# Cell phone geeks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 16, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412 "2002-05-16T17:27:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/21 "2002-05-16T23:39:20Z")
i haven’t gotten used to them yet. i still think the person using them is a garden-variety acid burnout schizoid (got a lot of them here in the bay area). i’ll cross the street to get away from them and muse to myself, ‘my, that crazy homeless person was certainly neat and clean… d’oh!’ ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/22 "2002-05-16T23:44:56Z")
I’ve used my hands-free thing a few times in public, and I never thought I looked cool, I only thought I looked kinda stupid. But it was convenient, so I used it anyway. I _really_ don’t think a significant amount of people thinks it looks cool. It’s not like the things are expensive; it came free with my phone and I’ll bet they can be found for ten bucks or less. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/23 "2002-05-16T23:58:33Z")
Wow, it begins to look like **RickJay** and I are the only ones around here who understand the difference between life-and-death emergencies and inconvenience. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/24 "2002-05-17T00:05:53Z")
What is wrong with carrying a cell phone for convenience? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/25 "2002-05-17T00:17:04Z")
Not a thing in the world. But one shouldn’t confuse it with _need_. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/26 "2002-05-17T00:34:43Z")
Who did that? ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/27 "2002-05-17T00:35:00Z")
Nope, I won’t die without my cell. But I pay $40 a month so that I can talk to my little sister whenever she wants me too. I can go off to college three states away and still be a loacl call for my family. Neither on of us will die if we don’t talk. But this way I don’t feel like I’ve deserted her right when she’s getting to be a cool person. As for hands free sets, perfect for cold days when I can’t find my gloves. (I don’t have a car, but I do walk just about everywhere i need to go.) Didn’t know I was supposed to think it was cool. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/28 "2002-05-17T13:38:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > Who did that? Well, I don’t want to put words in anyone’s mouth, but **RickJay** said (emphasis added): > [@](#): > > Unless you’re a doctor, there just is absolutely no reason in the world you **need** to have a phone on you at all times. and to date, **Stiletto** , **SkipMagic** , and **DarkWriter** have all made a point of disagreeing with him. ---
**Author:** ![deball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@deball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deball)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/29 "2002-05-17T14:28:02Z")
T’other day while driving through Old Town Alexandria, Va., I watched a young urban professional suit guy almost get nailed by a cop car while he was obliviously talking and smiling and walking. He was apparently so enthralled in his conversation that he didn’t notice all traffic had stopped and throngs of pedestrians were at the corners waiting for the wailing speeding police car to pass. He sauntered right out onto the crosswalk, causing the cop to slam on his brakes. He jumped out of the way and continued his merry conversation. I would have loved to grab that phone and smash it on the sidewalk. I have to carry a phone for a 5-day stretch about once every other month, but this is a military order and I dred hearing it ring. My own cell stays in my bag for emergencies and it was incredibly handy on 11 Sept. when the regular govt. phones shut down. It enabled me to call my wife and folks and let them know I was still alive. But other than that, I hate talking on the fucking phone anyways. ``` Lately I've taken to saying "Can you hear me now?" when I walk by someone jawing on the phone. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Aleq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@Aleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aleq)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/30 "2002-05-17T14:36:30Z")
I dumped my land line to save $$ and because I’m not usually at home when people tend to call me–so the cell phone makes a lot more sense overall. I think a lot of people are going to be going this way, since it actually is more sensible to have your phone WITH YOU, as people don’t usually call a house, they call a PERSON… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/31 "2002-05-17T14:40:25Z")
…and I said “Why does someone NEED to be contacted in order to carry a cell phone?” which I think puts me in the category that you claim is exclusive to you and RickJay, I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/32 "2002-05-17T14:51:58Z")
So, basically, you’re defining exclusively need = life-and-death situation. Must remember that one. Client: We need this by Friday! Me: No you don’t. Client: But we’ll lose $5million if we don’t get it! Me: Yes, but _noone will die_. :rolleyes: pan ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/33 "2002-05-17T16:50:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*-- there is very little more irritating than being forced to listen to someone else’s conversation – \*\* And of course, no one ever had to be subjected to other people’s conversations in public before cell phones were invented. Ye gads. :rolleyes: Is it just me, or is this “People who talk on cell phones in public are downright rude” mindset just a little bit whacked? Yes, there are many situations where talking on a cell phone is, indeed, rude. They pretty much correspond to situations where talking to someone else **at all** is frowned upon (such as movie theatres, business meetings, dates, etc.). Why is talking on a cell phone being so unilaterally vilified? As other people pointed out, using your cell phone to take advantage of otherwise idle time to catch up with family and friends should be a good thing. Just because it’s not of professional importance doesn’t mean that it is not, in fact, important to **me**. Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/34 "2002-05-17T17:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is talking on a cell phone being so unilaterally vilified? Because people tend to speak more loudly into their phones than to another person right next to them. And because people, when on the phone, often believe themselves to be in a separate and private world, and therefore often share more personal things with their phonemate than they would otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/35 "2002-05-17T17:59:40Z")
I carry my cellphone with me at all times, just in case. Not that an emergency or anything will ever come up but you just don’t know. It came in extremely handy a few weekends ago, I was in my car, about a half hour from home, with no plans in particular. The cellphone rings, it’s a lady friend of mine, a beautiful, 6’ tall, raven-haired friend, to be exact. She looking for someone to play tennis with, so, thanks to the cellphone, I got to spend part of my afternoon playing tennis with her. Well, sorta tennis, since we both stink to high heaven at it. Without a cellphone I may have come home who knows when to find out she made other plans. I do believe I will continue to carry my phone with me, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/36 "2002-05-17T19:41:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\* > Well, I don’t want to put words in anyone’s mouth, but **RickJay** said (emphasis added): > > and to date, **Stiletto** , **SkipMagic** , and **DarkWriter** have all made a point of disagreeing with him. \*\* I’m not really sure what your point is here. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/37 "2002-05-17T22:01:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andros \* > \*\* > > Because people tend to speak more loudly into their phones than to another person right next to them. > > And because people, when on the phone, often believe themselves to be in a separate and private world, and therefore often share more personal things with their phonemate than they would otherwise. \*\* Some people, perhaps. I certainly haven’t noticed this trend. And I know lots of people who are quite loud talking to their friends when they are standing right next to each other. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/38 "2002-05-17T22:39:06Z")
:shrug: OK. I suspect, however, that I’m not the first to notice an increase in speaking volume from cell phone users. ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/39 "2002-05-18T01:56:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cheesesteak \* > \*\*I carry my cellphone with me at all times, just in case. Not that an emergency or anything will ever come up but you just don’t know. It came in extremely handy a few weekends ago, I was in my car, about a half hour from home, with no plans in particular. The cellphone rings, it’s a lady friend of mine, a beautiful, 6’ tall, raven-haired friend, to be exact. She looking for someone to play tennis with, so, thanks to the cellphone, I got to spend part of my afternoon playing tennis with her. Well, sorta tennis, since we both stink to high heaven at it. Without a cellphone I may have come home who knows when to find out she made other plans. > > I do believe I will continue to carry my phone with me, thankyouverymuch. \*\* I’d call the cell phone pretty necessary in that situation. Going to play tennis again? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412/40 "2002-05-18T02:23:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lel \* > \*\* > > I’d call the cell phone pretty necessary in that situation. Going to play tennis again? \*\* I sure hope so **swoon** 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-geeks/109412.md?page=3)