How's your day?

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

As I stated, I only have a cell phone because pay phones are a thing of history in many areas now. All gas stations used to have a pay phone, almost every store used to have one.

Now I'm driving more often, I decided I needed emergency communications, I could have installed my 2 metre ham radio, but, finding a fellow ham in the area I live in could take hours, so it was a cheap cell phone provider and an Alcatel $25 smart phone to the rescue.

 

[Brew 5,462]

Funny how I managed to get to my 60's without ever having found a mobile phone a necessity , I'm 74 now and still don't see them as such.

In ye olde times I walked to a phone box, I went to a library for information and made notes on scraps of paper for those items I needed to remember. They are handy things to have but I still have not found access to the internet necessary when away from home.

 

There is one picture on my phone. No browser history. No E-mail set up and lo and behold I still manage to keep going, amazing, I don't know how I do it!

[benjamin1945 16,279]

Jar Nescafe and Gillette razors from the coop........no way,,,you thief,,

A few million in Jewellery from Billionaires row.............GO for it,,,especially if you are a bored Pensioner,,,like the Hatton Garden mob.........

pity most got caught...........

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

Phones?  Love the old GPO Bakelite telephones with the plaited cord cable. Proper dial, proper ring. Classy. They are making reproductions now but they're a poor imitation.

 

Mobiles? Leave me cold. No interest whatsoever.

[philmayfield 6,240]

I suppose you do your washing in a dolly tub and wring out the clothes through the wooden rollers of a mangle as well. 

[trogg 2,032]

What is a luxury  and what is essential, its different for different people at different times.  In the 50s and 60s central heating was a luxury out of reach  to most people, now today for me its essential. To some people a pair of shoes is a luxury beyond there dreams , need I give more examples . Some people want more, just to satisfy there desires if they can afford it why not, it makes not difference to me. People are able to pursue there interests which costs to me a fortune, its up to them, me for example would never spend any money on watching sport but on other things no hesitation, my choice. 

[DJ360 6,751]

My Smartphone was about £250.  I've had it 3 years and replaced the battery (a surgical operation) once. I'll keep it till it dies.  A Smartphone on a good tariff can be had for a tenner a month from Tesco.  'Dumb' phones can be had for peanuts.  With the demise of phone boxes etc., mobiles are pretty much a necessity for most of us these days.  They are also a safety back up when travelling, can have satnav on them and so on.

Of course some people will insist on having an iPhone 99 or whatever at well over £1k.. but that's up to them and their wallet.

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

23 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

suppose you do your washing in a dolly tub and wring out the clothes through the wooden rollers of a mangle as well. 

How did you guess? 

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I've no interest in cell phones either Jill, but when you are 15 miles to town and your car decides to crap itself, how you going to get help?? I live in a rural area where a "town" is about the same size as an English village. Nearest "large" town 2200 population, 30 miles away, nearest larger town, 11,000 population about 40 miles, and no such thing as pay phones anymore, then you have to have a cell phone.

I hate ALL phones with a vengeance, I didn't even have a land line until I was in my 30's and it was only through a live in G/F who begged me to get one, or I doubt I'd have had any sort of phone until I was in my 40's. My work life revolved around phones for years at work itself. I wasn't about to make life easy for my bosses to get me to come and cover absenteeism or sickness callouts.

And now at 72, hard of hearing, I still hate phones.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I do the weekly washing down at the river using a flat stone to beat the clothes clean....LOL

 

[trogg 2,032]

Ayeupmeducks  your slipping, that is a job for the wife, it gives them a day out with their friends. lol

[Beekay 5,234]

If Jill Sparrow has a mangle, I  think I  might come up and paint it. As for cell phones, mine is a humble Doro, which being on p.a.y.g. only cost me about five every couple of months or so. It sends text, makes phone calls and that's  all I  want.

[Waddo 921]

58 minutes ago, Ayupmeducks said:

I do the weekly washing down at the river using a flat stone to beat the clothes clean

Daft as it sounds, out here in India, they still do the washing like that. Mind you, most of the time, they're on their mobile phones!!

[loppylugs 8,429]

I've got an old flip phone on p a y go.  Ok for all I ever do.  I don't need the internet on a four inch screen.

 

Main irritation is automated Doctor and Dentist calls to remind of appointments that I already wrote on my  calender.  I mostly keep it turned off.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

My wife's at the office five days a week, so she's out with clients or doing her books.

[letsavagoo 968]

3 hours ago, Brew said:

 

Absolute tosh! I'm surprised you think that...

 

Philmayfield Is correct Brew. I can assure you that my son who runs his own business is totally reliant on his smart phone as is my daughter in law who works in energy supply. In the majority of industries now, a smart phone is essential for everyday work. I have one. I like it and find it useful but it’s not essential. 

[philmayfield 6,240]

I don’t make many calls on the mobile. It’s main use is as a work of reference. It’s much easier than lugging the  Encyclopaedia Britannica around with me!

[Brew 5,462]

No sir. It's convenient, it a great time saver but it's no more than that. It's only essential when you can't breathe without one. The peak district is on my doorstep and is notorious for 'no signal' areas and radio dead spots but for 28 years we managed to keep the lights on for the majority of the time.

[Brew 5,462]

1 minute ago, philmayfield said:

I don’t make many calls on the mobile. It’s main use is as a work of reference. It’s much easier than lugging the  Encyclopaedia Britannica around with me!

 

So how did you manage before they were invented? I still maintain they are handy but hardly essential. 

[philmayfield 6,240]

Before they were invented I had to look things up in a book or latterly go online. Now I can get information on tap wherever I am. In addition there are a multitude of useful apps from the weather forecast to speed cameras plus I can make and receive calls whilst driving.

[Brew 5,462]

11 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

Before they were invented I had to look things up in a book or latterly go online. Now I can get information on tap wherever I am. In addition there are a multitude of useful apps from the weather forecast to speed cameras plus I can make and receive calls whilst driving.

 

So they are as I said convenient not essential. None of the other stuff you mention is really necessary and I seriously doubt any of us have had a life changing phone call whilst out driving  - and hands free calls will soon be banned.

[philmayfield 6,240]

This is the 21st century Brew! 

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Most newer vehicles this side of the pond, from around 2010 onwards have Wifi stereo systems, and as most modern cell phones have that same App, they can be set up for hands free operation via the vehicles radio/player.

There's a select button under the rear view mirror and on the steering wheel, press either and it goes into Wifi phone mode, once set up to recognize one's voice, you tell it what number to dial and it gets on with the job while you are driving with little distraction.

My BIL uses his all the time.

[Brew 5,462]

5 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

This is the 21st century Brew! 

And we got here without a single mobile phone before 1973! How good are we?    

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

On the topic of "no signal", my house and most of my 80 acres of land are a RF "black hole" as regards of frequencies above 440Mhz, in fact there is only one spot I have found that has any "bars" showing, and that is on the hill of my north west field.

One good thing about that is if we have guests stay over, their phones won't be a rude distraction, and their kids will leave with "cell phone withdrawal symptoms".

This whole area has poor signal reception due to the topography of the area, hills and dales.