Cell Phone Frustration
No doubt
that cell phones are one of the greatest inventions ever. They are of course more than phones, they are
computers, calculators cameras and stuff that I am too old and dumb to care to
figure out.
Without all
the other functions, just a phone that you can carry with you everywhere is a
tremendous invention.
Being able
to call at any time from anywhere for directions, ask a quick question, confirm an appointment etc. is
terrific. The cell phone is, however,
not without frustrations.
The fact
that everyone knows you always have it in your possession, means it is
impossible to tactfully avoid someone you don’t want to talk to.
The flip
side of not being able to avoid someone is when you need to talk to someone and
they do not pick up.
Come on people, pick up…we know you
always have the phone handy, what is going on?
This seems
to happen to me all the time. I get a
text from Mrs. C and I need to call back to confirm I received it.
“The person you called
at number 555-5566, is not available please leave a message after the beep.”
WTF!!! I know you have the phone with you,
you just sent me a text!
So, I call
back rather than leaving a message.
“The person you called
at number 555-5566, is not available please leave a message after the beep.”
CRAP!!
This goes on
for like ten minutes before she finally answers, and in unison:
“Where were you, I have been calling
and calling?”
“Where were you, I have been calling
and calling?”
In unison:
“I have been calling and calling
you…WTF!!”
“I have been calling and calling
you…WTF!!”
“Stop! What are you calling for?”
“What?”
“Why were you trying to call me?”
“I forget, why were you trying to
call me?”
“To see if you got my text.”
“Now I remember, I was going to let
you know I got your text.”
“Why didn’t you just send me a text
that you got my text?”
“I don’t trust a text, why would you
send me a text and then call to confirm I got it?”
“I don’t trust them either.”
It is
possible that as much as I like new technology*, I might not be totally
prepared to use it correctly.
*Yes, cell phones will always seem like new technology to me.
Swimming pool update:
I went to
our pool today for the first time in a week as the weather has not been
good. There was only one life guard and
she was not the same one as last week who told Mrs. C she could not use the
deep end if there was only one guard. I
jumped in the deep end and was not told I could not.
Yes, I was a
little disappointed, I kind of wanted to unload on the stupidity of that
made-up rule. I wanted to be a
rebel. Damn!
BTW, I had
not been to the pool in a long time and had not realized that the deep end is
only 5 foot deep. Standing flat footed
in the pool the water only comes up to my shoulders…our pool HAS NO DEEP END!!!
I like the follow-up on your pool post. 5 feet. You're probably going to be okay.
ReplyDeleteI only got a smart phone last year. I rarely answer it. It angers people.
You'll have to go back to the pool every day until it's closed for the season, just to make sure you jump in the deep end with that pimply faced rule-maker-upper on duty!
ReplyDeleteI have been working on a cell phone rant today, but I have not felt the urge to jump into a swimming pool.
No deep end! What fun is that!
ReplyDeletePhones are frustrating. Sweetie gets so angry when someone won’t answer, but then forgets his phone in the other room and leaves others (me) to have to call other people to remind him to go get it so we (i) can talk to him.
I don't know what famous humorist to compare you to . . Mark Twain, Mencken, ??? But whoever it is, you've got it down pat! Very funny.
ReplyDeleteWOW!! I'd be happy to be compared with Val-the-Dictorian.
DeleteDon't sell yourself so short! You've been on a roll lately. I especially enjoyed your advice yesterday to lizard-blooded Mrs. C : "You should sleep in the sun on a rock!”
DeleteHave you considered throwing your cell phone into the "deep" end of the pool where nobody will be allowed to retrieve it? It could get rid of some frustrations!!
ReplyDelete"Yes Ms Life Guard, I understand. I'll just stay here at the 5' level and promise to not go any deeper until your reinforcements arrive." ;)
ReplyDeleteTest 123
ReplyDeleteLol, I had to laugh at the cell phone "conversation" ~ I think we've all had a similar issue at some point. Today I left my cell at work....it bugs me because it's my alarm, and worst of all it has my drivers license and debit card in it. It's locked up tight at the office and I know it's not logical to be anxious about it...so why am I? Hmmmmm
ReplyDeleteI wish you had the opportunity to discuss the deep end with the lifeguard. But maybe you'll get another chance? Hope springs eternal my friend!
I refuse to get caght up in the 'cel phone triangle'. We have a little flip phone. I turn it on if I need to make a call and then I turn it off. After all...when you leave the house to go out into the world you should leave the dang house behind.
ReplyDeleteI'm only five foot tall, so that 'deep end' would be just over my head, that's deep enough for me, but doesn't really qualify as a deep end. Some of our pools here in SA are ten and twelve feet at the dep end, at least they used to be when I was a youngster.
ReplyDeletei'm one of the few who doesn't always carry the phone everywhere. It gets left home now and again.
The easiest way to avoid harassment on the phone is to switch the damn thing off.
ReplyDeleteI would feel your frustration about cell phones except here in Podunk Arkansas I have no cell signal thus a smart phone would be useless. I have to ride 4 miles to get a signal. Had to laugh at your "deep end."
ReplyDeleteYall crack me up....
ReplyDeleteI will call my daughter and instead of her answering, she text back "what?'.
Lisa
I'll concede that smart phones are amazing inventions, and their capabilities are more than I ever imagined a held-hand device would ever have. But I don't have one. I don't want one, either. Problem solved. :)
ReplyDeleteOnly five feet deep, eh? So much for a diving board...
I was a latecomer to smart phones, but I'm a big fan of them. I'm especially a big fan when one of my co-workers happens to drive by a coffee place and texts, "What does everyone want?"
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone talk on phones any more? One of my co-workers talks to her phone to send a text. Once I got an email from someone that had been done by voice recognition. I knew that because at the end of the email it said, "Scratch that." LOL.
I have a smart phone but use it little (in fact, just written a blog post that touches on that). I work from home with my laptop always on, so find that more convenient for most things.
ReplyDelete