Leonel
Breakfast Connoisseur
Yeah even I had to give into cell phones. It really was the best way for me to keep in contact with job interviews at the time and friends. Plus if you don't want to be disturbed, just turn it off.
Do you own a Cell Phone?
- Thread starter Mowque
- Start date
I have no intention of getting a land line. At university, I don't expect to hold a single residence that long (hopefully be away on Co-op for a third of each year), and after the phone company charges you an arm and a leg for installation just go with a cell phone, and if I had no contract I would have paid a lot more for my phone in the long run (I use a fair bit of long distance with my entire family being long distance, and some without internet and more without reliable internet). Sure long term I may run into some minor problems, but so long as you don't intend to give up your phone you should be fine.
Zelig: I think he means a personal emergency, not a major disaster. Yes you can generally be fine without one, as evidenced by the past, but you cannot deny that there are some instances where a cell phone could help you a lot (he does have a point that there are few pay phones around these days, you would have to find someone to let you use their personal phone, but that probably isn't a problem in most emergencies, so long as you don't go out to the middle of nowhere). Whether they are worth getting a cell phone for is another matter. Like I said I personally dislike phones in general.
Enkidu Warrior
Ultramagnetic
I've lived in Japan for 3 years and in all of that time I've never had a landline.
Nordstream
Prince
I haven't had a land line in almost 5 years now. Family ditched them as well. They are inconvenient.
Shekwan
Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
Yeah I would say its more unusual to not have a mobile phone than a landline now. You can live without a landline, but it would be very hard for the majority to live without a mobile.
Onionsoilder
Reaver
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 3,173
I have one, but I rarely use it. I never use it to chat with people, mostly I'll call someone to see if they want to hang out. I'll do the chatting in-person.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
Yes. Not that I'm using it a lot.
Regarding contracts, I don't intend to give up my phone in the long run, but I do intend on switching to whichever company offers the best rates at any given time, which a contract doesn't allow me.
Regarding emegencies, "middle of nowhere" is sort of subjective, if you go outside of populated areas in Canada, you're only going to get service with satellite phones in any case.
Also, you don't need any plan with any providers with a cellphone to dial 911 for emergencies, it just needs to function, and 911 will be the only number you're able to call for $0 per month.
FWIW, only about 70% of Canadian adults between 16-60 have a cell phone... this is definately lower than the percentage with a landline in their home.
Shekwan
Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
Well its fairly unusual to be Canadian anyway so I think I'll disregard those statistics.
But yeah ok maybe a bit of exaggeration on my part, but the landline is dieing out. Phoneboxes are pretty much history now.
MagisterCultuum
Great Sage
I rarely use it, and usually forget to turn it on when I remember to bring it with me. Not many people have my number. It is just a cheap prepayed cell phone that my parents got me when I first started driving because they are willing to keep paying for that one and I'm to cheap to get a good phone that I'd actually use.
In much of rural Southern Ontario has coverage, I can't say anything for another part of the country. The main thing I was thinking was simply traveling down an empty road when something happens. Maybe you want to just call a tow truck or friends or something rather than 911.
I am not saying cell phones are essential (I only got one because it was better than a land-line in my situation and we are required a phone at residence here), but that there are times where it is of benefit to have one.
As you said yourself significant parts of Canada don't have cell coverage, I am pretty sure that a greater percentage of Canadians lack coverage than Americans or Europeans, and I think you will find the number with just a cell phone rising quickly. Many people I know either don't have a land-line and as more of this generation starts moving out on their own many won't get one.
I feel like I'm eavesdropping.
flyingchicken
Deity
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2007
- Messages
- 3,783
Yea, cheap and prepaid (i.e. using preloaded credit cards which may be purchased at will).
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Messages
- 9,306
I've had the same one for 2.5 years. I don't have a landline and it seems odd when I go to my parents' and the landline rings. Annoying too really, with 3/4 of the landline calls being telemarketers. That as much as anything is the reason I don't plan on getting a landline - plus that it's harder to remember to turn off two phones at night than just one, and that the extra expense wouldn't really do me any good.
edit: I also have an inexorable tendency to walk around while on the phone, partially due to not being able to get reception where I live except outdoors. So a landline always seems very restricted in comparison.
edit: I also have an inexorable tendency to walk around while on the phone, partially due to not being able to get reception where I live except outdoors. So a landline always seems very restricted in comparison.
classical_hero
In whom I trust
Which one is yes?
Bamspeedy
CheeseBob
Had a cell phone a few years ago, but don't need one at this time. Back then it could be cheaper to have a cell phone than a landline if you make alot of long distance calls because you pay for long distance with the landline but not when using a cell phone. But now my landline gives me free calls to anywhere in North America so the landline is cheaper. And I have Skype to use for calling China.
A pre-paid phone I had for awhile was more expensive than a landline unless I talked for no more than 3 minutes a day or some rediculously short amount of time. Great for emergencies, but not good for being your only phone.
Since I haven't looked at cell phone plans in a few years, do most cell phone plans still only allow a set number of minutes and charge excessive rates if you go over the limit? How much are most of you paying for your cell phone plans?
A pre-paid phone I had for awhile was more expensive than a landline unless I talked for no more than 3 minutes a day or some rediculously short amount of time. Great for emergencies, but not good for being your only phone.
Since I haven't looked at cell phone plans in a few years, do most cell phone plans still only allow a set number of minutes and charge excessive rates if you go over the limit? How much are most of you paying for your cell phone plans?
Verbose
Deity
Just gonna drop some statistics into this. The answer to how much of a need for one of these gadgets you feel would seem related to where in the world you're located, and thd cell phone satuartion. Try getting by without one in Italy for instance. But the same proposition looks a lot more doable in the US:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/med_tel_mob_cel_percap-telephones-mobile-cellular-per-capita
Me, I have one from work (which I shamlessly use for everything, but I'm not that heavy a user so no one's minded so far) and one private (never use it). The GF changes her's annually like a fashion item, but she's also a very heavy user.
End result is that I think we have at least three unused cell phones lying about the house. And we have a fixed line as well, but that's not for the phone; it's where the broadband connection, including cable TV, comes from.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/med_tel_mob_cel_percap-telephones-mobile-cellular-per-capita
Me, I have one from work (which I shamlessly use for everything, but I'm not that heavy a user so no one's minded so far) and one private (never use it). The GF changes her's annually like a fashion item, but she's also a very heavy user.
End result is that I think we have at least three unused cell phones lying about the house. And we have a fixed line as well, but that's not for the phone; it's where the broadband connection, including cable TV, comes from.
