gail, I don't have a life insurance. Once I am dead why would I worry about it?

Weasel,

You said the things that I have been thinking.
((D))8-)

I have life insurance to protect those who are financially dependent upon me - not for me.

Theweasal~ There was an irony of taking in the beauty of the red rocks around Sedona on a nice summer day(early morning), and some self important Mr. Business shouting into his cell to a colleague back home. Even his wife seemed embarrassed that he took the call.

gail, Caller ID on a cell phone is an extension of the dog lease. You're still on a lease because the caller knows that you recieved the call and and they expect you to call back. I go on vacations to leave everything behind, including all phone calls. If someone can't find the riding lawnmower key the grass will do what it does best. If somebody dies they're still going to be dead when I get back!

How on earth did people travel to other states or foriegn countries prior to the cell phone? That was only ten years ago for most people. I think people love to make up reasons for having a cell phone at all times.

I like the convenience of a cell phone. I don't spend much time on it, but appreciate the usefulness of it.

A few years ago, our area had Hurricane Isabel come through. No one could charge their phones and we all had to hunt through our attics for the old land-line corded phone at home. My friend spent two weeks talking on a pretty princess phone she borrowed from a neighbor.
I have traveled to areas with out cell coverage and the only thing I worry about is if the car breaks down. Otherwise not getting the call from my husband's job is very nice!
Oh and yes I think it is obnoxious for people to walk through stores chatting. I am embarrased when I do it and try to get off the phone quickly.

I have neither cell phone ipod or digital camera. I don't come to the US forum much but wanted to say hi and in case Scarlett pops in. Her son is visiting from Japan.

Considering the highways and byways we travel we do not have a cell signal about 50% of the time. We get along just fine. For the times when there is no signal or the signal is to week to use we carry a Sams Club pre-paid phone card, that way if we need to make a LD phone call we can do so from a pay phone. A 50¢ connection fee and then 2-3¢ a minute is a price that is hard to beat.

gail, No one is financially dependent on me, so no life insurance either.

When our daughters started driving, we got them cell phones. We felt much better about them being out and about and able to contact us whenver they needed to. They are now in college, and it is their only phone. No reason to pay long distances charges when it is included in the cell phone charges. Also with mobile to mobile included, we can talk as many times a day as they want. I think they are wonderful, and have no idea how we ever did without them. If we had regular long distance phone calls, we wouldn't talk as much as we do.

cb, "and have no idea how we ever did without them." I call that The Microwave Theory which I sort of coined in the seventies. As in "How did anyone survive before they got a microwave oven". My parents got one back in about 1971 and now I don't know how anyone can survive without one. I saw my first mirowave oven in an old one room school house in a corn field at a 4-H meeting back in the late 60's. The food cooked but the oven wasn't hot! All the kids thought it was a magic act. Everybody wanted to touch the inside of the oven.

A couple years ago I was camping in Yosemite and I wanted to call home to check on my grandmother - she had recently gone through surgery. No cel phone service though. Darn those granite walls :) How to make a call? How to make a call? How about the pay phone? What a novel idea! I found one at the camp store and used my credit card to pay for the call. That call cost about a dollar a minute, I kid you not. LOL.

Way back then we were "younger and dumber" and didn't thnk that we had any need to be in constant communication. :-B

All I know is that back before I had a cell phone I spent many miserable hours looking for people, waiting in the wrong places, worried about people who weren't where I thought they would be, arguing about where and when we had agreed to meet, walking through crowded city streets trying to spot my husband when he wandered off, missing connecting with people because I couldn't tell them about the delay I had encountered, hiking off in the wrong direction and going miles out of the way. All totally unnecessary now. Except when the signal fails, which of course it does.

I'm often renting apartments these days in other cities rather than staying in hotels. It is amazing how many suggest there may be no telephone, but to bring your cell phone. And with the outrageous charges from many hotels these day for even local calls, a cell phone becomes a necessity for anyone needed to make calls from his hotel.

Neopolitan, Do you mean that these apartments have no land line phones in them or are they just saying it is more econmical to use a cell phone?

This sounds the same as a hotel suggesting that you bring you own bed sheets and pillows because its better to bring your own.

How <b>did</b> we travel w/out cellphones? Heck, I <b>do</b> travel without one. Like Jorr, I'd feel that I may as well be collared &amp; leashed as to drag one around. I do use a pager in my business, but it usually stays home on vacations.

LOL about the defense of 1 sided conversations a la cellphone. We call the manager to have someone talking to themselves removed from our spaces because it bothers us so much, but a one sided phone conversations is ok? I think not!

At least now with the &quot;walkie-talkie&quot; type phones, we can be irritated by <b>both</b> sides of the conversation <b>(BEEP)&lt;/&gt; instead of just one <b>(BEEP)&lt;/&gt;. And keeping this on travel, how about those beautiful tower lined mountain vistas on our journeys?? Thank you, talk junkies!

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Ha! Rb, how about those towers that they try and pass off as trees!

&quot;Franken-tower&quot; is what they're called locally.

&quot;And keeping this on travel, how about those beautiful tower lined mountain vistas on our journeys?? Thank you, talk junkies&quot;

LOL! If you get off the highway and actually get out into nature, you can get away from the towers. I haven't seen too many towers in the national parks I've visited (actually haven't seen any). Of course, I think the power lines all over place are rather unsightly and far more numerous, but I'm not going to complain about electricity junkies.