Cell phones vs landlines

[Novelafemme]

I would love to not have a cell phone (I think). My sister and her husband, who both live in NYC, have never had cells and still have one of those old school answering machines at home. They feel the disconnect keeps them grounded. I tend to agree.

My mother in law lives with us and she prefers having a landline, so we do. She is also a HUGE football fan and in order for her to have access to some football package through our cable company, she needs that landline.

I am learning more and more about football whether I want to or not.

I miss the days of rotary phones, getting yanked off my feet by the phone cord when I walk farther than its length, and hiding in the closet twirling the cord while I try to have those "private" talks. I think I just dated myself.

[laruss]

I gave up my landline about a year ago and really could have given it up much sooner. I kept it for the long distance only, then I found Skype, so I no longer needed the landline.

I love my cell, it goes everywhere with me and I have everything on it, all 4 email accounts, facebook, internet, and it is one of the best point and shoot cameras I have owned. I am huge into texting, a quick and easy way to contact people. I rarely used it as a phone until more recently.

I also always keep it close, including when I am in the shower. I have even talked and texted while in the shower. Yes, I am hooked on the cell.

And I am still a diehard Blackberry fan, I like having a real keyboard. I hate touch screens. My new Blackberry has both, and I almost always use the keyboard instead of the screen.

[girl_dee]

i need a landline for 911, knowing i won't have to fumble with my cell if i need to call 911 is worth it to me.

Here at the farm our internet is through a phone line so that's reason two.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by claybaby

Like Parker, mine stays close by me...everywhere. Esp. when I am in shower...And I usually do NOT answer it when I am eating, doing something I don't want to interrupt....NO, not that....lol...like watching one of my shows, etc. or if I just don't feel up to talking.
With the institution of phone etiquette and manners, a cell can be a pleasant experience!
I turn the ringer off at night so as not to be disturbed. None of my loved ones are remotely close by, so what can I do at Oh Dark Thirty anyway. I am prone to check it when I wake to go to BR anyway.
TEXTING is the Bomb diggety!!

I dont answer when I am with other people, in my car, etc - also, if I dont recognize the number, I let it go to VM. I also turn the ringer off when I am sleeping - a lot of people ask me when a good time to call is and I can honestly say anytime because if I am sleeping or whatever, the ringer is off.

I also love texting - I actually prefer it to talking on the phone. lol


I was thinking about the landline I had because I a lot of people say they have one in case of a SHTF event - but the landline I had wasnt even really a landline, it was a part of my cable bundle, so if the power went out, there went my "landline." I guess I havent had an actual landline phone in something like 20yrs! Having one in case of a SHTF event is a good idea - I just cant afford the added expense right now.

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Also, just an FYI about cell phones and telemarketers - the info about cell phone numbers becoming public is a hoax - it was an internet rumor started many years ago. If you check it out on snopes.com, you can see how it all started and that it is false.

In fact, the Do Not Call Registry website says this:

Can I register my cell phone on the National Do Not Call Registry?

Yes, you may place your personal cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry has accepted cell phone numbers since it opened for registrations in June 2003. There is no deadline to register a home or cell phone number on the Registry.

You may have received an email telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database; however, that is not the case. FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers don’t call consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

It's still a great idea to register your cell with the DNC registry to avoid those who dont use an automatic dialer - I recommend it to my friends all the time - just dont panic thinking you're about to get bombarded with telemarketing calls.

I registered my cell and I still get the occasional call on my cell from a telemarketer so I just google the number to try to get company info and then go to the Do Not Call Registry to file a complaint with the FCC.