# What's with this mobile phone obsession?



## roland (24 February 2008)

Driving to work, at a guess, 1 in 50 people driving are on the phone, every 5th person I spy at a bus stop or on the bus are enagaged with their mobile phone. Pedestrians everywhere are a hazard as they are more involved with sending and receiving SMS's or whatever, rather than watching the traffic as they cross the street.

At a busy restaurant a mobile goes off every 3 minutes or so. 

On TV, the ads are spamming people with dial now for this that or the other - note the fine print for excessive charges...

My sister has 3 mobile phones and can knock out an SMS faster than I can type 3 words here in a forum. Her kids have mobile phone - for that "just in case" of an emergency.

At work, every second person that calls for product info is on a scratchy mobile phone (even if they have access to a nice and clear land line right next to them)

In the Post Office queue for our mail order every afternoon, we watch as people pay their monthly $900 (or more .. I've seen people paying $2,000 phone bills). There is a big sign as the Post Office asking people not to use their mobile phones as it upsets their terminals - normally obscured by people on their mobile phones.

I am on my 3rd mobile phone in 20 years, my first was the 2nd one Mitsubishi ever made - it was half the size of that famous Motorola brick, my 2nd was the Nokia banana phone that the Matrix made popular, my 3rd and current is the Motorola Razor3. I never pay more than $11 per month and never get to use all of my $11 worth of free calls.

I hate it when I miss the call and have a $0.50 charge for a stored message.

Phone scams are rife, the monopoly that controls the services offered have these services priced at prices I don't see as being good value.

Phone cards with stored value give people anonomity when making telephone purchases over the phone adds to fraud (we won't take te;ephone orders from people with mobile phone contacts)

I am very confused with this unecessary obsession with mobile phones. To me it doesn't seem a lot unlike a gambling mentality.

Either that, or I have no friend to call and SMS every few minutes or so.

I've had a mobile phone, pretty much ever since they were invented - but hate them, and hate the way it has turned a whole generation into phone addicts.

Would like to hear others opinions on what they think about mobile phones.


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## numbercruncher (24 February 2008)

Found a great invention on ebay a mobile JAMMER that will paralyse cellular phone signals within a twenty meter radius 

They are surely illegal here though ?


I hate wasteing money on mobile calls, to me its the equivalent of flushing cash down the dunny. Ive got a Skype phone now have slashed my phone bills big time.


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## ROE (24 February 2008)

I used to pay $60 of phone Bill a month on my LAN line.. 
Now cap plan that give me $120 worth of call for $29 
so now only pay $29 for all my phones call via Mobile 
pretty damn good deal to me.. and tax deduction too 

I cant what the problem is, use it to your advantage. 
Same with the credit card I use it all the time, pay off end of the month save me lot hassle carrying large amount of cash and get rewards point which then I claim cash back around $150 a year, use that money to pay credit card fee and pocket $30 differences ... again pretty damn good deal


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## numbercruncher (24 February 2008)

Your right Roe folks do have to use everything to advantage, there is good deals around if you look about.

CCs are great if used wisely I probably get in the vicinity of 1000 a year worth of petrol vouchers by putting absolutely everything I can on CC ( unless cash negotiates a better deal  ) , my RE agent even lets me pay the rent with CC  love it.


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## nioka (25 February 2008)

roland said:


> I hate it when I miss the call and have a $0.50 charge
> I am very confused with this unecessary obsession with mobile phones. To me it doesn't seem a lot unlike a gambling mentality.
> I've had a mobile phone, pretty much ever since they were invented - but hate them, and hate the way it has turned a whole generation into phone addicts.



  Me too. Hate the things. Detest people that ask me to ring them on a mobile number and I cop the extra charge when I could call them at local call cost on a land line. I use one for emergency when travelling and it is mostly turned off the rest of the time.
 Have trouble stoping calls going to message bank. I won't have the service but every now and then Telstra connect it back on and because I don't pay for the service I can't retrieve the message which upsets the people that think they have left a message which I will get. I have to continually ring Telstra to get the damn service taken off. I have my own answering machine if people ring the home phone.
 I keep changing providers and get a good deal to go back to Telstra. Last time $100 credit to go back on a 12 month $20 plan. I never go past the free call limit so I have 12 months for $140 with $240 of free calls (and a free phone). My answering machine at home will tell callers to ring me if they can wait until I ring them back. 
 Jammers should be a compulsory installation in non smoking areas. I think it is rude for someone to interrupt a conversation to take a call, especially when you are trying to do business with them and I particularly hate it when someone you are paying by the hour keeps taking calls not related to your job.
Another annoying thing about them, they make people talk louder than necessary and you hear a lot of rot that is better left unheard.
They also have a habit of getting mislaid and you need to call them up to find where they are hiding. In my case that often doesn't work because the damn thing probably isn't turned on.


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## insider (25 February 2008)

numbercruncher said:


> Found a great invention on ebay a mobile JAMMER that will paralyse cellular phone signals within a twenty meter radius
> 
> They are surely illegal here though ?
> 
> ...




JB Hifi seem to use jammers in their stores... that's why the car audio section never goes off with all the rhythmic beeps and buzzes...


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## Sir Burr (25 February 2008)

numbercruncher said:


> my RE agent even lets me pay the rent with CC  love it.




That would be good for mortgage payments :


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## Yezzy (25 February 2008)

Yeah I think it's quite rude when talking with someone and they get a message then all of a sudden you're talking to a brick wall.

I recently bought one for the first time in probably 5 years, threw my old out because I had no use for it. I'm moving out of home for the first time and while I won't have the internet connected for a while it will be the easiest way to get in touch with family or vice versa.

I used to cop heaps of **** from mates for not having a mobile for some years there, because apparently they weren't able to get in touch with me despite the fact we caught up with each other multiple times a week.

I really don't get the big deal about being able to contact anyone 24/7. When I ask my mates who calls them the most the answer is almost always their boss, who in their right mind wants their boss calling whenever?


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## habs (25 February 2008)

To all those people out there who use their phone while standing in a cue at a store, and then its your turn to be served and you stay on the phone, you are the rudest bunch of people Ive met. I deal with you lot time and time again and apparantly im the one inconveniencing you because Im serving you and interrupting your phone conversation. anyone that does that can get stuffed as far as Im concerned.


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## sam76 (25 February 2008)

habs said:


> To all those people out there who use their phone while standing in a cue at a store, and then its your turn to be served and you stay on the phone, you are the rudest bunch of people Ive met. I deal with you lot time and time again and apparantly im the one inconveniencing you because Im serving you and interrupting your phone conversation. anyone that does that can get stuffed as far as Im concerned.




You tell 'em, Habs.


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## Julia (25 February 2008)

I detest them too.  Only reluctantly bought one in order to have a means of calling for help if  car were to breakdown, so it stays in the car.

Somehow everyone managed to run their lives pretty well before there were mobile phones.  Even managed to do the supermarket shopping without having a loud personal conversation with definitely too much information being heard several aisles away.

I'm also irritated by tradesmen whose advertisement only offer mobile numbers.  Again, presumably they also managed to make a living when people had to simply leave a message on their home phones if they wanted a quote.

And to the member who has the misfortune to be serving customers using their phones during the transaction (sorry, forget the name), I agree that that is just one of the rudest things anyone can do.  It is essentially treating you as if you were not there.  Just remember:  it's their problem that they don't have the manners to know better.  Hope the reasonable people make up for those who are so ignorant.


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## Judd (25 February 2008)

habs said:


> To all those people out there who use their phone while standing in a cue at a store, and then its your turn to be served and you stay on the phone, you are the rudest bunch of people Ive met. I deal with you lot time and time again and apparantly im the one inconveniencing you because Im serving you and interrupting your phone conversation. anyone that does that can get stuffed as far as Im concerned.




Oh man, do I relate to that.  Only issue is that I now work for a company (the inverted big "M") and I and other casual staff are not allowed to tell those ignorant pigs to shove it.  All for $20 per hour (it's a living!)

Anyway, at a personal level we have solved the mobile phone aspect. We don't have one.  If it is an emergency, ie life or death, get to hospital: don't ring me to talk about it because I cannot help you.  If the car breaks down walk to the nearest phone and call for help.  And dear daughter, if your hot water service blows up, don't ring me, call a plumber as I'm 300km away from you.


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## Timmy (25 February 2008)

Wow, I love this thread.  

Julia - you are so right.  I can't believe I ran my life for so many years without a mobile phone.  

Habs - I have been one of those people, BUT I do apologise to the shop assistant if I have to take the call.

Yezzy - you are right WHY would anyone want their boss contacting them so readily???

Yes I have one.  But what I also don't get is phones with friggin' cameras and stereos and GPS's and TVs and satellite launch facilities and ovens and kitchen sinks and whatever.  My phone does have a clock, now that's handy, otherwise its for talk and the odd text.  

Judd - you are a legend ... one day I too will not have one.

I love this thread, it feels good to get all that off my chest!


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## TheAbyss (25 February 2008)

I am unable to work without my Blackberry. I send and receive on average more than 70 emails a day via my Blackberry. If i didnt have the device i would be back to the office every night for a few hours responding to a raft of questions etc that i can now do on the fly.

For those who are upset with people answering mobile phones or replying to emails etc have a think about about how annoyed you get when you make a call to a number and it isnt answered. Today's society demands instant response whether it be to voice calls or email hence why all of our trades people have mobiles. Can you imagine needing a plumber urgently and getting an answering machine? Would you leave a message or call the next one in the telephone directory?

Sure, mobiles are a pest when not used with consideration and now that email is a core technology on a mobile device employers are now getting an additional 2-3 hours a day out of their staff for free. The telcos have limited opportunities to find new markets so they have to invent things to sell to their customer base so the mobile was huge for Telstra as they increased their billing revenue by more than 50%  per annum and are building on that every year with new innovations such as video and data calling. Mobiles will be here a long time after your land line is a dinosaur.

I think the positives out weight the negatives and the real issue is the people who use them need to show some manners however that applies to almost every aspect of today's society so we cant be blaming the mobile telephone for a lack of etiquette.


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## Prospector (25 February 2008)

Apparently the latest thing to have is the Nokia 3110 - one of the originals and the best.  And it is only 10 years old.  They are reliable, they last for ever and importantly, the actually allow you to make phone calls and nothing else!

If you want to see mobile crazy, go to Hong Kong and Singapore.  Their system even allows you to make calls on the subway - 100's of feet under steel and concrete.

I love mobiles for the convenience of keeping in touch with the kids when I am away - a simple cheap text and you get an answer, and personal safety for myself as in Julia's case, but if anyone, like the Bank or Insurance companies ring me on them I get really shirty.  And I hate talking on them!

As for relying on public phones - forget that idea!  The other day I went out without the phone, and of course the car broke down.  Walked to the closest phone box (well, the first one I saw after a five minute walk) and of course it was broken!


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## Julia (25 February 2008)

TheAbyss said:


> Can you imagine needing a plumber urgently and getting an answering machine? Would you leave a message or call the next one in the telephone directory?



Yes, you're quite right about that.  All I want is for them to also include a landline in their advertising so that people who, e.g. want a non urgent quote, are not obliged to incur the charge of calling a mobile.


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## Judd (25 February 2008)

TheAbyss,

Along with others I have no qualms about mobile phones when they are essential for business purposes.  The "need" is, in my simple view, the use on a personal level.  They are really not essential.  People make up justification as to why they "need" one but at a fundamental level the arguments do not hold water.

For heaven's sake, a 12 year old in High School wants one cause it's cool and everybody else has one.  That is not a need its a want.  Don't go down the path that we need to know where our children are.  They should simply be going to school and after school to swimming lessons, music lessons, gym or whatever and then going home.  No where else.  And if parents are working then provide a key to get inside and that is where they stay until one or both parents are home from work.  That principle should apply until the children leave home.  End of story in my simplistic view of life.

As for adults, well, they are only children dressed up in drag.  The vast majority do not need mobile phones.

Have no wish for a bun fight so that was my last word on the subject.

PS:  Just an oddity.  I was organising a small gathering.  One person telephoned my at home (and also sent me an e-mail).  When I was asked for my mobile number I said "I don't have one." The response "But what if I want to contact you?"  Reply "Why do you assume I wish to be contacted other than by this number or by email?"  Total silence.


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## Prospector (25 February 2008)

Judd said:


> Don't go down the path that we need to know where our children are.  They should simply be going to school and after school to swimming lessons, music lessons, gym or whatever and then going home.  No where else.  And if parents are working then provide a key to get inside and that is where they stay until one or both parents are home from work.  That principle should apply until the children leave home.  End of story in my simplistic view of life.




Unfortunately children aren't like cats and dogs.  You can't just lock 'em up.  And life isn't that simple.


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## ROE (25 February 2008)

Judd said:


> TheAbyss,
> 
> As for adults, well, they are only children dressed up in drag.  The vast majority do not need mobile phones.




What made you say this?, how can you judge someone needs and want from looking at them or the way they talk on the phone? or making call standing in line? or do you live their lives and know that they don't need one? 

Just because you don't want a mobile or hate one, you cant come to the conclusion someone doesn't need one.


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## wildkactus (25 February 2008)

up here in asia they love'm there always on them. the girls in the office can't wait for breaks to text or call their freinds. 
For me if it was not for my traveling (out of office contact) i don't think i would need one as just about all my contact with family, friends or business contacts is over the net now (skype, email, im etc) 
but the thing that gets me is when in the back blocks of china i can get good cell coverage but in down town sydney, brisbane, i get constant drop outs.
which country has the third world services??
The thing i did see the other day was a large truck that had a sign on it saying "Tempory mobile cell tower, sorry for the inconvienance we are doing upgrades in your area". if that was an Aus phone company they would have just placed the cell tower off line untill done.


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## Junior (25 February 2008)

To all the mobile phone haters.  None of you NEED a computer, so why do you have one?  You can go to the library for research, and use the yellow pages for calling the plumber.  If you trade stocks just call up your stockbroker on your landline.  If you send emails why not just use snail mail?

You could apply these arguments to any new technology.  The people who are rude with their mobile phone use are probably just rude people in general.


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