Sick of Cell Phones and Human Obsession

I agree with the OP on etiquette. I can't stand it when people are texting when we're having a conversation, or when a phone rings during dinner - and worse, somebody answers it. I can understand that in certain situations, such as emergencies. But otherwise, pocket it.

And as far as having one of my own, my phone is my primary line. I don't use landlines, mostly because where I live, there are no more pay phones. I need to be able to be contacted in case of emergencies, or for important things. But I don't call much, and when I do, I keep it brief. Talking on the phone for hours is both costly and... well, sort of unnecessary. If I want to talk to you for that long, why don't I just visit?

I am guilty of browsing the web, though, such as when in the grocery store to look up materials for a recipe if I've forgotten and (I'm not ashamed D

I enjoy my cell phone, I got an iPhone and because of it I rarely ever use my computer anymore. I text a lot, allows me to jump in and out of convos quickly.

I work at a full serv gas station, and people ACTUALLY think that talking on their cell is okay while I am greeting them. I have begun to retaliate......

I give them a three second count to put it down and speak to me. If they don't, I walk away and greet another customer. Then I go back and give them the same 3 seconds again. That's their two chances. After that I tell them loudly and rudely that they are not in a phone booth and are block my paying customers and to kindly pull away.

the shear embarrassment on their face is enough that they NEVER do it again.

When it is slow, I will walk inside, pick up my book and go back to reading. I have actually had people honk at me; to I respond by looking up, nodding, and resuming my reading.

When they finally get off their inconsiderate lazy rumps, I inform them that they now owe me $x for the time they spent using my pumps as a phone booth. they usualy apologize and will even shut off the thing while in my presence.

the WORST is that EVERY person that comes in thinks that it's okay to leave their engine running while I pump their gas. I'm just as anal about that. it's bad enough I'm out there in the elements doing what they don't like, but then I gotta breathe in exhaust??? I think F#$&ing NOT!!

I think most people in town hate me.....

I had one for "emergency service" but, found out quickly whenever I needed emergency service from it that I was out of range of any towers. So, I had to go through the same ole steps of banking on the kindness of strangers hoping that I didn't run into the random serial killer.
Plus I've watched my brother using the cell phone so much that it invades his "normal life" in that he can't sit and watch a movie without getting beeps and blings from everyone wanting to know his whereabouts. When I went to the beach with him it was so bad that I ended up watching his children and making sure they were having fun while he answered phone calls and text messages.

I got rid of mine asap because it never helped me in emergencies.





[edit on 17/2/10 by toochaos4u]

Technology has not made our lives any easier. I am working as hard now as I ever did!

BEST THREAD EVER LOL Dude this is pure synchronicity! just a few days ago, i too got rid of my phone and transferred over my contract to another poor chap...and you're right, IT IS THE INVISIBLE LEASH! everytime i had my phone it always gave me the feeling that someones gonna call me know and i have to waste my time talking over the phone,,,and especially the thought of of the monthly bill coming...its bad enough we have credit debt, housing bills and all the other expenses just to get extra expenses on top of that?! and since i live in toronto, the monopoly over here from rogers, telus and bell is rediculous, cell phone plans are expensive! but after getting rid of the phone i told my friends to call me on my house phone and they too were suprised of this but i dont care what people think...if humanity survived this far without cellphones then i have nothing to worry about!

reply to post by gwydionblack


I gave up my cell phone just before deploying last year and im glad that I don't have it anymore. The cell phone companies do a good job in keeping people into debt and id be damned if I was still gonna have one while at another country. $&F

reply to post by pyrael


i still dont have a cellphone and never will i like your angle i work the flightline at dfw as a mechanic the planes broke and i cant get in the cockpit because the crew has turned it into a phone booth captian says his mother in law wants to move in with them for awhile he says no to his wife because the last time she came over she had bad gas flight attendant says she is seeing 3 different guys but cant figure out how she got the crabs and the fo is on the phone to the chief pilot trying to make a name for himself saying i really havent seen this mechanic do anything in the last 15 mins it took about 20 mins but i finally run them all out of there i told them i was shutting down their phone both indefinitely so i can get back to the thinking and fixing part its all good isnt it

Here's a good story. Have been getting some bother from the tax man due to a screw up on their system...
Most people you dont wanna talk to (big corporates) withold their numbers.

Got a call from anonymous number which on a friday I didn't feel like answering. THey tried again later, again I missed it... tried a third time I picked up... and got the best call I've ever got - won $500 from doing a survey a while back.. excellent!

reply to post by pyrael



Pyrael... I'd also be worried about microwave radiation setting off a spark and igniting gas fumes too.... highly remote but possible under the right conditions. More to be annoyed at idiots for...

reply to post by robatmj12


nice work

I am starting to think that having a quota of pissing off at least 2 people a day is quite fair

reply to post by GhostR1der


You know I have to say sometimes I wish it would happen maybe if some idiot just had a brush with death like that ANYWHERE in my area people would change their attitudes.

We have signs plainly posted that say NO SMOKING, STOP ENGINE and smaller ones on the face of the pumps saying to turn off cellphones as well as all other electronic devices (chance of static discharge)

I have to admit I DO own a prepaid cellphone. I have 2 children from previous marriages (on my 3rd marriage) and it's the easiest way to keep in touch with them, but it's texting only because it's free for us. My Wife and I also keep in touch via the texting. She is on disability due to an acute blood clot that almost killed her so since I am not allowed personal calls, she texts me. The DIFFERENCE is that I mute the thing and handle my job first, then check when I have a free moment. Also, my boss uses it to keep in contact with me in case of someone calling in sick. Rarely happens and as I said, I barely EVER talk on the stupid thing heh heh. Heck, My boss, kids and wife are the only ones with the number

I have had a cell phone since I was 13, and I must say that it is attached to my hip most the time; HOWEVER...I am still able to communicate effectively as a human being WITHOUT a cell phone, which I think is a big issue. I'm 21 but I am concerned for the 9-18 year olds. They don't seem to be capable of normal person-to-person interaction. I am a server, and it sickens me to go to a table and try to interact with my guests, only to have them stare down at their phones...and then during the meal, instead of interacting with their dinner date, they play with their phone! I think it's an issue, but only if the user forgets that REAL human interaction is much more valuable then a text conversation. Not to mention issues with sexting and things like that. Also, I think cells have taken away discretion from adults...I cannot help but wonder how many would have stayed faithful if they hadn't had a cell phone to be sneaky with.

I must say I use my phone totally different. I use the ignore function whenever I am busy in Real life, just redirect it to voicemail, which is turned of btw. so I just see the message that and that person wants to have a useless conversation with you. Especially during shopping I am using my phone, the only time I am not using it is when I am paying for my products, just to have some respect for the one working. Why I am using it especially during shopping? Well I need to have some products, gathering them is a waste of time, so if I would combine it with another waste of time, hearing the chitchat of others who seem to have the need to share it with me, I only use half the time for both of it. One hour shopping with the same time one hour chitchat is still just one hour. So I just waste one hour of my life. I do not have a problem when people are texting or calling during a conversation with me, it just creates some space for me to do my own things. In general, I don't like chitchat, not on phone not in reallife. So If you really need to tell me your Sh**, I prefer on phone so I can go on with whatever I am doing. And that is how I tread phonecalls, I always make them know they interrupt me, and if they don't have something intresting or important to say, they just have less priority then my RL and I don't focus on them... It's annoying for them.... My close ones understand that so no problems with them...

reply to post by gwydionblack


I am right there with you. I've never understood cell phones. Heck I don't even like regular phones. Seems the phone in my house is always ringing, unless the Caller ID says its someone important I tend to let the machine get it and all the machine usually records are dial-tones of people hanging up. If you're hanging up on my machine your call was not important.

I refuse to get a cell phone, the only one I've ever had was a pre-paid phone to get in touch with my ride home from work and to use in emergencies. I've seen this strange power these phones have over people, in some ways Twitter and Facebook do it to, we have have that handful of friends on Facebook constantly playing some game or app or taking some useless quiz (heck I've even caught myself spending too much time on some sites *cough* ATS *cough)... there is this odd addiction to technology... People are constantly texting, even during conversations right to their face they will pull out their phone and text back and still pretend you have their undivided attention...

Its gotten out of hand. With Twitter now you have a bunch of morons who post EVERYTHING they do. And everyone with a webcam thinks they can be a youtube star... and everyone is doing the cell phone thing even while driving (even where its illegal). Does anyone not realize that most of this stuff is PUBLIC, most of it can be found by anyone and we hear TPTB constantly saying they want monitoring of social networking sites.

Star and Flag... Down with cellphones.

reply to post by gwydionblack


You're not alone, by far.

I got to the point that I would literally cringe when it rang. It was like everyone had the power to press a button and completely F up my day. Needless to say, I got sick of it.

One day at work, someone rang me and instantly put me in a bad mood. That's when I realised that I didn't want anyone to have this kind of power over me. So I pulled my truck over, got out, and placed it in front of the front wheel.

I got back in the cab and released the park brake, put it in gear, and crept forward.

Words cannot describe the feeling that came over me when I heard the crack. It was like a spell had been lifted from me. I instantly had an overwhelming feeling of joy. I will never own one again.

I highly recommend setting yourself free from this device. It's intention is not to make your life easier, but rather, to make you more productive.

I promise you, if you destroy it, you will feel on top of the world. As for other people, just tell them it broke.

I have a cell phone, but I very rarely use it. It's for "if I get stranded" or an "emergency".

I constantly see people with this obnoxious device attached to their ears.

Driving - I can always tell when someone is yakking on their cell and trying to drive. All over both lanes, cannot turn a corner without crawling almost to a stop, non predictable and dangerous. I hate being in back of some idiot driving while on their cell.

Some people seem obsessed with this device, perhaps they just love to hear themselves talk.

It's like watching a bunch of teenage girls when they're in that phase of hanging on the phone 24/7, except now it's men, women, grandmas, even my 5 year old niece at a wedding.

I just wish someone would give me the key so I could leave this insane asylum we call earth.

The "cell" isn't connecting, it's disconnecting us. Get on a elevator or passing someone while walking and the person you encounter now has a reason to not make eye contact, smile, say good morning, good night or simply hello, they're on their cell.

Just another way we are all being made to monitor each other.

Clocks and cell phones - I personally wish were not a part of my universe.

[edit on 21-2-2010 by ofhumandescent]

[edit on 21-2-2010 by ofhumandescent]

A needed thread

Don't have one apart from a gift phone gathering dust somewhere

Dislike them for all the reasons detailed in above posts

I've dropped-out. Don't even bother answering the land-line

Got a message-machine in around 1994. That was good -- freed me

These days, people attached to their mobile phones in stores, restaurants, etc. doesn't even annoy me. I'm past it. Don't notice them. They've lost their power to annoy. That's good also -- more freedom for me

Facebook, MySpace, texting, twittering, apps, etc. Doesn't touch me -- it's for 'other people'

Don't stick little headphone iPody things in my ears to insulate me from all those people I'm otherwise so desperate to speak to on a mobile, LOL

What others think of my attitude re: all the above is their problem

Personally, I enjoy watch the idiot.....er..um.....person?..........that drives with a cell to their head. Especially when I'm behind them at a light and it turns green. I have a LOUD HORN and I drive a BIG CAR

Honestly, I'm always more cautious around people like that just because I think it's important for us, those who have 1/2 a brain to put the damned thing down while driving or use the speaker, because we may be the witness that can honestly and truthfully say that they had their phone up to their ear etc when the acident occurred. I know I watch what people do, I'm sure most people do.

I just wish I could video the freaking cops around here. The locals cops are good about it, but the Troopers are always around with a cell to their ear. Great attitude; do as the law says, not as the cops do.

Excellent rant OP ! You're right and I think many are on board with your views.
I feel since the advent of all these hand-held gadgets (cell, iPod, MP3, games etc) it's become a crutch to people who are out in the world. They're becoming insecure and need this distraction to avoid the public!

Yes, people are losing their ability to interact. We're living in a 1-dimensional world for a good portion of our day and we're forgetting (or losing the skill) how to engage in the 3rd dimensional real world.
It's frightening actually.

And, there's been study on how constant use of these handheld devices are really effecting our IQ's. We're using our brain in a very limited tunnel-vision narrow-minded capacity when honing in on these devises that it almost becomes hypnotic.
Ordinarily our brain works in a very skillful peripheral manner, but when you're zeroed in on these hand-held devices, we retraining our brains to be less peripheral and more limited.

And then there's the cancer conundrum-debate and bee. It's being suggested that bees are dying off because the cell towers are interfering with their natural ability to navigate. And we already discussed the brain cancer thing!

So all in all, there are far more bad elements to cell phones than good ones and while we still have freedom of choice, perhaps it's a good time to rethink this out because I know, I am....right now!

Thanks OP. You're a breath of sunshine and hope!

reply to post by gwydionblack


Great thread!
*S&F*

Don't need to add much more than what's already been stated.
Privacy is no more.
People get mad when you don't talk to them on the cell phone.

It's ashame, what society has come to. Really.
I'm with you and about to destroy mine.
Then I'd have no form of communication, so.

I'm 30 years old and my cellphone is 10 years old. Society's obsession with technology is disgusting. Go to any mall on a saturday and the busiest store is the Apple store. They are always packed. I can't stand our obsession with texting and cellphones. It's like people can't go anywhere or do anything without being plugged into the "matrix". I mean my question is who the hell are all these people texting? Especially these adults. Are they all cheating on their spouses? I think the grown men and women I see texting incessantly are as bad as the young kids? Young kids are so self absorbed these days............they'd rather text each other than actually TALK to each other. I was at a party the other day and there was a group of us adults and some younger people/kids. Thankfully all the adults were actually engaging in conversation and interacting............all the young kids did was sit there and text. Not once did I see them interact or engage each other with any amount of substantial dialogue.