Good riddance
I canceled my cell phone from Verizon yesterday! 
No more two year contracts, no more paying for “services” and “features” I don’t use or even need, no more tether.
This month I put a total of 20 minutes on my cell phone. I had a 450 minute plan (at $50 per month) and never once got even close to 200 minutes. Previous months I was averaging 50 minutes per month. Honestly though does it really cost the phone companies money if you use 460 minutes instead of 450 minutes? Does it warrant the overage charges? Aren’t these numbers just aributary values to force higher prices on people for different plans?
When I called a while back to cancel my subscription they tried to get me into a special plan (not advertised) of 100 minutes. “Really?” I said “How much is that?”
$29.99 per month.
Hmm… doesn’t seem so special.
I remember a time before cell phones when you’d make arrangements before hand. You’d plan out with friends what was going to happen tomorrow or that day and then you showed up at the proper time and place. You fraking showed up! Now it’s so scattered and people rarely plan ahead anymore. Or when they do it’s always three different plans that are worked out on the fly because you can just call everyone to update the plan at the last minute. I hate last minute. Make a plan and stick to it! It’s like some form of inter-personal social laziness.
Cell phones are billed as a device that brings people together. That may be true but it also makes it easier to keep them apart. Txt msg A1 l8ly?
See anyone talking on their phone while going through the check-out line? What about on the bus? Mall? Store? Theater?
While in the car do children look out the window at the world around them or talk with their parents or are they texting/talking/gaming/listening to music on their cell phones or clued to the mini-dvd player in the ceiling of the mini-van?
“The things that you own, end up owning you.” - Tyler Durden.
I use to think this way about cell phones until retirement and travel began. Now we have no home base phone. We depend on our wireless laptop, Blue Tooth in the car and our cell phones to stay in touch… our main problem is remembering to keep them charged. Thanks to our cell phone, Alan sold a house in FL while in Canada. That is so cool.
Good for you. Cause, we all know that cell phone companies are the devil.
http://coolaggregator.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/video-cell-phone-in-microwave-disturbing/
E
I forgot to tell you that I could not log into this site when I was in Canada- tried many times but search engines could not find you(:
Cool vedio, Ed. My cell phone will look at me differently from now on:)
That is a very interesting and fun video. It’s amazing what they can do with computer graphics these days.
Regarding Sandy’s comment: I think we’re talking two different aspects of the technology here. Business by its very nature requires constant communication with the goal of making money. Having a cell phone (or technology) that allows that is essential to any business.
Does social relationships require constant communication? Maybe I’m just an odd person but I don’t need text messages from my friends telling me the minutia of their daily lives to maintain a friendship. I don’t require the ablility to speak to my friends at the slightest whim to feel a connection to the people who are my friends.
I think this condition, this phenomenon, of having a cell phone is an artifical social enhancement tool. It seems to be cheapening those connections between people because it’s so easy to make that connection at any time, for any reason, that when together - in person - the experience is lessened.
This is turning into a post but I read this article about a young woman who deleted all her social networking websites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. etc. etc) because she found that she knew every aspect of what her friends were doing and when they were together in person there was nothing to talk about and they ended up chatting and texting other people rather than the people in the room. BTW - it was very difficult to completey remove her FaceBook page.
That’s all. I think we are at the beginning of a HUGE fad, fueled by the telecommunication companies, to get everyone hooked on their phones because EVERYONE needs a phone and all your friends have phones so should you. This technolog has created wonderful things and expanded many aspects of our lives, but I can’t help but wonder if what we have given up as communities, as people, as to what is appropriate behavior in society is expanded into narcissism, so companies can make more money, is worth it?
Of course I could be completely off base and out of touch with the pulse of the generation, Man. We’ll see how things go eventually.
You would be pleased to know we resisted cell phones until five years ago when Alan turned 60- the company he worked for made him “get with it”. Yes, for business it is working well. We do not text or do any of that other stuff. Yucky!!
Personally, I leave mine plugged in a lot. I do not like calls when I’m reading, writing, shopping, our for a walk, etc. Very few people have my number. Alan is totally connected and never is parted from his phone.
I grew up with the old party line system. Interesting in that you knew who was getting a call on the line by the number of rings. I also knew those who would listen in on conversations- looking for gossip.
Barbara Ehrenreich said “The explosoion of cell phone use is simply a reflection of the genetically scripted human inclination to huddle in groups.”
Are we, as humans, a narcissist people? I suspect we may be and the companies play on that.
I prefer privacy. A thought here…. there have been times I’ve been at a party, the nursing home, a sportin even (I hate sports) or in a silly group of folks and I’ve gotten a call on Alan’s phone. The moment I’m on the phone I feel “ahhh” alone in the crowd talking to someone (usually my son) who I’d far rather talk to and spend time with if only by phone. I’ve actually experimented with “outer body travel” at sports events.
The thing I really hate is when my mother calls and immediately wants to know “where are you”. I feel six years old again!!!
Cell phones and e-mail have given us pleasure in a sense but taken away the joys of writing long letters. When did you last get one and had the cozy feeling of reading it over and over.
Yeeeah, I’m not so sure quoting Tyler Durden is really a good thing. Things didn’t really work out so well for “Jack”
Oh there’s nothing wrong with Tyler Durden’s vision, it was his execution that was the problem.
Speaking of which I now pay 2 dollars per month for unlimited long distance calls. How much does it cost on a cell phone?
I’m also making a one time purchase in a skype phone($100) so I don’t have to use my computer to make those calls. That’s two cellphone payments - after already purchasing the cell phone for close to $100 (depending on the “features” you want).
So because I got rid of this “essential” tool required in society I was exposed and open to other ideas/products. Ideas and products that I wouldn’t even have considered while strapped into the two year security blanket contract that came with my cell phone.
I think it’s working out great.