature, and I can call them back when I get where I'm going.

Ernie

 

[Harv]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

I consider myself somewhat of a high-tech guy, but I broke down and bought my first cell phone only a couple of months ago. The number is known only to me, my wife, and the kids' schools. Otherwise, we use it only for emergencies. A lot of comfort there. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Sad thing is that I wanted to keep it with me on the tractor when I'm way out from the house, but alas -- our tractor property is in one of those areas where cell phones don't work. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

There's talk about adding some relay stations up there, but so far it's been all talk.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

Harv,

Some cell phones have optional boosters. My Motorola has that feature. But it must be professionally installed (Attaches to the vehicle and plugs into the phone). Maybe you can have have one installed on your tractor! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

SHF

 

[Harv]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

<font color=blue>Some cell phones have optional boosters.</font color=blue>

Hadn't heard about that, Steve. I'll check into it.

Of course, my wife -- the thrifty one -- had me get the $29.95 phone that had a $30 rebate. The booster might put it out of her price range. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MarkV]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

I use my cell phone for my work but try not to use it on the road. To many scary things happening on our roads in Atlanta to be talking on the phone.

Last year my wife and I took my folks to England for a two week driving tour. We would see people stopped in the road (many roads don't have anyplace to pull off) and could not figure why. Found out it is against the law to use a hand held phone while driving. Now that didn't seem like a bad law until I thought about those cars sitting in the road.

MarkV

 

[skent]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

If you have pre-teen and teenage kids, when they start driving, go somewhere on their own, at least you know that if they get in a bind, they can get a hold of you.

We only have the one cell phone, but it gets handed around quite often. (It's more of a security blanket at this time)

Steve

 

[RobertN]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

At work, we use head sets a lot. I have found that the louder people have thier headset volume, the louder they talk. It seems people try to match thier talk to volume they hear in the head set. I do it myself sometimes.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

Harv,

My first phone was a digital Erickson. We couldn't get out with it half of the time. We called the company and the manufacturer. Both blamed the other. I finally went to the Cell Phone Company's office (ready for war), and they explained that the reason my phone reception was so lousy is because there is NO DIGITAL SERVICE HERE! Nice time to tell me. Half way through a 2 year contract. So, I replaced it with the Motorola. It is analog and I still hit dead spots, but for the most part I can make a call when I have to. Analogs, it seems, have more power.

So, you may want to check to see if your area is digital or analog.

SHF

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Cell Phones - Blessing or a Curse?

The cell phone is just another example of technology that's way ahead the times. People's social habits these days are such that, if given the opportunity, many will be obnoxious and the cell phone is a great way for someone to be obnoxious. It's amazing how imature people can be. They seem to think that they can impress people around them by having and talking on a cell phone. I guess they think it makes them look important or something. They're too stupid to realize that any clod can go to Wal-Mart and buy one so there's nothing special about having one. The next time I'm having a converstation with someone and their cell phone rings and they answer it, I'm just going to turn around and leave! Another problem with them is that, just like any new "toy", they're overused (how many of us use our tractor to do something we could have done just as fast and easy by hand?). Hopefully the fad will wear off and more people that own them will start acting like adults! As for driving with one, it's definately a distraction and a hazard. I guess I'll break down and get one someday, but the price will have to come way down first. I once swore I'd never own an answering machine and ended up getting one, so I won't swear I'll never own a cell phone. But, when I do get one, I won't let it take over my life like some people have!