# Cell Phones. Could we go back to life without them?



## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

My cell phone quit today for whatever reason. This was about 4:00 this afternoon, picked it up to make a call to a GC and had nothing. Just a black screen. Pushed all the buttons, got nothing. Plugged it into the charger...not a peep. Left it charging on the way home thinking the battery had gone to zero somehow. After 20 minutes it still showed no signs of life. And as I'm driving, I'm thinking of the 2 or 3 phone calls I need to make this evening to get things set for tomorrow. And then panic sort of starts to set in.

I realize we no longer have a land line at home and even if we did I don't have the GC's number or my help's number memorized; that's my cell phone's job!
Hell, I don't even have my kids' numbers memorized. My mother's and my wife's are about the only two I know. (And my old land line number from 22 years ago, but that's an OPPU issue.)

Reality slams me in the face and I realize that I'm out of touch with my world, both business and personal, without my cell phone. If my family needs me, I'm unreachable. I'm sure many of you have had this epiphany before, but it was kinda spooky for this old man who remembers when a lot of people didn't have a television or a telephone in their home.

And, BTW. It was a pretty easy fix at the cell phone store. He called it a "soft reset". You know, where you push these two different buttons at the same time until the little apple shows up on the screen?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

I think I could do alright without one - but only if everyone else had to do without one as well.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

I've often pondered it. I was pretty much the last generation that grew up without them. I got my first cell when I was a senior in high school but don't remember using it much until I went to college. Now my 8 year old wants one (not a chance) and I can't imagine going a day without. It's amazing that you have access to anything you could possibly want at your fingertips at all times, losing that would be hard to get used to.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

RH said:


> I think I could do alright without one - but only if everyone else had to do without one as well.


We did fine without them, didn't we?



Rbriggs82 said:


> I've often pondered it. I was pretty much the last generation that grew up without them. I got my first cell when I was a senior in high school but don't remember using it much until I went to college. Now my 8 year old wants one (not a chance) and I can't imagine going a day without. It's amazing that you have access to anything you could possibly want at your fingertips at all times, losing that would be hard to get used to.


I'm betting he has one within the next two years. And I'm not knocking it. With a cell phone he's always able to be in touch and with the technology, you'll always be able to track his whereabouts. That's not a bad thing at that age.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

slinger58 said:


> We did fine without them, didn't we?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm betting he has one within the next two years. And I'm not knocking it. With a cell phone he's always able to be in touch and with the technology, you'll always be able to track his whereabouts. That's not a bad thing at that age.


You're probably right but I've seen what can happen with social media and how having that much access to it can go bad. I'm thinking when the kids are old enough to work and pay for a phone they'll be able to handle the responsibility that comes along with it. 

Maybe I'll get them a phone that can only be used to call and text people but I'm not going down the smart phone path with them until they are old enough.


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## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

a few years ago i was invited to fly out to California for a 11 day tour with a band 
playing from Bakersfield to LA

lost my phone somewhere from Orlando to LA ... sad to say i couldn't call home, work, customers or anyone , and it was the BEST 11 day vacation i ever had

now days my work phone goes off on weekends , there is life after paint 

.


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## bocaratonpainters (Aug 17, 2016)

Might not be something you prefer but I get a lot of my work through mail. I of course have to call them later.
I remember I went to a painting convention in Florida. At that time I had 4 phones because I could not decide which one was better. Having a pocket full of phones can be weigh one down. At the end of the night I felt awfully lighter. Turns out all my phones had fallen from a hole in my pocket. All except one, my blackberry which I still use to this day.
Funny how things turn out


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

slinger58;1258458[COLOR=red said:


> ]We did fine without them, didn't we?[/COLOR]
> 
> 
> 
> I'm betting he has one within the next two years. And I'm not knocking it. With a cell phone he's always able to be in touch and with the technology, you'll always be able to track his whereabouts. That's not a bad thing at that age.


If there were still pay phones ,we would still be ok.




well, not really:no:


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Repaint Florida said:


> now days my work phone goes off on weekends , there is life after paint
> 
> .


Funny you mention that. Just on the weekend I was at a bbq in the evening with my wife and a bunch of friends. One of my more annoying customers texted me asking me questions about painting a bedroom.

I ignored it. Literally every five minutes I'd get a text "are you there?" "are you there?" "are you there?" I shut my phone off. Responded Monday morning.

People think when you have a cel that you're available 24/7.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

chrisn said:


> If there were still pay phones ,we would still be ok.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Watching a movie on television the other night, not a particularly old one (late 90's?), and one of the characters was using a pay phone. Seeing that certainly seemed to date the movie. Heck, even seeing someone using a flip phone can make you realize it isn't a new film.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

Superman was the most affected by the loss of phone booths. Now instead of fighting crime he wanders the city looking for a place to change.


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