Cell Phones: Cash Cows or Creations Of Satan ?

1/ If you're stranded in the middle of nowhere, you can get one of your mates to pick you up (manys the time)

2/ When my mobile got robbed, I HAD to get a new one cos things were a pain in the ass without one (although when I didnt have a mobile it wasnt that bad either)

BAD:

1/ People are obsessed with their mobiles...I once saw two morons have a conversation in a pub with their mobiles and they were sitting right across from each other. Also people playing their ring tones to each other..."Listen to this one!" Aragggh

2/ They are bad for you. I do think they can cause cancer and I'm not a hypochondriac. Ever have a long conversation on a mobile and when you put the phone down, it feels like the side of your face is on fire.

I hate mobiles on the train, loathe with a passion, ruins the best way of travelling. here in italy they have snnouncements telling people to go to the ends of the carriages or into the corridor if its compartments and people are normally pretty good about that. Something I've not noticed on Midland Mainline.

I resisted getting a mobile up to the last possible minute, as I fucking hate them, and I fucking hate the way that everyone who gets one instantly turns into the most gigantic TWAT on earth. What is it about them that makes people so rude? Sat in a restaurant or pub with a friend, if another friend came barging over and intruded on the first friend's conversation, ignoring you completely, that would be seen as complete rudeness, and it would be completely fine to ask them to leave. Same person rings on the MOBILE, and these two friends feel perfectly justified in having private conversation leaving you twiddling your fingers.

Not to mention the electronic dog collar effect- you know, when I'm out, I want to be concentrating on what I'm doing. I have (OK, had) MPT (Mobile Phone Twat) friends who would be perfectly content hanging out with you until the phone rang, a more IMPORTANT friend would ring, and then they're off, like they never wanted to be with you in the first place.

And when you go out with a bunch of people with mobiles, and they all lay them down on the table in front of them... I just want to scream WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?!?! If you want to behave like that, don't come out with us, go home and sit by your phone, waiting for it to ring, you sad, pathetic fuck. I don't mind occasional discreet checking of phone for messages, but sitting staring at it waiting for it to ring is the sort of sad shit people make fun of teenage girls and cat ladies for!!!

Worst thing of all: you are on your DAY OFF, and your OFFICE rings... I mean, what the FUCK?!?!?

So, all around: Mobile phones = dud, dud, DUD!!!

I can say this now I've had one for 6 months, and I have just stopped answering it when it rings.

HOWEVER:

SMS Text messaging = COMMUNICATION FORMAT OF THE GODS!!!!

First off, it's short. Get the point across, no wibbling, which is of CRITICAL importance to me.

It's text. It's like e-mail on the run. And the advantage of e-mail, as everyone knows, is that, if it's urgent, you can get the message and reply right away. If you're BUSY doing something else, or if it's someone you don't really want to talk to, then you can let it sit for a few hours before you respond.

OK, sometimes it screws up, and you get that urgent message of "hey, I've got a plus one spot for tonight" or "I'm outside the freaking building come get me!!!" gets held back and mysteriously delivered a day later, but still. I don't blame the technology- because in the olden days, I wouldn't have got the message at ALL.

So...

Mobile phones: DUD SMS text messaging: CLASSIC

Gareth, you have just exacerbated my underlying mobilephobia. From now on, all people who get "critically important" calls while they are out with me, and have to dash off will be mercilessly excluded from my social circle as NOT BEING MY FRIENDS.

http://starportuk.com/21.htm

Bill

I threw a popcorn container at the stupid prick who decided to start using his during the Spike and Mike Animation festival (fortunately it was dark enough where he didn't see who threw it at him). At least it got the jerk to leave. The problem isn't usually the phone itself, but people use them in such a stupid and inconsiderate manner.

Anyway, the ironic ending to this story is that I now have a cell phone, because my regular telephone service had went haywire and the cell phone was far more reliable and cheaper. I only ever use it at home, I think the only time I used it in public was in a parking lot because I got lost and had to phone a friend for directions.

"No, I haven't got the keys with me"

"try looking on the dresser"

(getting narked) "no, ON THE DRESSER, y'know, UNDER THE MIRROR"

etc etc, gradually getting more & more narked until

LOOK, I'M GETTING OFF AT THE NEXT STOP, OK!!?? I'LL BE BACK IN 1/2 AN HOUR!!!"

And she actually got off the bus.

either that, or the most banal shit imagineable

"yes, I'm on the train, I'll be back in 20 mins" etc etc

Who needs that in their life?

Otherwise it's the charvers - "aaaaye, aaaal sort yez out wif sum kushty tack myet, aaaaye itz fukn unreeEEEeeal, man"

(translation - "I am going to sell you illicit substances. They are of a very high quality")

shit like this I do not want.

Hey! Does anyone want to talk about EG the big silver s-klasse benzo driver blabbing away on his cellphone, and trying to drive the wrong way up a 1-way street....mmmm, smart!

I'll tell you what else there is near us too - a big mobile phone aerial array, that they've tried to disguise at a TREE!!! It's like, a huge perfectly straight telegraph pole thing, with the microwave transmitters arrayed around the top, and with fake leafy branches sticking out underneath at a 90degree angle. They've even sited it next to a little forest, so U can compare it w/thee real thing! It is quite possibly the STUPIDEST thing I've ever seen in my entire life!

xoxo

I don't mind them per se. But for fuck's sake, use a little common sense and courtesy when you go out and about.

They are useful. But I've lost mine already.

Oxford Tube - worst for mobile use, by upper-crust students. Last encounter was with last man in Britain to still refer to Labour as "the socialists". There was a paaaarty. They were going to get waaaaaasted. Would there be TOTTY? "I want to marry a Meditteranean girl. They've got a bit of FIRE about them." 400 knuckles whiten on top deck of coach. They all talk fucking loud because they got into the habit back in 1985 when theirs were the only families who had mobiles. Or because they're coked to their toenails. IF YOU'RE SO FUCKING LOADED WHY ARE YOU ON THE FUCKING BUS?

Also the great thing about mobiles is not only can you get funky ringtones you can also get great covers. So there.

I think - being sensible about it - the ringtone/cover/talking loudly on tube trains palaver will die down after a few years when its no longer a fad. then people will merely use them for emergency type contact which is pretty much what most of my mates do now. And texting does look like base e-mail type fun so...

Also it no longer seems so cool to be anti mobile. Hmm.

I have a mobile. But I use it very rarely. There are many occasions when I find myself irritated by them. But I don't *hate* them: I only hate things that actually need to be stopped.

I have one. I forget to take it anywhere with me. I never remember the number to give it out either. It's cute though.

Don't you think that, these days, picking up someone's mobile and shouting 'BUY! BUY! SELL! SELL' into it is funnier than ever b

Lately, I've taken to calling them telephones among my family. "You left your telephone out in the garage again." Is this a terrible affectation?

There was a brief period a few years ago when I wanted to make "cellular telephony device" happen (after reading it some patent, I think), but that seemed like it was way too much. If you Google it though, the first few results are from a couple other assholes who tried the same!

Anyway, "telephone" - yeah or no?

nah

nineteen years pass...

No you didn't.

How bout just 'phone?

In Chinese there are completely separate words for mobile phone and landline phone. So if I'm asking for someone's phone number I always get tripped up and am unsure if they know what I'm actually asking for.

I was going through some old travel pictures from 1999 and someone actually asked me how I pulled off going to Europe without a cell phone.

They thought it was weird. I used pay phones when traveling.

I found out that in 1999, only 33% of the US population had them.

i did europe in 2006 without mobile or much internet help and ive no idea how i pulled it off, those ppl otm