# Do you own a cellphone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623 "2013-09-25T05:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/21 "2013-09-25T13:17:50Z")
I’m hard of hearing, and my hearing aids don’t help with phones, so I don’t have one. I use a landline when I need to. The rest of the Pepperwinkles all have cellphones and use them nearly constantly, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/22 "2013-09-25T13:22:36Z")
I do. I got it for convenience when I was taking the train from the city and needed my wife to pick me up on her way home from work, but occasionally I would miss the train or have to stay late. Then smart phones came along and I found they offered new conveniences. However, the thing I use it for least is as a telephone. They’re handy and helpful. In a year or two we’ll get rid of our landline, probably around the time when my kids are old enough to justify their own phones. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/23 "2013-09-25T13:55:32Z")
Yes, it is essential for expats to be able to communicate with drivers, security staff, etc. We used to have the brick-sized walkies talkies so my iPhone is a vast improvement. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/24 "2013-09-25T14:08:05Z")
> [@One\_Love](#): > > It would be useful for awkward situations, though. Just pull it out, start browsing and you blend right in. “Oh-oh, I’m starting to feel sad. [Better text 50 people](http://teamcoco.com/video/louis-ck-springsteen-cell-phone)…” Louis C.K. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/25 "2013-09-25T14:10:09Z")
I have a flip phone that is at least 5 years old. It can send text messages and make phone calls. It lives in my car and is for emergency purposes. My nephew works for Sprint and I’m on his family and friends plan so it’s really cheap. I wanted a smartphone so I could swipe my finger across the screen, but that’s a dumb reason to spend all that money. I still have a landline and make less then a dozen calls a month. ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/26 "2013-09-25T14:33:07Z")
I have a company-provided phone. I take a few business-related calls on it a day. That’s it. I don’t appreciate interruptions or distractions, so if I didn’t have this one, I probably wouldn’t have one at all. I realize I am well outside the norm 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/27 "2013-09-25T14:46:39Z")
I originally got one because I was fed up with Qwest (phone company in the western US), and a cell phone was the only alternative. But then once I got it, I realized that it was actually cheaper than the landline, with many more features, and that’s even before you take into account the free long distance (at the time, I was living in a different state than all of my family, so most of my phone usage was long distance). Plus, of course, the convenience of having it everywhere. So basically, it’s a win-win-win for me. I do not yet have a smartphone, though I probably will once my financial situation solidifies a bit more. I do have an early-generation iPod Touch, though, which I use extensively (once, I even used it to play music!). ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/28 "2013-09-25T15:49:24Z")
I didn’t have one until Obama started giving them out. Now I have a tracphone with 250 minutes a month. It’s an old-style with no internet, so no browsing. I do look at the calendar when I’m in nervous situations though! Thanks Obama! 🙂 I always have about a hundred minutes left at the end of the month because all I really use it for is to make appointments and occasionally text my daughter. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/29 "2013-09-25T16:26:43Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Used to only have a landline and resisted cell phones because of cost. > > However, eventually ditched landline (mostly telemarketers anyway) and cell phone costs went down and, well, convenience. Sort my big “doing it wrong” thing, according to my friends. I resisted getting a cell for years, as I dislike the way everyone takes it as tacit agreement you’re now at their beck and call. ATT was really stupid about my landline for some reason - it was going to be $100 to keep it, so I dropped it and switched to a pay as you go cell phone. Thing is, it almost never leaves the house. It sits in its charger where my cordless used to sit. So when I miss a call, and say I wasn’t home, everyone’s all “take the phone with you!” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/30 "2013-09-25T16:45:27Z")
I’ve got a flip phone, which I like due to its compactness; I can slip it into a pocket and forget it’s there. Since the Firebug came along, it’s been important to me to have a cell phone. Before, if my car broke down, I could walk to somewhere that I could use a phone, even though those distances are longer all the time. With the Firebug, I really want to be able to call my wife or AAA or whoever to come get us. Last winter, I ruptured my Achilles tendon while out in the woods with the Firebug. Fortunately, I was only a couple hundred yards from home, and was able to crawl back home with no problem. But it was quite comforting, knowing that I had a phone in my pocket, and could call for help if I needed it. Also, texting is how I keep in touch with babysitters, because it’s how they keep in touch with the world. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/31 "2013-09-25T16:48:49Z")
I voted yes because I carry a cell phone, but technically I’m not the “owner”, my Employer is. I wonder how many of the 7% that said no fall into that category. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/32 "2013-09-25T16:56:33Z")
I have a dumb phone, the Mrs. has a “smarty-phone”. I’m on a $6/mo TracFone plan, they charge me every month to keep the account active. When I run out of minutes, I spend $25 or so for more minutes that keep the contract active for 90 days. I hardly ever use it, and it’s frequently out of juice, so I get to borrow the nice phone on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/33 "2013-09-25T17:13:13Z")
If you’re interested in “browsing,” as in, browsing the internet, you may want to differentiate between smartphones and a normal cell phone that just allows voice and text. I have a “dumb” cellphone but I can’t browse with it. It does have a sudoku game. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/34 "2013-09-25T17:14:45Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > I’m hard of hearing, and my hearing aids don’t help with phones, so I don’t have one. . Just a thought, but have you tried using a cell phone using ear buds? It REALLY increases the volume and makes it far louder (using the volume controls on the side of the phone) that it should make it even easier to understand people on a cell phone than a regular land line. You might want to at least borrow one of their phones and use the ear bud headset and see if it works for you. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/35 "2013-09-25T17:49:02Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Just a thought, but have you tried using a cell phone using ear buds? It REALLY increases the volume and makes it far louder (using the volume controls on the side of the phone) that it should make it even easier to understand people on a cell phone than a regular land line. > > You might want to at least borrow one of their phones and use the ear bud headset and see if it works for you. Also, some hearing aids recognize telephone (magnets?) and adjust accordingly to help with feedback. I’d discuss it with your audiologist. Some people do better with that feature, some without. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/36 "2013-09-25T19:15:51Z")
Had one. Hardly used it. No longer have one. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/37 "2013-09-25T19:21:33Z")
My name is Mary and I’m a texting addict. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/38 "2013-09-25T19:36:11Z")
I have one, but not because it’s a “phone.” More because it is a mobile internet access point. If it was just a phone, I would do without. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/39 "2013-09-25T19:44:00Z")
> [@One\_Love](#): > > Just pull it out, start browsing and you blend right in. It’s my understanding that this tactic also works at orgies. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623/40 "2013-09-25T19:50:34Z")
I had to get one so I could record video of crazy people on airplanes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-cellphone/669623.md?page=3)