# Is having a cell phone a right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 3, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378 "2011-08-03T21:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![OneMissedPost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OneMissedPost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneMissedPost)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/41 "2011-08-05T18:11:03Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Basic cable and internet access as well -XT I agree that everyone should have internet access. > [@DianaG](#): > > Apparently it’s gone into selective reading. No one has said that a phone is the only thing you need to get out of poverty. > > That said, you can certainly apply for a job online, but employers generally prefer to employ people they have a more efficient way of reaching than through email that the person can only access when the library is open and one of the three dial-up terminals is available. Yes, generally they do prefer people that do, but it’s not a mandatory requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/42 "2011-08-05T18:35:46Z")
> [@OneMissedPost](#): > > Where has all the creativity gone? > > Anyone who has access to the internet can find a job. Public Libraries have computers that have internet access. People can apply for many jobs online. Where has all the common sense gone? Go ahead and apply for a job, and see what happens when they try to call to schedule an interview. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/43 "2011-08-05T18:42:52Z")
> [@OneMissedPost](#): > > it’s not a mandatory requirement. Of course not, that would be redundant. ---
**Author:** ![OneMissedPost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OneMissedPost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneMissedPost)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/44 "2011-08-05T18:44:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Where has all the common sense gone? > > Go ahead and apply for a job, and see what happens when they try to call to schedule an interview. My job interviews have all been scheduled via email. It has nothing to do with common sense. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/45 "2011-08-05T18:47:18Z")
Your personal experience isn’t the norm. Also, lots of places do an initial phone interview these days. ---
**Author:** ![OneMissedPost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OneMissedPost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneMissedPost)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/46 "2011-08-05T18:48:25Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Your personal experience isn’t the norm. > > Also, lots of places do an initial phone interview these days. Yes, but saying it’s nearly impossible isn’t accurate. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/47 "2011-08-05T18:51:21Z")
Actually, it is accurate. Allow me to rephrase. Your personal experience of being able to coordinate a job seach and employment without access to a phone is not merely “not the norm”. It is so uncommon as to border on unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/48 "2011-08-05T18:53:26Z")
> [@OneMissedPost](#): > > My job interviews have all been scheduled via email. It has nothing to do with common sense. Where were these interviews? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/49 "2011-08-05T18:59:15Z")
If it could only dial 911 would that be better? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/50 "2011-08-05T19:04:52Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > If it could only dial 911 would that be better? Hell, I didn’t even think about that. That’s even more important than job availability. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/51 "2011-08-05T19:08:25Z")
All cellphones will dial 911 regardless of whether they are activated. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/52 "2011-08-05T19:18:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > All cellphones will dial 911 regardless of whether they are activated. Yes, but you still need one. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378/53 "2011-08-05T21:38:24Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I’m not CA obviously, but I do read English, and what he said was that it’s nearly impossible for a person to get out of poverty without a cell phone, not that a cell phone is sufficient to lift them out of poverty. Without a telephone, at least. Whether the telephone is cellular or landline doesn’t matter as much, I don’t think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-having-a-cell-phone-a-right/591378.md?page=2)