Cell phone or not?

Here's my thing on cell phones.

I only use it when it is urgent like running late, getting directions, receive important calls such as a request to get milk on the way home, etc.

If the person I am doing business with answers his cell phone during a transaction and continues to talk on it without any explaination, I take my business somewhere else.

If my friends answer the phone at a public place such as a restaurant while we're eating dinner and continues to carry on the conversation without excusing herself reasonably, I'll plop my share of the bill and walk out.  It has happened before.  If they valued the friendship, they will apologize and never let it happen again.  I am fortunate to have many good, true friends.

If someone is talking on the phone in church, movie theatres, or equivalent, I will politely ask the person to take it outside.  Failure to adhere to common sense will accidently get the phone "drop kicked"

If I see someone walking around half the day with a cell phone glued to his/her ear, it tells me that the person has a low self esteem & needs constant human interaction.  I pity their lack of self restraint.

If someone wants to talk or do business with me, I have them do it on my terms.  Mail, e-mail, or calls at certain hours of the day are the norm.  Emergency or urgent calls are permitted.  This method saves me tremendously on my phone bill while at the same time, my valuable time is used wisely.  I value my friends by spending actual time face-to-face at home, at a bar, restaurant, coffee house, etc.  They know I don't treat them by calling them just because it is convinient because I now have a cell phone.  They have often told me that they appreciate my undivided attention.  It's what I expect from others anyway.  

In business, my vendors know to actually show up here if they wish to pitch a product.  Calling to arrange a meet or of time sensitive matters is ok.  E-mail is more often used because of the nature I can respond when the time makes itself available.  It works very well for my venders, associates & customers.

When my sons & daughter gets older, I expect them to carry on the values of civility, honor & respect.  I expect my daughter's date to come pick her up at the door, hold the door open, hold the chair, decline to take calls over the phone, offer his coat when it gets cold, and entertain her throughout the course of the evening.  I also expect complete safety from the time she is picked up and dropped off at the very same door.  This is a sign of a man.  If my boys falls short to a girl on a date, I will have them apologize to the girl & her parents.  If my boy as so much to step over the line, I will make my boy available to the girl's father.  I just pray that the girl's father will have seen that I have beaten my son half-way so he doesn't have to do all the work.  Neverless, while they are at 4 months & 19 months now, I pray that my love & discipline will make them ladies men and that I won't have to subject them to other girl's fathers.

William J. H. Boetcker:

That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.

Anyone considering a cell phone purchase should pick a service provider and purchase a phone, but ONLY after confirming that the service provider is offering a no-questions/no hassle return policy.  This will let you try the phone out where and when you would normally use it. 

The most attractive pricing plan with rollover, or all-you-can-eat, or whatever is worthless if the phone will not work at your home, on your commute route, or wherever else you need it to work.  Do you drop a lot of calls?  How is the voice quality during calls?  Do you have trouble using the phone during weekends or other busy times of day?

One last comment is about "bars," the signal strength meters on most phones.  These will only provide a valid reading while a call is in progress and are notoriously inaccurate.  Your percieved call quality is the best indicator of how well the service provider is working for you.