Who DOESNT have a cell phone ?

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Author Message   Phillip Perkinson (R0ver4x4) Posted on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 10:26 pm:    WHo DOESNT have a cellular phone   94Rover Posted on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 10:31 pm:    Me- I have a digital mobile phone- Cellular went out with analog- :-) 94Rover   Phillip Perkinson (R0ver4x4) Posted on Thursday, January 09, 2003 - 10:46 pm:    WHO DOEsNT HAVE A MOBIL PHONE   KJ Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 12:43 am:    I have one, but don't know my number and don't care. People have too much access to me as it is, they don't need to call my "mobile" phone. I need it to be able to call in a deli order when on the road. Karen   Tom V (Cozmo) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 05:33 am:    WOW Karen I thought I was the only one. I don't know my cell number either. Its great only my wife has that number so I always know who's calling me. Tom   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 07:27 am:    I used to carry around two mobile phones. But now since Sprint seems to handle the load for all of my traveling, I only have one.   Zak Ruck (Zak) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 07:35 am:    I don't!!!!!! I'll be getting one shortly, but I've never had one.   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 07:40 am:    We presently have neither because I am too cheap to pay the price per month in my area. We get screwed on everything here for consumer goods. My wife had one for work and it was great for calling in for pizza ect. on the way there. I realize for safety I need to get one, just hate to pay the price per month!   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 08:05 am:    We resisted for a looooong time, didn't want one, but.... A plan came out about a year ago, not a lot of minutes (but many more than I would ever use), but it did come w/ the phone, for $20/month, so the wife and I finally got 'em. I don't know the phone numbers on either of them: I have her number programed into mine so I can dial it, and if I need my number I have to look at the phone to get it. I don't leave it on, either... it's in the glove compartment for the most part. When I get to the Rover shop, I'll turn it on, but then when I leave it's back off. I use it to call home and see what I might need to bring home instead of driving home and going back out later. They're handy to have in the car, like when I had that accident last month, but I try to not "integrate" it into my lifestyle.... FWIW... -L   William C. Leek (Onionman) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 08:09 am:    My wife and son carry cell phones, but I do not.   Paul Long Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 08:17 am:    Me. Had one loaned to try for a while. NE PA is mostly fringy with poor to no reception. Customers call me on cells breaking up all the time. I tell them to get on a real phone. I need to take driving directions from them for Propane heating business. I can't miss a direction for a turn. Emergency use ONLY is OK around here. Some day I'm gonna shut the Disco off along the road and open the hood to see if other Rover drivers stop. Then I'll know how secure I feel....   muskyman Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 12:20 pm:    I just got rid of mine after about 14 years of having one...just like a decade ago when I got fed up with being fucked by the cable company over and over ,the Verizon customer service just kept pissing me off. they just kept screwing up the bill charging roaming minuts even when my contract said I had 2000 anywhere anytime servise. fuck them ! i sure wont miss being on hold to argue with a moron over it any more...musta wated 30 or 40 minuts every few mos trying to keep them honest...what a waste!   Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 01:25 pm:    Neither Ron nor I have one. We live 1/2 mile from work, so it's not like there's a whole lot of time when we aren't reachable.   John Moore (Jmoore) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 01:29 pm:    I have digital phone and pager. Feel like a geek, but I have a paranoid boss that has to know where I am... 3 phone lines, fax and cable modem. Wired and ready. (Then again I work at home... Big commute, saves gas in the Disco) My wife has a cell phone and usually she only turns it on when she wants to call me. Now when I need her, that's another story! -John   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 02:27 pm:    John- Do you have the dream job or what? S-   Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 02:35 pm:    I'm with you John so don't feel bad. My arsenal includes... 2 Cell phones (one in-car and one portable that doubles as my pager) 2 Phone (POTS) lines 1 Fax line 1 Cell for the wife And that's just at home. Yes, I know all the numbers and all the numbers for work too (4 plus the Fax). I just don't like busy signals and I don't like call waiting. One day I'll join Muskyman and move out to Colorado or somewhere far from a cell tower. BTW- Analog phones are still here. And Cell phones didn't die. Your digital PCS, GSM, CDMA, TDMA phones are still cell phones. They still use cell towers. Unless you have a sat-phone that is.   Max Thomason (Lrmax) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 03:18 pm:    I don't have a cell phone, and I really don't wanna talk to anyone . I borrow the family cell phone everytime I go on a long trip, but it stays off. I'll only use it if the truck dies or a wreck or some other unusual event happens. Max T. Don't want to be bothered .   Greg P. (Gparrish) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 03:41 pm:    I just got a new one through Sprint. I had been riding free on my company phone(s) now for years, but my current company has finally caught up with me and cut my plan back to almost nil since my promotion has me riding a desk all day. I use mine for most of my calls it seems. Makes the 1 hour commute seem better if I can chat to my parents in GA for a few minutes a couple of times a week.   John Moore (Jmoore) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:13 pm:    Snowman, Not a dream job, they made me move to Albany, NY. LOL! -John   John Hook (Hookdesign) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:32 pm:    got cable modem for computer, cell phone for wife and cell phone for me....canceled homelines becuase monthly fees and long distance became ridiculous in pricing, especially long distance! Best part is that we now have no pesky salesmen cold calling at all hours of the day! John   Milli (Milli) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:34 pm:    I don't have any phones. If someone needs me they call me at work, which is ok. If it is really important, they might find me at home. If I need to call, I drive to the store and use the pay phone. Some think it pathetic. I like it.   Peter Matusov (Pmatusov) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:38 pm:    my airedale doesn't have a cell phone. yet.   Will Roeder (Will_Roeder) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:38 pm:    Ive got 2 cell phones, and Everyone in my familly has at least one cell phone. I use my cell phones more than a regular phone line, and I am on the phone a LOT..Its even cheaper to use my cell phone for long distance than to use the regular phone...   94Rover Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:42 pm:    For the readers with too much time today! Cellular Service FAQ Getting Cellular Phone Service has never been easier but you should know what you are getting into before making the commitment. Here are some frequently asked questions we've received over the past few years. What are Cellular Phones? The "Cellular" comes from the way some wireless phone networks are set up. A carrier will put up a tower somewhere and phone service handled by that tower is said to be within that "Cell". The country is covered in cells and your call can be forwarded from cell to cell as you travel. These days there are digital and analog towers (sometimes both on the same tower). Another type of wireless service is GSM. GSM is available in only a few parts of the US but is widely used in other countries. Why do I need cellular phone service? Many people look upon cellular phones (and pagers for that matter) as a sort of ball and chain. Others see it as freedom. You can be on the golf course and still be accessible if needed at work or home. You can attend your kids soccer game without having to worry about what's going on back at the office. Broken down in the fast lane and no phone in sight? No problem, pickup you cellular phone and call for help. You'll feel more secure whenever you have one by your side. However, cellular service is an additional expense and it can be a rather high expense if not controlled. There are many good reasons for getting a cellular phone besides trying to be "way cool". Security - they are great to have on that road trip, help is only a phone call away. People who travel long distances to and from work daily keep one just in case they break down. Business - You're always in touch away from the office. Many sales people confirm appointments on the way to prevent wasted trips. Stuck in traffic? Your phone is right there to make important sales calls or inform the meeting attendees that you're going to be late. Millions of people carry pagers but they don't do you much good when you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Where can I get cellular service? Each metropolitan area in the US usually has two or more cellular / digital service providers. Here in San Antonio they are AT&T Wireless Services, Southwestern Bell, Primco, Nextel and Sprint. Most providers have Authorized Dealers who can also sell their services. Most people first find out about cellular service from all of the ads in newspapers and other places touting free or really low prices on cellular phones when you sign up for service. Dealers can afford to give away a phone (and sometimes some accessories) because of the commission the cellular service provider pays the dealer upon activation. You can also go directly to the service provider to sign up. However, you can, most times, get a better phone package at an authorized dealer. Check with both the dealer and going direct to the carrier for comparison. Some providers such as Primco, sell the phone for about $199 and no long term contract is required. Their pretty sure that you will stay with them and not switch service providers because their phone (that you paid for) will not work with other providers. As far as the actual service plan is concerned, all authorized dealers of a particular provider normally sell the same plans at the same prices. What's the difference between analog (cellular) and digital service? The newer digital service provides a clearer sound, longer battery life and usually lower rates. Digital phones digitize your voice and send it as packets across the airways. This process usually eliminates much of the background noise you'll hear on analog phones. However, there must be a stronger signal to connect and keep connected on digital networks than with analog service. With analog, a weak signal may mean static but a weak digital signal may mean no connection at all. What are the steps to signing up for cellular service? Once you've found an authorized cellular dealer you feel comfortable with and decide to get service, the whole process can take less than a half hour. The typical steps are: The dealer will get some preliminary information from you to run a credit check. If your credit is less than perfect, a deposit may be required. After the credit check, you can finalize the service plan and phone package you want. The dealer will then activate (get you a phone number) and program the phone. The dealer should review with you all the paper work (contract, any specials you may be getting, how to use your phone, what to do if you need help, etc.) And you're on your way. What should I look for in cellular service. Here are a whole lot of questions to ask before signing up for service. Memorize them and really impress the dealer or just print them out and take them with you. If you stump the dealer with any of these questions, go somewhere else. If I don't like the service, hat are my return options? (Usually 30 days) What's the monthly service charge? What is the activation fee? What taxes are involved? Is the phone programming fee, there shouldn't be? How many minutes per month are included with your monthly service charge? What are the peak and off peak hours? Are the rates different? What is the cost per minute (peak and off peak) when you exceed your monthly allotment? What is the "Home Calling" area (area you can use your phone without incurring roaming costs) Where do you incur Long Distance charges? What is the term of the contract (I wouldn't sign up for more than a year.)? What are the provider's penalties for canceling service before the contract term is up? Are there any Dealer penalties for canceling service before the contract term is up (sometimes the retail cost of the phone and equipment)? Are there service restoration or service plan change charges? How much does it cost to change your phone number? What is the charge for directory assistance? Can the phone be used anywhere in the country? What are the roaming costs per minute? Is there a roaming administration fee? Is there an interconnection fee? Is there a charge for unconnected calls? Are you credited for dropped calls (lost connections while you're talking)? What about Long Distance? Just like your home phone service, you can usually select any long distance company you want. The long distance rates are comparable to you home rates and many carriers offer plans where long distance is no extra charge. Just be careful, One carrier advertises free long distance and no roaming charges on their "nationwide" network, but if you go off their network (surprise, their definition of nationwide may be different from yours), you'll be charged around 69 cents for roaming and an additional amount for long distance. Be sure you discuss in detail what exactly you'll be charged where you'll be using the phone. What are some of the options available with cellular service? Some options you can get with your service (at additional costs most times) are: Voice mail - Voice mail works like an answering machine. When your phone is off or you're away from it, voice mail can be configured to answer in your own voice and hold the caller's message(s). Voice mail plus - like voice mail but you can have your calls forwarded to another number or pager. Call Waiting, Call Forwarding & 3 Way Conference Calling - just like your home phone. Voice Touch - voice activated calling (saying "call home" into your phone dials your home number for you) Mobile Assist - Roadside assistance programs. Phone Protection - insurance polices in case your phone gets lost, stolen or broken. Off Peak Packages - some providers offer a package of X amount of off peak (nights and/or weekends) for a special price as an add on. Share Plans - Some providers offer plans where you can get 2 phones (additional one for the spouse or business partner) and get one monthly bill. Each phone shares the plan's minutes. There's an additional charge for this option but it's less than getting 2 separate plans. What to look for in a cellular phone. Getting your first phone is confusing. We recommend that you concentrate on the different wireless companies and determine which offers the best service plans and service quality for your needs before deciding on a phone. It won't do you any good to fall in love with a phone only to find out it won't work on the carriers network in your area. Talk to friends who have experience in your area about the service quality. Then, once you've found the right plan and price, see what the dealer has to offer in phones. You will have a better feel for what you need after you've used one for awhile but then it's too late, you've already got your free or discounted one. Take advantage of the 30 return policy that most dealers offer. So, give some thought to phone features before selecting one. You can sometimes negotiate a better phone package with your dealer. A few things to look for are: How heavy is the phone and can it fit comfortably in your pocket or purse? Will the battery get you through the day without having to recharge it? All batteries estimate their Talk Time (time spent actually talking on the phone) in minutes and Standby Time (time period phone is on but not being used) in hours. There's a trade off between battery cost, weight and charge time. How many numbers can I store at one time. Some people use the heck out of storing frequently called numbers in their phone. Can I hook the phone to more than one service provider? (How many NAMS does the phone have?) You might need this feature if you spend a lot of time in 2 or more areas and want to set up two accounts to avoid roaming charges. Is the screen easy to read? Does it have an electronic lock to prevent unauthorized use? Some phones and Batteries come with a vibrating option. This is handy to prevent that annoying ringing during important meetings or theater visits. What else do I need besides a phone? A Spare Battery is a good idea especially if you prefer the light weight batteries that don't last as long between charges. Overnight Chargers - all phones should come with at overnight charger. Rapid chargers are also available to quickly charge your phone in 1 to 2 hours. You can also get something called a "Conditioner/Charger" which drains the battery before recharging. This will help extend the life of your battery. Cigarette Lighter Adapter / Chargers are available in case you forget to charge your phone or you plan use it on long trips where an AC plug is not available. Leather Cases are great to give your phone a little extra protection in case you drop it and to protect it from dirt and body oils. Most come with a clip to keep the phone on your belt or pocket. What about that roaming stuff? AT&T Wireless offers several "One Rate" plans where there is no roaming charges or domestic long distance anywhere in the US Other plans and plans with other companies have much smaller "Home Coverage" areas which is the area you can use your phone in without incurring additional "roaming" costs. When you go out of this area, you start roaming. Some providers have nearby roaming areas that cost about $.35 per minute but, in most other areas, the cost can be between $.69 and $.99 per minute. Some providers also charge a roaming administration fee (about $5 per month). You may also incur long distance charges while roaming depending on where you are calling. Then there are some providers that have very limited areas that their phone will work in. Ask, ask, ask. Make sure the roaming areas are clearly defined so that you understand where you'll be charged and how much. Many providers belong to the North American Cellular Network. This insures that anyone calling your cellular number can reach you where ever you are in the US, Canada or Mexico. If you're in an area where you can't seem to be reached, you can call the local cellular service (dial 611 on your cell phone) for help and roaming costs.   GregH Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 05:37 pm:    Are you the same person who calls me at dinner time? GregH   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 06:01 pm:    Use my cell phone as my sole long distance plan, works out much cheaper than anything I can get through anyone else.   Paul long Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 06:45 pm:    Let me guess who invented the infomercial....   Kim S (Roverine) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 07:04 pm:    John, I burst out laughing when I saw "My wife has a cell phone and usually she only turns it on when she wants to call me. Now when I need her, that's another story!" You got me dead on - it's become habit every time hubby walks out the door instead of saying goodbye, I ask "you got your cell phone on?" (hehehe, I have also learned how to disguise my caller ID so he will answer it more often, LOL) Used to have to have one glued to me for work (yuk). No longer! Now I do have a cell phone, but use it very seldom - Kinda funny, because I never use all my minutes, and I forget and make toll calls from our land line and pay for them when I could of made them for "free" on my cell phone. Kim yes, I'm sorry to say I am a disservice to all blondes.   Peter Matusov (Pmatusov) Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 07:31 pm:    Kim, it takes some constant pressure to keep my kids on the leash... oops, to have their cell phones on peter   Tom V (Cozmo) Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 06:38 am:    Kim Its a little know fact, we blonds think on a much higher level and therefore forget simple things like using a cell instead of a land line, thus giving the appearance of ditsieness. From one blond to another. Tom   Dean Chrismon (Chrismonda) Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 03:58 am:    The Amish don't   KJ Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 10:12 am:    Ah, but Dean, that's where you're wrong. The Amish DO carry cell phones, and have for years. They have very, uh, flexible, rules. They can't own hard-wired phones, but they can USE them, for instance pay phones. They CAN own cell phones, go figure. They can own, but not drive themselves, motorized vehicles. They also can smoke and drink and do a fair amount of sleeping around before marriage. They listen to a lot of rock and roll. My business contacts with the Amish were eye-popping experiences. I learned a lot by asking them questions. Trust me, "Witness", it ain't! Karen   Alex Moore Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 03:24 pm:    This is a very interesting thread. also - i always use more minutes than my plan has per month. my mom (she pays for it) just won't get me a bigger plan. go figure.   Tom V (Cozmo) Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 08:30 pm:    Karen Whem I lived up there my vet was telling me about A.I.ing their dairy heards. Got to give them one thing they do make some good tack and at a reasonable price. Are you sure you are thinkjng of the Amish and not the Menonites(not sure of the spelling) they are the more liberal sect of that faith. They would do contacting work etc and have to be driven around in a car but couldn't drive one themselves. Tom   KJ Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 12:45 am:    Hi Tom, Yes, I'm definitely speaking of Amish and not Mennonites. I had a lot of work done on my barn a few years back, which they did. I spoke with them a fair bit, asking more and more questions as I saw more and more vice (G). They explained that once they come of age they can decide for themselves what to do. They all smoked and all drank alcohol. Frankly, they did lousy work on the barn, were a pain in the ass to deal with, and were generally non-responsive when they screwed up. The business owner owned a cell phone and the truck they travelled in. They had a driver. Mennonites can drive, Amish can own vehicles, but not drive. I'm not the only person I know who has hired them and regretted it. They don't write contracts, and that is convenient when you try and press them to do what they said they'd do. My experiences were not positive. Karen   Tom V (Cozmo) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 05:45 am:    Thanks Karen, note to self two Ns in mennonite. I didn't get much chance to talk we them where I was you know, I WAS WORKING TOO HARD FOR IDLE CHIT CHAT. Sorry couldn't resist. I did notice people never seemed to hire them twice around where I was. Tom   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 07:57 am:    KJ- So what you are saying is the smoking, drunken, non-responsive, truck owning, cell phone using Amish are bad carpenters? That's a real eye opener for this American History buff! S-   KJ Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 09:27 am:    Snow, what can I say? You got it in one! They weren't drinking on the job, just to clarify. Oh, and they use power tools, too, but used OUR electricity (S), or used their generator. Karen, wanted it to be like "Witness"   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 09:44 am:    You did not see them drinking? Check your barn site lines....   todd slater (Toddslater) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 12:04 pm:    Call me old school, I have a shoe phone and I have this urge to buy a Sunbeam Tiger   Tom Rowe Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 03:27 pm:    I didn't get one untill someone rearended me on I-20 then followed me to work and assulted me. I had Sprint, but probably would have had fewer ulcers if I'd just bought a 45 and a carry permit. Cheers   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 03:56 pm:    Well my cell phone for cheap long distance plan is back firing right now, the freakin tower has been out for 2 days or something I have no signal. It isn't the phone either, everyone w/ cingular around here has the same thing going on