Ohhh I know what you are talking about. I refuse to take my company blackberry home. I am on vacation and it is locked in my metal overhead on the metal shelf right up against my bosses cube where every time it rings it will rattle like all hell in that metal box. LOL

My company for the longest time wouldn't supply me with a company phone despite the fact I do travel at least one day a week but they did supply me with a balckberry no voice. They would write off any overage on my personal phone and that was adding up to a good bit. They wouldn't pay for Mobile to Mobile (this was a while ago and on my employee rat plan they gave me a 500 and 1000 minute rate plan) that at $10 a month M2M eliminate $50 a month worth of overages monthly. LOL

So they finally got voice on the blackberry after somebody started paying attention to the overages they were paying and the Online class that clearly stated "Employee rate plan is perk for personal use not business use". Then this happened: http://www.ajc.com/business/ats-over...ly-280124.html (I am a first line manager and hourly) and part of that suit was about employess answering e-mails on the blackberry that were not on reciving "on call" pay. I feel I can safely say that this is probably part of what caused it.

Boss: you are provided a company blackberry and as such expected to respond
Employee responds as directed off the clock and then given hell about putting down OT for that 2 minutes of time (the time is reported in 15 minute blocks). So 6-8 emails over a weekend was adding 1-2 hours of OT
Later in a yearly online class required to be taken by ALL employees about time reporting it clearly states that working off the clock is prohibited without preapproval of the overtime. Later in that same class it clearly states that answering company e-mail is considered business. So the Employees nailed the company to the wall over it in the last couple weeks.

So the knee jerk reaction is the Data was cut off to most first line managers (and I am one) on my blackberry. I missed 2 conference calls last week as a result because I had no access to the call in numbers. LOL

Aggravated is a fairly charged word. I don't think universal cell phone use leads us as a society to healthier communication. My wife (a Fairbanksan, btw) relies on hers to call me when she's on her way home from work in Manhattan. We get many chances to talk about stuff, both important and inane. Everyone ought to have personal space that is separate from the buzz of 21st century life. Not having a television and not having a phone is how I achieve this for myself. Other people might have a particular personality makeup that either achieves this in other ways or does not require it. That's ok too.

I guess I can't really complain too much about being considered odd for not having one. I must admit I relish being seen as a unique person or even an eccentric.
I suppose emergency originally carried a more mild meaning, something that's come up (emerged) unexpectedly. And yes, a helmet is essential... it just might obviate the need for a cell phone! Besides if you line yours with tin foil, it will keep the cell phone radiation out!

Annoyed, then. Anyway, I was just puzzling as to the purpose of the thread. Was it find if other people agree with your opinion on cell phones? Definitely, and I'm one of them. I do find my cell phone handy, but hardly essential. Increasingly this opinion will make you stand out from the crowd, but as you say, this isn't a bad thing.

Just my opinion here, but I disagree. Proper bike handling skills, situational awareness, awareness of the limits of one's own abilities, and knowledge of the rules and conventions of the road are essential to cycling. They might just obviate the need for a helmet.

Goodness, What went wrong here? I thought this was supposed to be a poll turned into discussion not an attack on how people live their lives.
My cellphone is on hand while I ride but I sure would not use it should anything happen. I would simply get on a bus or train to get to or near my house. I think if people commute and public transportation is available in their areas, they should learn the system in case they have to leave the bike or take it with them.
Standalone- you are right about people using emergency as an excuse for everything. Pre-cellphone, people got on well before, and will continue to do so. I hope you didn't buy that SUB for the kids. Ha!
Timber- I will take $40 if you want to give it to me.

As a person who had a spell with vertigo about 5 years ago, I heartily agree. There is no pushing through vertigo. You put your head down and look at something that is not moving and wait for the world to stop spinning. I've had to call people for rides, too.

On second thought, just learn to take care of yourself, winge-bag!

I forgot to add that for me it is a necessity. I ride because of my heart needing the health benefits. I have three stents after a MI for clogged up arteries. When I started riding I had a LOT of anxiety attacks of "what if". Thankfully I have never needed it but there is always the chance. I am in a 1000% better shape for the riding and I dont worry the what if anymore but I do love my iPhone. ;)

I might add that although I carry a cell phone I never turn it on except to use it. As I mentioned in a previous post I have used it to call the police when being harassed by motorists and it was quite effective in that application. I used it to report a brush fire once and I think, since I was the first to report it, I probably mitigated the property damage quite a bit. I also once called in an obviously DUI driver that was having trouble negotiating the parking lot he was in. The cops grabbed him before he made it out onto the road. So, are mobile phones essential? no. Have I used it a few times where the situation would have been worse if I didn't have it? - you bet. For the $10 a year I pay for it I think it is worth it.

BTW, I think this thread really would be a better fit over at Living Car Free since the OP's intent seems to be for making a case for doing without. He will find many over their who will sympathize with the do without attitude.

Or go to North Korea. They make you hand in your phone at the border and put it in a sealed customs bag -- you get it when (or if ;)) you leave. Oddly, my trip was one of the most relaxing I've ever been on.

"To the car free ghetto with you!"

Do anti-helmet people belong there, too?

It's funny how having a strong but respectfully presented opinion on this makes even nice people act.

Maybe that's my point.

Friends have been hurt during bike rides. So, are they essential.. Probably so.. Still, we are some of the few in the world who hate them.. People think that weird. So be it.. We have one , but it sits in the desk unused and uncharged.. When out on a ride, I carry a phone card in case.. But, might I have to crawl to a public phone should I be hurt..
. My dislike of them . Guess irrational.. 1. I feel no need to be in touch with people every minute of my life.. I actually enjoy being on the bike away from people . Escaping people can some days be cause for a ride.. I've seen fellow cyclists called back from a group ride, for what I felt insufficient reasons..
. Historical reasons I've grown to hate cell phones.. People talking on them during movies.. Incessant chatter while at the grocery stores , bothering me with the trivia of their family life.. People talking on cell phones while driving..
.Some even call being distanced from their cell phone cause for some new phone phobia. That to me is a psychological disorder.

It's useful to have a phone for any repairs that can't be done at roadside. I keep mine in the pannier and check for VM's or missed calls when I reach my work/home. I wouldn't see the need to be chatting while riding but nice to know that a phone is available for use. I have company phone but don't ride when I'm on-call, since you have to answer when being called.

If I don't have mine with me it's fine, but it's one of the things that I generally stash in my jersey pocket before I head out.

Twice I've broken pedals off at the spindle and twice I've broken frames while out on long rides. I can get through most minor mechanicals, but I don't carry spare pedals, and if any of you can pedal more than a couple of miles with one leg you're tougher than I am.

The times that I had a phone with me I was certainly glad that I did. Was it essential?, probably not, but walking up to a house to use a phone in a rural area while dressed in spandex clothing that's emblazoned with logos isn't my idea of a good time (probably not theirs either). Even in urban settings, phone booths are becoming increasingly rare, and if you do find one you got a fiddy fiddy chance of it being operational.

This was another reason I eventually broke down and got a cell. I can remember my mother always telling me to carry some change in case I needed to call (whether on a bike or driving). They're increasingly hard to find.

Places of business typically had pay phones nearby or would let you use theirs for a local call. In urban/suburban areas, one was never far from an available phone. That's changed. It's expected that people have their own.

So while it is true that people didn't need cell phones for "emergencies" in the past, part of that was because there were plenty of public phones around.

That's part of what I don't like about cell phones. Pay Phones are yet another formerly public service that I'm now sort of expected to cover. Like clean water....

Essential, why? One saved my life. Healthy feeling great and then had a heart attack. 100% blockage. Having a phone meant I coulc call for help. I couldn't walk or be self reliant at that stage. Get a cheap prepaid plan.

No one is forcing you to use a mobile phone. If you choose to use one then be prepared to pay for it. It's a simple equation. If you don't want to have a mobile then don't whine about the lack of pay-phones. Things change, and the world isn't going to conform to your view.

Mobiles are cheap and reliable. Last time I was in that States (2009) I bought a handset and 300 minutes of talk time for $20. Choose to use it or STFU.

What about this was a public service? Private companies own the phone. You pay them money to use it.

I don't know about pay phones but phone companies are highly regulated. In some cases they had to provide local phone service in areas where it was not profitable for them to provide it. It's possible that in order to get the high value pay phone locations they also had to maintain pay phones in more remote places that were money losers for them. I don't know if that's true or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

So while you did pay money to use that pay phone out in the middle of nowhere, it's possible that part of the cost of keeping the phone out there was subsidized.

Apparently not, at least in your case. ;)

No but they are a nice plus if you have someone who can come bail you out. Especially since pay phones have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

For commuting, not essential, but I carry a personal cell most of the time, including to work.

For rides I usually use the GPS for tracking and I use it to let my wife know how late I'm going to be when I get lost and have to change a flat.

It's not as essential as a repair kit and checking the weather report, but it's nice to have.

If you don't feel the need to carry a phone for yourself, at least carry it so that you can call an ambulance for a buddy who has crashed or a cop for the drunk who is trying to run you off the road. This is probably one of the dumbest threads I've seen here yet, but I haven't been here that long. I can't wait to see what the coming months will bring.

I never leave home without my wallet, my keys or my phone.
Whether I'm going to work or to the beach, and whether I'm riding a bike, a bus, my car or a freaking horse.


I'll tell you my secret to living the richest fullest cell phone experience.
You see, these fantastic gadget have a button, that lets you turn them ON or OFF. That button is like magic.

Turn it OFF. No calls, no sms, no emails, just like it's not even there.
Need to call someone: Turn it ON and Voilá!, there you go, make a call.

It seems to me it's a very convenient electronic communication device to have around.

Not essential but, like any tool, can come in handy if the need arises. I have mine in my seat pack on every ride even though it has been a couple of years since I actually used it during a ride.

When people ask me for my cell number, I get a kick out of telling them I've never been in prison.

It's troubling that some people act hurt, as if I must surely have a cellphone, but am pretending not to, apparently because I don't consider them important enough to give my number.

Alas, it is getting harder to find payphones in my neighborhood. Last week I bought a Reese peanutbutter cup at a supermarket for change, and when I asked the cashier where the nearest payphone she smirked and said, "Even HOMELESS PEOPLE have cellphones!" (Won't be going back in there for peanutbutter cups anytime soon. :( )