Surely you don't carry your phone everywhere?

[SEmyarse]

Every time there's a discussion about civil liberties, for instance at the moment with ID cards, people always say, why are you worried they can track you by your phone anyway. But that implies that people are always carrying their phones.

I have a phone, I have to for work, and it's very useful outside work as well. I sometimes use it for navigation, and on certain instances I might take it with me if there's a chance I'll need to liaise with someone while out. Super helpful technology.

But surely people aren't taking it to the shops, or on the school run, or out for a walk in the countryside?

I even take my phone with me when I get up to go to the loo in the night!😁

Paying by phone doesn’t require the phone network. In fact if you pay by your watch I believe it doesn’t even require the watch to have a battery as it has the same chip in it as the card does.

But surely the point is you don't know when you might need it?

cars breaking down, car accidents, medical events (yours/others) etc etc.. don't warn you in advance.

Because some of us are lucky enough to have been able to choose to live somewhere it's not an issue. Last place I lived we realised when we moved in we didnt have a key for the back door (that opened onto a public footpath) ... 7 years later we handed over to the new owners that we'd never got the lock changed so didnt have a key for it to give them...

All this. In my kids’ case it is also their access to uni and college portals and resources, a space where they type out their college work and read set texts. They can live without a PC or laptop, but much of their coursework is submitted this way. I online shop, tell my car where to navigate to, reorder prescriptions, track/share location with family members and a whole host of other things on my phone. For me a digital ID card is a formality now as my phone does it all already. The genie is out of the bottle as far as my personal usage is concerned.

I leave mine at home all the time. If I’m out, 90% of the time I’m with DH and he has his phone. Anyone who would need to contact me urgently also has DH’s number. Anyone else can wait til I get home. It’s only if I’m with friends that I’d take it with me to arrange when I want a lift home.

But, I only use my phone for calls, texts and taking the occasional photo. I don’t have any apps or emails or cards stored on it, so I don’t really need it.

Thank you. That's just reminded me to get some deep heat spray to carry with me... for my well documented hip problem of course 😉

Yes. I do.

I’m guessing you’re of an older generation like my dad (I’m 39, my dad is 65).
He’s always making snipey comments if I dare glance at my phone when out and about, like it makes people that do inferior to those that don’t or whatever 🤷🏼‍♀️

I am not the most modern up to date individual but yes I take my phone everywhere with me when I go out. At home, no, it can sit all day in one room untouched, but always when I go out. I don't usually use the phone part of it. When I'm at the supermarket, I have my shopping list written on it; when I go for a walk, I take photos with it, or listen to music, or use the map feature; in the car, I find it easier to use the sat nav feature than to use the inbuilt car sat nav; when I go to an appointment, I read on my phone while waiting; the list goes on.

Edited to add: I'm in my 60s. I don't think it is just a young person thing.

I was given my first mobile when I was 10 in 98. Alcatel. Then Nokia 3310, then some other Nokia, Motorola RZR and the rest. Have been carrying phones with me since then, for the past 27 years, everywhere I go. That's the point of them.

Another thing, I've never met a single person, be it a friend, colleague, acquaintance, etc who takes hours or days to reply to texts. Only on MN people seem to be so terrifyingly busy, they're unable to spend a few seconds for a txt. Never met one in reality and I know medics, professors, teachers, various sorts of people. None of them seem to be THIS busy.

i use apple pay on my phone, my phone acts as my car keys. Yes, my phone goes everywhere with me!

still am vehemently against ID cards though../

/me shrug

There's no signal up our hill anyway

I'm with you OP, i wouldnt be inclined to take it unless i need it, but I find in the last few years I feel I've been pushed more and more onto it. Parking by phone for example. If I am going for a walk to the woods or just for coffee to read a book I'll often leave it behind. Yet I still feel the need sometimes to explain this to my kids especially older kid who constantly messages about stupid things and can't seem to understand that I don't reply immediately. I will message to say im off grid for 2 hours or whatever. The rest of the time i tend to mute it and check regularly.

I really really don't understand why people want to be interrupted constantly. Then they often complain about this yet it's 100% in their control. I also cannot fathom that people carry it around the house with them. If I'm going upstairs to sort laundry why on earth would I be 'available' to reply to a sports WhatsApp group or whatever.

We have all created the world we live in, people forget that. There is so much talk about teens being addicted to phones and yet the adults around them (as seen here) are setting that example every day. We all know it's bad for us but don't give a shit yet are so quick to judge others who have unhealthy habits.

I used to leave my phone at home regularly, until I took the dog, a puppy at the time, to the woods at the end of our street - very short walk, I was recovering from surgery and it was my first time doing a short walk by myself to mobilise. I left my phone at home that day and I was accosted by a man who threatened me and tried to steal my pup. One of the first thoughts I had was “oh my god, I don’t have my phone, I can’t call for help”

We were lucky in that a lady came along the path right at that moment, he jumped back and I was right at her heels in getting away. But after that I’d never go without my phone again.

I know that in pre-phone days we just had to handle it if we had an emergency, I remember that well, but I’ve no desire to go back to those days.

Gosh - where do you live? Unthinkable down here in rural Surrey!

Also, yes, I do take my phone everywhere. I'm late 60's.

Where do you live where you don’t need to lock your door?

I don’t leave the house without my phone. Occasionally I go to work without it by accident.

Where do you live where you don’t need to lock your door?

I don’t leave the house without my phone. Occasionally I go to work without it by accident.

Where do you live where you don’t need to lock your door?

I don’t leave the house without my phone. Occasionally I go to work without it by accident.

I'm gonna guess you are older (like me). I remember the days when phones were hard-wired into the wall. And I HATE carrying my phone with me! My bosses want to reach me on my days off, creditors want to reach me, it spams me with news (which is never good) and ads ads ads. I don't even charge it unless I'm expecting a call. In fact, right now I don't know where it even is.

Because she is so much better than the rest of us.

There is so much talk about teens being addicted to phones and yet the adults around them (as seen here) are setting that example every day

How does having your phone about your person in case you need it when you’re out and about equate to being addicted?

Of course I have it with me 24/7.

I agree it's odd, but it's something that seems to becoming more and more common. I can't wrap my head around why.

Are you in a detached house. My idiot mother couldn't be arsed with the very basic admin task of getting insurance - nothing worth stealing etc. But what if you have a fire in your semi detatched house and that burns next door down, how are you going to pay for that mother ?

I am elderly and my phone is never far from me, but always with me when I’m out. You never know what emergency may crop up and I’m generally alone or with my wheelchair bound part