Cell phones - good or bad? Do you use one to gab, gab, gab? Do you talk and drive at the same time? Do you use a headset when you do? Do you talk while you shop and are otherwise out and about?

And last but not least, the poll: How many minutes do you talk on your cell phone on an average basis monthly?

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I love my cell phone. I use it as my business phone. I do not "gab gab gab" and are annoyed by those who do. I use it like I would use a regular phone. I try not to use it while driving but sometimes my mom NEEDS to talk to me (you guys know how moms can be) where I am taking the kids to school, etc and yes, I use a headset. I hate people who drive and talk at the same time without a headset and think it should be illegal. I do not talk while in a restaurant or while shopping. I think it's rude. I don't text and I don't surf the web. I just use it as a portable phone. Just because it's portable doesn't mean you should be attached to it 24/7 IMO

We have a family plan. I have a phone, my DH and my in-laws (so we can talk to them for free since they are out of state). We share 150 minutes a month and together we all use about 75-100, not counting our calls to other AT&T users. I would say I personally use a total of maybe 100 minutes including other AT&T calls. My mom has AT&T and I talk to her several times day. I dread the day my kids want a cell phone. I"ve already told them that when they do, they will have the kind that I have to pre-approve who they can call and who can call them and no texting. It's blocked from our plan. Kids texting is probably the thing that drives me the most crazy. My friends 12 year old can't eat dinner without texting!

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

No land lines here. All we have are cell phones so all are calls are made on them. Since my phone is the home phone I do answer it everywhere in case it is my children's school. But if I am in a doctor's office or place of the like I will put it on vibrate and not answer unless it is important. We have been without a land line for 8 years now and will not go back. Our home security system is even cell phone monitored.

I was born with an earlier model of this phone growing out of my shoulder. We had a brief courtship in the 90s and were married for a time in 2004.

I would not give up my phone for anything and it annoys me when people think it's annoying for people to talk on their phones. I have very rarely heard people complain when they hear BOTH sides of a conversation.,

I use my phone for work, for info, for talking and for fun. I see no reason why I should not use it when I want to or need to anymore than I think I should restrict my makeup use or my car usage simply to appease other people.

I do use my phone while driving and I think it's a matter of capabilities that is some people should not be chewing gum and walking at the same time; some people should not be driving and talking to the person next to them or using the radio.

I don't think people can say that cell phones cause accidents I think it's the poor judgment of the person using the cell phone. There have been situations when people changing a CD have crashed and killed people and nobody has ever talked about banning music in the car.

I also call my Mom (she lives 650 miles away) at least once a day and talk anywhere from 15 min to over an hour. We talk while I am driving, working, shopping, watching tv, or whatever.

I love modern technology and I use it to every advantage.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

15 minute to one hour and its soooooo rare. I only only use my cell phone for the most important people in my life. My children, my husband and my parents and father in law and occassionly for emergency only for my brothers and their familes. Otherwise all other calls can wait.To me they should be used only for important phone calls and emergenics otherwise I could live with out it...We did before...we have moved so far from what I believe is the true purpose of a cell phone ...To talk on it like you talking at home is plain rude.... Catherine

I have mine for work and I also use it for personal calls. I call my sisters and I do use it while I'm driving.

Don't have one.

Don't really have a use for one. Someday I'll probably get rid of the land line and just use a cell, but I don't want to pay for both right now.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

Driving hands free I sincerely hope and pray... Catherine

We carry a tracfone to use in case of an emergency .


.

We got rid of our landline about two years ago, so we use just cell phones. We use over an hour, less than 4 hours. DH and I each have a cell phone and the kids share one that stays at home and acts like a land line (the kids use it to call us if they get home before us, call friends, etc.)

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I don't really keep track of my minutes because I have a prepaid plan. When I reload my phone, I usually get the card amount that will give me 150 mins.

I have no landline, so all I have is my cell phone. I only use it when I need to, so I marked 1 - 4 hours a month.
I don't use it while shopping, or driving. I turn it off when at an appointment. I don't mind people talking while shopping, but they talk SO loud. Their conversations become part of my silent thoughts.. hate that.

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

If Vegetarians eat Vegetables. Do Humanitarians eat Humans?

'Vegetarian' is an old Native American word for bad hunter.

The loud talking and the fact that if I'm in the grocery aisle and the person next to me starts talking, I assume she's talking to me and I answer her.. Can't tell you how often I've done that. Embarrassing.

We only have a landline for our home security system. Absolutly no one I know other than ADT has this phone number. Other than that we are exclusive with our phones. I use my phone in public to txt, it's so much easier to carry on a private conversation that way. I don't talk and drive. I saw a bumper sticker I would love to have, it says "You're driving a car, not a phone booth" sums up about how I feel about the chat-n-drive.

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You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I have a cell and rarely use it. Can't give up our landline since the cell service in not the best. I use it in the car if I am driving back to NJ (4 hr. ride) only use with the headset and both hands remain on the wheel. Funny today hubby and I went out and it seems like everyone is driving and talking without headsets. I need a bumper sticker that says SHUT UP and drive. It is against the law here and I wish they would start ticketing. I understand that some of you feel you can handle both, but I don't want you taking chances for me in the other car
I also dislike while grocery shopping people feel the need to call there house and LOUDY discuss what type of salad dressing they should buy, get a life. I guess some people feel important when in the movies there phone rings, mine is shut off. I like to know I have the phone but sometimes I guess find it a bother.
I also dislike having to listen to all the "cute" tunes on the phone and sometimes it goes on and on.

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Sometimes the elevator often the shaft

I had to attend defensive driving school (for speeding -- we have photo radar here... another thread!). The instructor said that people use the same area of the brain for driving as they do for talking on the phone and that is why it is dangerous to do both at the same time. I thought it made sense... I don't talk on the cell phone while driving. I'll pull over.

I said 15 minutes to 1 hour. I also have a Tracfone and like to use it for 'emergencies' only (ie my kids' school).

I probably use over 4 hours a month. I call my Gram-mama every day. She's 91, 630 miles from me and I love her to bits.

I usually call her when I'm driving home from work. I have a bit over an hour drive home, I probably talk to her for a good 15 minutes or so. While I haven't been using a headset, I stay very aware of people around me and I'm not on the highway. I do have a headset, one of those over the ear blue-tooth things, but until a few days ago, it had remained "lost" in our move. Hubby found it. Now that we've taken the corroded battery out of it, I'll start using it.

So, all the Gramma calls, plus any other chit-chats.

The only time I use it when shopping is when I forgot something someone wanted. I'll call and ask, maybe keep them on the line until I find it. NEVER EVER do I use them in a check-out line. GAH!! BIG, huge, gianormous peeve of mine.

Even after all that, I'm not married to my phone. I don't feel the need to pounce on it the second it rings, nor do I feel the need to answer it EVERY time. I have voice mail and I know how to call back. I do not feel the need to text like a crazy person, although I have been known to send funny pictures once in a blue moon. I REFUSE to set it up with AIM so people can send me IM's thru it!

Not real long ago, hubby and I were out walking the dogs and we both forgot our phones. He made a comment about it and I said "So what? It's nice to take a 45 minute break from technology for a while." Heh.

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I have a tracfone that I bought for traveling ... in case we needed to contact the hotel or something. That's really all we've ever used it for! Well, I guess there's been a time now and then that DH has used it while I was on the computer or took it to use while he was out at a charity event. But, we really RARELY use our cell phone. As a matter of fact, I really don't know how to use it. I have problems figuring out how to turn it on. I need to play with it a little more!

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Linda

There are flaws in your self pronounced staying aware of people around you and not being on the highway - the common denominator is that you ARE driving a vehicle. Period, you are operating a massive, moving, powerful machine that should have your full attention.

My brother calls me while he's driving. I tell him to hang up, drive safely, and call me when I can be important enough to just talk. I really mean that. There simply is no excuse to think anyone can drive safely while talking on the phone, eating, reading, applying makeup, shaving, etc.

dl

I totally agree there is never ever ever a excuse to ever drive and talk on the cell phone, you simply pull over and answer your phone....Reckless to talk and drive at the same time, you say you can do it, but you cannot you need your eyes in front back and all around 100 percent.... Catherine

I loathe talking on the phone, any phone. I go out of my way to not ever have to use one.
I do love to text tho so I love my little Rumor phone. I can send plenty of texts a month.
I do talk on occasion. The hubby will call me on his way home to see if he needs to stop anywhere, oldest dd lives on her own now, she calls a lot, and my bestest friend my cousin calls me too! I don't drive so I don't talk or text while I am driving.

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Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

Actually, this is why I asked the question originally. On any given day driving to/from work, I observe about 1 in 3 drivers talking on the phone while driving, sometimes more. I can usually tell who is yakking it up....it's the driver who is moseying along in the left hand lane at 50 mph (speed limit 65), oblivious to the pile up of drivers behind him/her....forcing people to pass him/mer on the right after getting irritated....or stamping on the brakes at the last minute....just generally making for unsafe conditions for all drivers. What can be so important???

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I have another gripe about cell phones. When people call my cell and I CHOOSE not to answer.. They leave mad voice mails or they email me complaining. Just because I have a cell and they have my number, doesn't mean I want to talk on it ALL the time!

There I feel much better now

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

If Vegetarians eat Vegetables. Do Humanitarians eat Humans?

'Vegetarian' is an old Native American word for bad hunter.

People think of things too simplistically. Cell phones do not cause accidents. Careless people cause accidents. Some people are incapable of doing two things at once and some people let their guard down.
If I had to pull over every time I had to use my phone I would literally lose my job because the time involved would be over the time allotted me to do my job.
This is one of those things that apparently people cannot agree on so I will just agree to disagree.
I have been using a cell phone for ten years and in that time I have one accident that was my fault and I was not talking on my phone when it happened. The other accident was not my fault and I was also not talking on my phone.
I have literally been on the phone with my Mom and avoided accidents.
I will wave at you when I am driving and talking don't forget to either wave back or flip me off.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Annadrose your a sweetheart person and I sincerely love all your posts, however on this one as you said we will have to agree to disagree, driving is so hard today as there are so many cars and trunks and suvs on the road and you totally in my view need 100 percent concentration at all times .Just be safe while you drive ok hon... Peace. catherine

It is your idea that you are the one person that can easily handle driving and talking. The people in traffic around you may have a completely different take on it. I have a friend who believes this also and has no clue to the near misses or aggrivation she causes.
And no I don't think people should be eating, drinking, fiddling with the stereo, slapping kids. petting dogs ect. while driving. Driving is a full time job.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Trust me I drive for a living I have NO near misses and I am NOT oblivious to what it going on around me. My very existence depends on my driving.
And I do not believe I am only person in the world who is capable of doing two things at once. Even Police Officers type on the computer when they are driving. They are trained to do more things at once than I would even consider but that is just one example.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

What is this cell phone you are all talking about??

Oh wait. . .you mean that appendage growing out of my ear? Yeah. . .I use mine ALOT but I actually text more than I talk. . .gotta love unlimited texting.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

We don't have a land line so we use our cell phones exclusivley.
We try not to talk and drive at the same time but if we have to, we keep it short.
We don't text.

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I hate having a cell phone. If it wasn't for my son I would toss mine in the trash and never look back.But due to his needs and medical problems I need to carry one with me so the school can get in touch with me if a problem comes up. I have never done a text message in the 8 years I've had my cell phone. I don't even know how to do one. When we switched carriers I opt to have email, Internet and texting blocked since I have never used them before. I don't take calls on my cell while driving unless it's very important and then I try my best to pull off the road ( more times than not it's a call from the doctor's office or the school about my son ). But if pulling off to take the call is impossible I will take the call while driving.But to chat to anyone else I just open the phone and close it ( disconnecting the call ) or let it ring till the voice mail picks the call up. when I get to where I'm going I call them back if I can.
Now my oldest daughter HOLY COW she drives while dialing, talking and yes she's even text ed a few times. Last time I was with her she nearly wrecked her truck trying to dial a number . I yelled at her to put that (**(&*&*& phone down or I would throw the thing out the window. She nearly gave me a heart attack that day.If there's anyone in this world I can honesty say that doesn't need to talk while driving it's her !!..

we all have cell phones with unlimited texting. we text way more then we talk. i do talk and drive and rarely text and drive unless one of my kids text me and i need to responde. we have us cellular so when people call me it doesnt use the minutes so i usually talk more when people call me. we dont have a landline, we only use cells. My kids and myself are alot alike we hate talking on the phone so texting is awesome to us.

steph

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IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/my2cuties/diabetes_1.gif[/IMG]

I use mine when I want to or need to. No reason I should not. I pay for it, it is mine and my own choice. No one has the right to tell me how I should or should not use it, either. Now that....is annoying!

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

Wow! Just Wow!
So by your theory, I have a gun and I should be able to go out and target shoot in the backyard whenever I want to or "need" to. I paid for the gun and the ammunition after all, they are mine thus it's my choice? To hell with the fact that the noise disturbs the neighbors--it's my right by God and I'm going to exercise it however I see fit.

We have cell phones and land lines. We use our cell phones for calls and texting. I don't talk on the cell phone while driving and I certainly don't text while driving. That raises too much opportunity for an accident. If we are in church, in business meetings, at the theater, or elsewhere where my right to have a phone conversation would intrude upon your right to not have to listen to my phone conversation, we turn the phone on vibrate or silent. We keep them on simply because we have children and sometimes cell phone is the only way to reach us. If we receive a call while it's on vibrate, we excuse ourselves if necessary and we take the call in the hallway, foyer or lobby so as to not intrude on other people's rights. Basically, we just try to extend the same courtesy to others that we would like extended to us.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Okay, yeah....that is what I was saying.....(shaking head in dis-belief).

My phone(not my gun) is mine to use as often as I like. PERIOD!! BTW....There are laws in my area about noise after certain hours and about shooting guns in my backyard(can't do that) but there are NO laws that tell me when/where/how to use my phone.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

There may not be laws NOW about when/where/how to use your phone, but many states are considering laws against using phones will driving. Many cities have already made it a primary offense (meaning if an officer sees you driving and talking on phone he/she can stop you just for that). Plus, many governmental buildings restrict or prohibit the use of cell phones.

And while there are no "laws" to dictate common courtesy, maybe there should be if more people have your attitude. I'm sure that you aren't as selfish and self-centered as your post sounded. It just struck a nerve with me. It sounded so much like a person with an inflated sense of entitlement and self-importance. I will assume that you behave toward and treat others with the same courtesy that you would expect when out in public.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

When they make the law that says I can't use my phone because it annoys someone, I will follow it(doubt it will happen). I am so sick of people saying I should not use my phone when..........I treat others just fine, and I am not bothered by others using their phones. It is not my business or my concern.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

ROFL! We had voice mail issues at work today causing a reset of the entire system. The tech was announcing our names for a system test and I happened to be in the next room when he said my name. I stuck my head around the corner and said, "What do you need?" When we both realized what had happened we got a really good chuckle out of it.

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I want to keep ALL of my paycheck and eliminate the pyramid scheme known as Social Security (there is no lockbox ). Do you want the same thing? www.fairtax.org

In New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, DC, and Washington state, you have to drive with hands free capability. I think that's slightly better than holding a phone to your ear, but it's still distracting. Other states have "distracted driving" laws that would include cell phone use. And of course each city can, and many have passed laws covering this.

This subject would make for an interesting test on one of the 60 Minutes type shows, like they do with drunk drivers on a test course.

I know that laws limiting cell phone use while driving are being considered in many states. They need to hurry up and do it.

Is there a law coming against eating TWO ice cream cones while driving? Guy next to me almost killed us all doing that. Wish he had been on the phone, instead!

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

On military posts you also are prohibited from talking on your cell phone without a hands free device.

I personally think whether it's a phone, eating in the car, reading, applying make-up, etc. that common sense should tell you to concentrate on your task at hand, which would be driving.

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Nicole

When I was a sales rep, I definitely talked on my phone all the time while driving. At that time, there wasn't any rule about using handsfree, but they've asked the reps to use those devices for the last year. Like another poster mentioned, there is no way I could have fulfilled my job duties without talking on the phone while driving. I got used to talking on the phone while driving and enjoy it. I can see how it can be distracting, but I also know that other things in the car are distracting - babies, kids, radios, drinking coffee, eating a sandwich, driving on autopilot (so to speak), etc. I'd prefer it if everyone had their hands at 10 and 2, maintained their safe distance of multiple car lengths, rotated their eyes from left to right and always had a plan on what to do should a car come out in front of you, but that seems to be rare. I still use from my phone while driving, although it is now illegal in our area to be on a cell phone in a school zone. I agree with that.

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Kim

OT, but the driving on autopilot ... I had that problem a lot when I drove an automatic. My current car is a manual/stick and I'll never go back. Driving a standard really demands that your head be in the driving game.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I never used my home phone so it made no sense to keep it. I only have my cell. I use it for work and also personal. I use about 450-500 minutes a month.

Sorry groovygirl, your dead wrong, Marilynk your totally right in this 100 percent, groovygirl god forbid your driving and talking and much less texting and you cause a car accident, because of your serious neglect, and you take a innocent life, shame on you. Your right it is your cell phone and you can talk and text all you want, you find it rude that someone thinks this is wrong when your driving, yet irony here, you find it ok to do when your driving and when you do that, you are a total risk to yourself, so be, but to so many innocent people driving.. again a total shame and no commen sense for the well being on innocent people..Now using cell phones is not enough, we are too lazy now we have to text, what is the world coming too.... Sad and pathetic.... Catherine

Yeah, I have a tracphone, too. I buy the yearly plan so it costs me about $10/month.

I'd guess that 90% of my use of it is to text my DD.

Exactly. How many of us have "almost" been in an accident caused by someone on the phone???

It infuriates me when people say "they" can talk and drive safely -- guess they think they're special

How many of us have "almost" been in an accident with people NOT talking on cell phones? I have been in many near misses with people going through yellow lights, paying attention to their music, even once with what looked like a sex thing going on.

I have been in near misses with young drives tailgating, speeding, and driving recklessly. I have been in near misses with senior citizens going the wrong way in my lane and with people eating lunch and reading.

There are many causes for accidents or near misses the main one is lack of attention to what you are doing. I have seen people overpour a cup of coffee and I have seen people walk into walls.

It's not that I think I am special It's that I know my capabilities and limitations and I guess just as I cannot sing a note, play the violin, or tune up a motor just means that my talents lie in other places.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Excuse me....first of all, I never said I used my phone while driving. I said I can use it as often as I like, even for just chatting. I do not like people saying that I should not use it a lot....etc. By the way, I sometimes do use it while driving, but the law here says I can and that is not your concern. As the kids like to say...."You are not the boss of me." Oh, and God forbid that two ice cream cone eating jerk had caused an accident!

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

Some of you are quite a site.

dl

Or do you mean quite a sight? LOL

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Either whey, it's ok.

dl