That must be it, I am a weirdo.

Many years ago I drew a sketch, to which I was reminded by this thread now. I found it:



Meanwhile cell phones don't have antennas anymore and phone boxes are gone.

reply to post by Thescripter


Hey buddy, thumbs up

I got tired of my cellphone some years ago, and I really don't use it for texting or calling to people.
And if people call me, and I don't want to talk (because its not necessary) then I just leave the phone ringing. Yeah, there I said it, call me a rebel if you want!

Don't get me wrong, I do carry my cellphone, but that is merely because IF anything actually should happen (I always take it when its my family) then I can react much faster.

And I also use the cellphones features (apps and such, a good time killer)

As I posted elsewhere, "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society...Krisnamurti" The fact that people accuse you of being a sociopath for not owning a cell phone just points to how true that statement is. I mean seriously! WTF?!! I know how you feel I run into the same thing myself. I have had a cellphone before and making the choice to get rid of it was one of the most liberating things I've ever done. I too do not like the idea of being shackled to an electronic device, not to mention the myriad of conspiracy theories floating around out there about cell phones lol.

When I made the decision I started encountering the same things though. People leave a ridiculous amount of messages on the home phone always increasing in intensity. They ridicule you for not "conforming" and blowing a gross amount of money on a cell phone and monthly cell phone payment... screw em. More power to you! Stay strong man! Who needs brain cancer anyways?

I have a prepaid phone. (hangs head in shame) I take it on the road with me for emergencies. Nobody has the number, and it is now 7 years old. i think it still works,but it is almost impossible to text on thank goodness. I usually forget to take it with me whenever I go out. Hardly ever use it anyway.

I often see children, and I mean young kids walking down the street texting to beat the band. They cross streets without missing a beat and never look before crossing. I'm thinking that speeding cars are going to take care of this problem for us. Survival of the fittest will prevail. What does a kid need with a cellphone anyway.

Back a while ago my girlfriend and I went to dinner. Two families came in and sat at a rather large table. As soon as they sat down all the kids(there were 6 of them) all whipped out their phones(except one who took out a hand held game) and started texting. Then the mothers also took out their phones and did the same thing. The dads followed. So here were ten people sitting at the same table all not communicating with each other. The silence was deafing.

We are becoming a sick society when families can't sit down to dinner and talk to each other. So I'm with you on this one. S&F

Originally posted by Thescripter
It's really interesting the hostility I get from people on a daily basis. One thing is that I do not and will not carry a cell phone - I have my reasons, one being that when I am not at home or work I am usually doing something and don't like to be shackled and on call to anyone. When I get home I will have 5-10 messages, usually from the same 1-2 people, each one becoming more and more aggressive and agitated at me. Have we become a on call society in which we must be at everyone's beck and call 24/7? I don't know, but it's not for me. People have even bought me a cell phone, not realizing I am serious when I say "I don't want one, really." I have been called a selfish sociopath for this. Maybe they are right, who knows, maybe I am just a weirdo.

I feel the same way.. Here they expect me to pick up the phone even when i am asleep!
I suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome, so i basically sleep from 4-6am, but even though people know this they somehow expect me to have the sound on even though that would make my problems much worse.

reply to post by Thescripter


I have a prepaid cell,which i keep it off most of the times.I get flamed by friends but i don't care.It's the same thing with facebook.I don't have an account and i don't plan to have one.I mean people i see everyday keep telling me to create an account so we can talk.
Anyway when i say that i don't have facebook they look at me like i'm from another planet or something.

BTW we re not the weirdos,they are.

I don't even own a cell phone. I hate texting. If i had a cell phone, it would be restricted to emergencies, not for socialization on. If I want to talk to someone it will be face to face.

And yes, I consider myself to be wierd, and a jerk, and I am proud of it.

I am the kind of person that goes my own way and will never bow down to social pressure, no matter how insulting or upset a person might get at me.


Sidenote:
It's funny, the spellchecker doesn't recognize the word texting.

*deleted my comment*

I have been contemplating about not having a cellphone. I'm not the type that likes to be on the phone nor texting but I have one because of my job. I'm home most of the time and the only people that call me are my girlfriend or my best friends. I had a Facebook account back then when you needed a college e-mail to log in and hardly used it.

We have become a virtual and materialistic society. I live in inner-city Miami and you see it everywhere. My friends think that I'm weird because I drive a 1995 Pickup truck and don't wear the trendy clothes but most of all because I have solar panels on my home and I grow my own food! WTF?

If that's being weird, I'll carry the flag!

reply to post by jagiron610


Agreed. I love my 97 ford ranger > than my wife's new car. About the clothes - same, I can pack all my clothes into a small bag with just about everything else I own. Minimal possessions = less to worry about in my opinion, but that's another story.

Get with the program.
Get a cell phone.
It doesn't mean you have to ANSWER it if you don't want to.

But, here's the reason text is convenient. You can text your message at YOUR availability. The recipient can then look at it at THEIR availability, and without shuffling through other messages that may not be as urgent, etc.

Can't imagine you ever drive any kind of distance. I wouldn't even THINK of doing this without a cell phone these days. It's nice to be able to call someone if you break down, or get in an accident, etc. I used one months ago to save someone's life, getting an ambulance to the scene of a car hitting a pedestrian.

You're missing out on one of the most important inventions mankind has had in the last century.

reply to post by Thescripter

I lost my phone about a month ago, and I knew where I left it(outback steakhouse), but I never went and got it. Just like... Whatever... I had straight talk so no monthly billing or contract.
I don't have a phone or anything besides an address really. I still go to parties and hang out with friends. No one gets mad at me about it. Then again my reputation is that I am ridiculous. So it works for me.

I am going to a party tonight and my friends can see me there, but other than that leave me alone haha. I owe money to UNC hospitals, but they can't even try to collect it I have moved so many times, and changed phones in the past.

Of course my friends generally know where I am for the most part, and they can stop by the house any time they want.

My dad hasn't had a phone in YEARS, so we send mail to each other, whenever I figure out his next new address, haha, just a couple of nomads I guess.


The freedom is nice. Now I feel more at ease with the world. I am also talking more to people on the bus or just walking down the road. I feel more how a real human should feel. It's nice.

I hate this new fangled telephone. It's always ringing. Why can't I just stick with good old pen and paper? I was even getting used to tapping out letters with my old telegraph. Why do people want to use their voice when they can receive a string of letters?

See what I did there? There are always innovations and people clinging to old technology for whatever reason. You don't want to be inundated with text messages? Fine. Just don't be surprised when people dont communicate with you because you use a different form of communication.

OP: "People think I'm weird because I don't have a cell phone"

(Let the thread go on for a bit)

"Society is weird for using cell phones"

Anyone else see the irony?

Seriously, the cell phone is a remarkable device. You can contact anyone in the world virtually instantly, unless you use Sprint hehe. No one here has a real reason why they don't like cell phones. I've only seen anti-social reasons. If you're a loner, fine, I get it. But don't criticize society because of your personality. Most people are very social.

I understand the not-texting while in a real life conversation. I've seen an entire table of people slowly drift into using their cellphones. It was ridiculous.
But really, your conversation is probably just as dumb and unimportant as the text they're sending...so I wouldn't be so upset over it. Plus it's pretty easy to listen and send a text at the same time.

reply to post by Thescripter


Just based on your cell phone?

You are a pretty shameful weirdo. I wouldn't want to be associated with the likes of you...you're far too normal for me.

reply to post by Thescripter


Just based on your cell phone?

You are a pretty shameful weirdo. I wouldn't want to be associated with the likes of you...you're far too normal for me.

Although I understand perfectly your point of view OP, I love my cell phone.

I can bring it anywhere, use ps3 or wii remotes on bluetooth, send the hdmi output on a big screen tv and have access to thousands of games from emulators from atari to ps1. I check the internet and ATS from anywhere, I have 1000 of my favorite songs. I can read books, I can check the position of the stars in the sky, I can compose music, record my voice or music....oh and I can talk on the phone and text, but that!

If I can't answer, I just don't. I don't stress myself with that and if I need to call anyone, anytime.
Right now I'm looking for a job and I feel that's it's great that I don't have to stay put at home to check my emails and get calls from jobs.

Oh and I always use my wired headset to talk, cell phone are dangerous. I wish they would make em safer.

I have a cell phone, and it can get very annoying, alerting me to text-messages and phone calls all day and even at night. A lot of people expect you to be available "right now" and don't know what they are doing tomorrow. This makes it very hard to make plans or do something that requires time.

In the end, I scaled back on how many friends I have drastically, and don't always answer my phone or text messages right away.

Yup I don't own a mobile phone for the exact reasons you have stated OP.
I too get looked at when I say sorry no mobile number.
I hate being on a bus and everyone around me is just staring at the bleeding mobile instead of watching the world go by or interacting with real people.
S&F

reply to post by Gazrok


But when you decide not to answer the people get mad and say "why don't you answer your phone" like we have to answer it by law.
I manage with my home phone not missed anything because of my early 90's answer machine


I once was manager of a local pub and the owners gave me a birthday gift of a mobile phone, so I used it but discovered they bought it so I could be at their beck and call 24/7 (on my days off etc) I gave it back saying I didn't want it and if they want to contact me on my day off ring my house phone and leave a message.....I was threatened with the sack (My boss was a nutjob) I said "so ahead sack me and I will see you in court" next day she said sorry and accepted the phone.