New paperweight
BobJudy
Member Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭✭
Nope, sad to say not a gun. Almost 20 years ago when cell service got to be semi reliable around here, I got Judy a cell phone to carry with her on her rural mail route. She did about 40 miles a day out here in the boonies and I wanted her to have one in case of problems like breakdowns. That first flip phone lasted her about 10 or 12 years and then died. We replaced it with another flip but 3 years ago I replaced it with an I-Phone and kept her old phone for myself. 98% of the time it just sits on my desk and even when I think I should have it on me, I usually forget it. Starting 6 months ago I started getting all the notices about 5G and how my phone would stop working soon. I halfheartedly looked at phones but never did buy one. When we picked up the mail at the post office last week there was a new "free" flip phone from AT&T in our P.O. box. Took it in yesterday and the phone store guy activated it and it now sits in its rightful place on top of the stack of papers on the desk. With all of the phone company competition out there, they must have really wanted to keep our business. The poor phone store guy couldn't understand why I wouldn't let him upgrade it to an I-Phone but I don't need another toy to play with. Bob
Comments
Bob, same experience here with Verizon. My old flip phone with external antennae worked better in Virginia at 2nd home but they phased that out. they claimed I needed a booster and for nine years promises of a cell tower close by. Never happened. Finally my 4G kept dropping calls and I was forced to new flip phone ( only two choices). Made six 30 minute trips to get pictures sent to my e-mail. Never happened. They set me up with G-mail acct which is a PIA to send to my pc. They blamed it all on Frontier. Every week get mail and e-mails from vendor asking me to buy smart phone. Next time around it won't be Verizon.---------------------------------Ray
Yeah the phone company guy just couldn't understand me not NEEDING a new I-Phone. I laughed and told him, I have a desktop computer, a laptop and a couple of tablets. If I need directions, I have a GPS in the vehicle and if push comes to shove Judy is sitting next to me with her i-phone so how much more connected do I need to be? When out and about I don't want the distraction of a phone messing with my awareness. Bob
Without my smartphone, I would find myself unable to witness the wisdom that's cascading forth from these forums on a minute by minute basis. What would I do, wait a couple hours till I get home??
"I don't give the number out to friends. If they want to speak to me, they call our home landline phone."
Landline?? Danosaur!😀
About 65% of the folks I see walking around here would not be able to walk or probably even breath without staring at a phone. When I go to Wrightsville beach, I cross several bridges with some really gorgeous scenery on both sides and it always surprises me how many people are walking across staring intently at their phones. STUPID!! I see groups of people enter a restaurant, sit at a table and immediately start with the phones completely ignoring the other people.
What is so interesting on a phone that people can stare at them hours at a time?
Uh, Gunbroker, of course!
My wife had an iPhone 5s that was becoming obsolete this year when 3G goes away! We received a letter from AT&T saying that they were sending her a free replacement. Yeah, right, if true, probably a no-name brand Flip Phone!!!!! Much to our surprise she received an iPhone 8 with upgraded memory! 😮
Not state of the art, but it was free and will run the latest IOS! 😀
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
I was forced to upgrade with a free smart phone. I disabled google first thing and then shut down GPS. The phone is trying to trick me into turning tracking back on. I only need texts from work I never talk on it.
Yep things were a lot different back in the old days.
😃😃
Like Dano, I only have a flip phone. I guess I have to take that back, I do "have" a (smart) phone that my son gave me. It sits in a drawer. I have never even charged it up.
Only time we take the flip phone out, is to go to town. In case of emergencies. Or to call home to ask her what I went to town to shop for. Or to tell her I am on my way home, get ready to unload the car.
We do not give the number out. If someone calls my number they get a message that this user has not set up a voice mail box (or something like that) Someone wants to talk to me, they can call me on my VOIP phone. (almost a land line)
When I hear what some people are paying for their "smart" phone, I am OK with my flip phone for a little over $6 a month.
If I need a paperweight I could use the phone my son gave me.
A few years ago I broke my old flip phone I kept in the truck. I went to Verizon to get another. They looked like I had two heads, and got frustrated because I refused to upgrade. The guy disappeared for several minutes and finally came back with a box he had to clean the dust off......
Like a vintage bottle of wine🙂
It gets better. Drove all the way to Newburgh Verizon Corp, office because could not get flip phone to work with new Ram and was starting to drop calls 4G. Asked salesman if he would guarantee new 5G flip phone to work with new Ram. He refused to guarantee. Said he would take phone back if it would not work on truck but would charge me $50 to return. I looked at the guy, never said a word and walked out. Left my daughter and SIL standing there. Salesman asked my daughter why I left. My daughter said "You know, I think my father is really pissed" and they left also.--------------------------Ray
Are they reading the newspaper to get the news . . . and most likely "news" and not "propaganda"
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or are they looking at a photo of what their "friends" had for breakfast?
'cuz I believe there is a significant difference. When they finish reading the news, they put down the paper and get on with life . . . as opposed to waiting with breathless anticipation to receive the photo of what their "friends" had for dinner.
I keep a cell phone for emergencies. When my 3G flip stopped working, my wife gave me her old smart phone. Verizon swapped me over to it (but was not happy that I wouldn't buy one). I keep it in the truck turned off and don't give out the number.
In my boat, I have Mercury's engine monitor that Bluetooth connects to my phone. It tells me all kinds of things about how the motor is working, from temps and pressures to fuel flow, RPMs and lots more. Handy. I was fishing once this summer when the phone rang. Scared the whoopsies out of me because I had never heard it ring before! It was a junk call.
At home, we still have a landline - and actually have a second line to the house for a fax machine! Don't use that line, of course. We've had this number for 36 years and I dread the very thought of trying to change contact info to what must be hundreds of people and places.