# Does Anyone Still Own A "Beeper"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864 "2005-08-06T09:14:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/1 "2005-08-06T09:14:20Z")
Just wondering. They used to be all the rage, but now with cell phones, why would anyone still have just a beeper? So - does anyone still use one? And if you used to own one, when did you give it up? ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/2 "2005-08-06T09:53:03Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Just wondering. They used to be all the rage, but now with cell phones, why would anyone still have just a beeper? > > So - does anyone still use one? > > And if you used to own one, when did you give it up? Lots of folks around here still have one, but we’re a rural state with lots of teensy tinsy hills that somehow are tall enough to block cell phone coverage (but pages still get through). In fact, a lot of rural doctors and nurses have both, or just have a pager (because they’ve had one since it was vastly more economical than a cell phone, and it’s easier to stick with what you’ve trained everyone to use). Corr ---
**Author:** ![Theologue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Theologue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theologue)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/3 "2005-08-06T10:04:31Z")
…I actually liked my beeper. They’re so much easier to ignore. With a beeper you can choose whether or not to make the call back–“I wasn’t near a phone.” That’s no longer an option when you’re wearing the phone. It was a messaging, not just number, beeper, so that was as good as (one-way) SMS. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/4 "2005-08-06T11:03:26Z")
The only person I know who still has one is a cousin of mine who is a pediatrician. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/5 "2005-08-06T13:24:31Z")
I work in the medical field, and a lot of physicians, nurses, and other staff have them. There are a lot of house phones around in our medical center, and they work better in some areas than cell phones do (elevators are a big “dead” cell area where I work, among other spots), plus there’s a paging system there that you can reach from house phones. No need to remember long cell phone numbers for everyone or to give out your own cell number. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/6 "2005-08-06T13:48:05Z")
I had a beeper a few years ago. I was temping at an insurance company, and the regular staff would often not know who we were, so emergency calls would be missed. I carried a pager because it’s easier to screen calls, and it’s a LOT less conspicuous than a cell phone. Robin ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/7 "2005-08-06T13:48:38Z")
I have one for work reasons. Each person in my group has a beeper. The beepers respond to their own individual number and also to a group number. If there is a problem, someone who wants to contact us dials the group number, saving the time and effort of determining exactly who needs to be called, who’s on site, who’s on call, etc. Generally, if there’s a problem, everyone on site needs to know. After normal working hours, a problem needs to be communicated to whomever is still on site, to the oncall person, and to our manager. We are a technical support group, and certain system problems and failures trigger exception handling software that beeps the group number. When I’m oncall, the beeper is a backup system. If a phone call doesn’t wake me up, the caller can beep me; usually one or the other will wake me up. Also, I can keep the beeper in my pocket while my cell phone is being charged up. Keeping the cell phone (my only phone) charged up while I’m on call can be a problem. Anyone in the group who doesn’t need to get beeped during some time period can turn their beeper off. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/8 "2005-08-06T14:26:36Z")
You have to turn your cell off in hospitals, but your pager is A-OK. It’s pretty much the only way to be on call for other people when in the hospital building. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/9 "2005-08-06T15:06:43Z")
chiming in from a medical family. All members of my family who are doctors(and that’s a considerable chunk), have beepers. They’re more convenient for lots of reasons. Cell phones can’t be used in hospitals, the beeper runs on a battery that lasts forever and has been said, it’s much easier to screen calls. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/10 "2005-08-06T15:11:40Z")
One of my exes was a beeper. All the others have been screamers or moaners. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/11 "2005-08-06T17:26:41Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > One of my exes was a beeper. > > All the others have been screamers or moaners. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/12 "2005-08-06T17:28:39Z")
I have one for work. I get maybe one beep every six months. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/13 "2005-08-06T17:55:34Z")
I work for a property managment company, and they all have alpha-numeric beepers (leasing agent, maintenace manager, property manager - not me!). We have an answering service who sends messages to all of them after hours and on weekends so emergency maintenance calls or requests for showings can be answered. ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/14 "2005-08-06T18:23:28Z")
I have one for work, too. (lab tech at the hospital). I hate it. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/15 "2005-08-06T21:59:07Z")
A lot of people around here work in classified environments, and devices that transmit and/or record data are not allowed in the building – at best you _might_ get permission to bring it in, but then it can never leave. Such devices include cell phones, cameras, and many PDAs. Traditional beepers, however, only receive data, so they’re allowed. For that reason, many of my friends have a cell phone (for outside of work) _and_ a beeper (for while they’re at work). ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/16 "2005-08-06T22:08:59Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Just wondering. They used to be all the rage, but now with cell phones, why would anyone still have just a beeper? A cell is swell But a beeper is cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/17 "2005-08-06T22:59:13Z")
I am on call a fair bit at a small hospital. My “beeper” (pager) is always on, and usually with me. My cell phone is usually nearby, somewhere. I really hate both of these devices. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/18 "2005-08-07T01:09:56Z")
We still use them at work for night-time computer support. When I had one, I liked that they could be used forever between changing batteries. At least a month for me, which is about 10x my cell phone. But I think our real motivation is cost. They only cost $10 or so a month, compared to a cell phone that would be $20-$30. And for us, not being able to talk to the person paging you doesn’t matter, since our response is to connect to our network regardless of the reason. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/19 "2005-08-07T01:25:28Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Just wondering. They used to be all the rage, but now with cell phones, why would anyone still have just a beeper? > > So - does anyone still use one? > > And if you used to own one, when did you give it up? absolutely! It is the only thing that works in some buildings. Just make sure you get the old style beepers-relatively low frequency analog signal. My wife works in several schools in the area. Inside those metal roofs buried in one of the central halls-no cell phone will work. Beeper works every time. Beep her and she will go outside and return the call. Her boss thinks it is amazing-she is the only staffer that is always within reach. 🙂 Of course the beeper company is now operating in bankrupcy. but apparently enough people prefer the service that they can keep the towers operating. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864/20 "2005-08-07T02:06:54Z")
there are three of us in the technical department. we rotate two week shifts taking 24 hour calls. we use a beeper attached to an answering service. with the beeper, the answering service does not need a schedule, they just send out a page. the on call tech has the beeper and will respond. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-still-own-a-beeper/315864.md?page=2)