Originally Posted by
ilynne
People without mobile phones kind of piss me off. And people who have them but keep them turned off -- unless they want to make a call -- REALLY piss me off. These people tend to expect me to have my phone on and answer when they want to call me.
I didn't have a cell phone until fairly recently. I feel my reasons for not wanting one were and are pretty valid. It just got to the point with smart phones especially that the pros really started to outweigh the cons. I still reserve the right to be "offline" when I choose and I don't expect anyone else to be available for me to call 24/7 either. There are certain types of people who really need uninterrupted time to themselves each day. I'm one of them. I get cranky if I don't have that time.
Originally Posted by
AlmostTrick
I find it hard to believe that some people don’t understand why there is a small backlash against these blasted contraptions. Every third driver is yakking on one when they should be concentrating on driving. People walking in public are oblivious to their surroundings as they focus on pressing tiny little buttons. Visitors coming to my house feel it necessary to call me three times to tell me “where they are now”. Guys in the supermarket can’t pick out a loaf of bread without phoning for assistance. Bike commuters are told they should have one “just in case”. Is it any wonder that some refuse to sign up for this madness?
I know, don’t blame the tool blame the user. But it sure looks to me like this recent convenience has negatively affected our quality of life in ways some fail to even realize. [/rant]
Cell phones haven't been around long enough for society to have established widely accepted norms for their use. We'll get there.
It's been a very interesting thread. The definition of "essential" is where I'm guessing part of the disagreement comes in. Another way to separate the important gear from the less important is to think about what you would turn around and go back for if you realized you forgot it.
What would you go back and get if you were 2 blocks from home? What would you go back and get if you were a mile from home?
There's some pretty important things I'd decide to do without. Even If I were only 2 blocks from home I'd probably leave my pump. I'd probably go back and get the battery for my light if I had to ride home in the dark, even if it meant turning back after a mile and showing up to work late.
My cell phone? I'd go back a block to get it, but probably not after a mile. To be honest, the only reason I'd go back and get it after a block is that it's so handy to have throughout the day. I don't really care much about it for my commute. Yeah it might be nice to call somebody if I had some sort of problem. But I could fix a flat faster than anyone could come rescue me. For that matter I can get to a bus or train quicker than what it would take for most other help to arrive.