Mobile phones

[Lindy]

Just out of interest - how many mumsnetters DON'T have mobile phones.

I sometimes feel I am the only person left in the country who doesn't have one ! Talking to my babysitter last night & she was absolutely horrified that I didn't have one (& I stress it was nothing to do with her being able to contact me, obviously I leave her the number where I will be, plus next door neighbour's number).

I have absolutely no interest in getting one (although I sometimes think it would be sensible if I broke down or in an emergency) - quite frankly I hate them.

Am I just an out of date old git at 44?

Look forward to your comments!!

I'm afraid I do have one, but completely understand why you wouldn't want one. People walking into you in the street beacause they're gawping at a text message, lorry drivers turning a corner one-handed cos they're yapping on their phone, loud phone talkers on trains (especially with that ringtone off Trigger Happy TV - makes me want to shout 'HELLO? NO, IT'S RUBBISH!!!' ) 10 years ago only yuppies had them, and ordinary people managed just fine without them.

I do and couldn't manage without it. If anyone's interested in how dependent they are on theirs, you could try this quiz

Lindy, you are not alone. I have old git tendencies with my mobile, reluctantly bought as I work a longish commute from home and nursery and am therefore often ON THE TRAIN. It is the most crappy old Motorola, nearly the size of shoebox, and I refuse to get into this new-fangled texting lark. Because I don't use it unless I have to my £50 credit, bought in September 2001, is still less than half used.

I hate anything that makes it harder for me to live for the present moment and that includes watches and land line answerphones as well as mobile phones. However, I have all three now, after holding out on them for ages. Practical reasons, mostly, especially the watch.

I got a phone in January - and now couldn't live without it! I am completely addicted to texting - it's great fun, a very different way of communicating, .. and yes, it does make me feel younger! I used to be in awe of people who were masters of a mobile ... my husband had one, which I very occasionally used, but struggled to manage to even turn the thing off! (Yes, I know, I am lead a very sad life!)

No, Lindy, you're not alone. WE MUST RESIST!!!!!! I intend to be the last person holding out against these things.

I was going to post on the ITV digital thread about feeling I'm the only person in the UK who doesn't have digital, cable, certainly not SKY, or any other pay to view TV.

I don't have Sky, cable etc, but I do have a mobile. I resisted for ages, but then one day nursery pulled dh out of an important meeting because dd was sick, and at the time I was in town shopping. So then reluctantly I got a mobile for nursery to call me on. However, I must admit that now I have it I do use it quite a lot, mostly for work purposes.

Be gone! evil ringing, texting machine, I refuse to bow down to your modern 21st century technology - now excuse me while I switch the electric kettle on, read through my emails and spend hours staring at a flashing computer whilst surfing the net!

Sorry gals!

Tinker - thank you!! Surely there must be some more non-mobile phone users out there?

Hate to admit this, but we do have Sky (well, DH has it for the sport) - I am a real TV snob & would happily live without it, another of my favourite 'gripes' is the number of TVs some people seem to have ie: my brother (single, lives alone) has FIVE !!!!

I met someone recently who was proud of the fact that her DD was 'so easy' as she has a TV in her own room, & can work the remote so doesn't wake us in the morning - DD is not even two !!!!!!!!

WWW - loved looking at the quiz BTW (but most of it went above my head of course !!!)

No, I don't have a mobile phone, and I'm the only person I know without one!

We just have bog standard TV but we've had a mobile phone for more than six years. I don't use mine a lot but I wouldn't be without it.

I have an immobile phone - it sits on the dresser 99% of the time with a flat battery.

WWW - love your quiz! - I just sent it to my daughters, who are totally owned by theirs.

There are 6 mobile phones in our household, how shaming. I only know DH's number by heart, have to use the memory for everybody else's, but when you have older kids it is comforting to know they can reach you, and you can reach them (unless they are switched off of course, or in a poor reception pocket!)

Another non-mobile user/owner here, I am completely naive about how to even use one. My dh just got one for work (paid for by them) and it is a mystery to me. And we don't have pay-TV or cable net access either! One day we will catch up with the rest of the techno-digital world, but I'm holding out as long as I can! (Have to admit there have been a few occasions where a mobile would have been a godsend, but I figure if I have survived so far without one, why would I suddenly find it essential to my life now?)

While some people do only use them as needed, there are those who use them as a fashion accessory or "toy", or just to show off, which I find a bit shallow really! And so many young people are getting themselves into debt with the silly things, signing up for plans they really can't afford.

Not wanting to start a new debate but one thing I HATE is people talking on mobiles when they are driving. The hand-held's are illegal here now when driving (which is as it should be) but I am still seeing people chatting on them while they drive, even as they go around corners one handed! What the heck can be so important that it is worth risking your life and other people's lives by talking on your phone, driving one handed and being distracted from the road and traffic around you? Surely it can wait for half an hour until you get where you are going, or if it is a matter of urgency, pull over to the side of the road to make/answer the call. Grrr!

ooo yes, mollipops! Apparently, using your mobile when driving is the equivalent of being 3 times over the limit in terms of lack of concentration! Sanctimonious rant over.

I also hate it when someone phones me on my mobile, knowing I will be behind the wheel at the time.

I dont have a phone but I will say I have been so tempted to get one. I guess the reason is that I cant afford the added expense at this time. I am kind of relieved because I know if I were to get one I would never be able to give it up. My mom used to hate seeing people on cell phones mainly when she and others were driving on the roads. She told me so many times she would never get one. Then one day she decided to becuase my step dad has an eye problem and needs rides to and from work and you never know when he needs a ride home. She is always running errans. Now she cant imagine her life without it. Its like her lifeline. Hopefully Ill be able to hold back from getting one in the future but I dont know.

My BIL got us one a couple of Xmases ago, but it sits at home most of the time, and nobody has the number, so we never get any calls on it. Then the same BIL got his parents one last Xmas and they never use theirs either. So I think there are more mobile Luddites out there than the sales figures would suggest.....

Star - what bothers me with people talking on mobiles is the volume at which they speak, much louder than people having a normal conversation face-to-face. I'm not the least bit interested in other peoples conversations. I recently had to travel from York to cardiff on a train, and was unable to quietly get through the boredom by listening to a cassette on my headphones.

The reason? Some woman's mobile caused interferance which gave a lovely loud whining noise in my headphones. Consequently I had to sit and listen to all of her (loud) phone conversations all the way from Crewe to Cardiff.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to see much of it, though did manage to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Millenium Stadium. Hope to get time to visit it properly soon.