Don't you just HATE cellular phones?

[Pekka]

I mean.. At first it was nice. You have to understand something, I'm from a country where virtually everyone has at least one. Everyone carries them, you can't avoid from hearing few conversations if you're in train/bus/bar/etc.

It doesn't stop there, oh no sir.. I get quite often calls from wrong numbers, well that's ok, but they often come at the middle of the night. And it's not some pranksters, this is a real problem.

It's almost certain that if you're enjoying a nice movie at the theater, some stupid moron has forgotten to shut it, and some people even have the nerves to talk in it loudly! Next time I'll swear he/she goes out with a dislocated shoulder...

I wonder how many car accidents happen here, because it's everywhere you look now. People are talking to their phones while DRIVING! Some people are even sending text messages.. and only few have chosen to go through the painstaking operation of buying handsfree system.

And the ones I really hate is when someone calls you.. it's a private number, or a number you don't know. First of all you're nervous about who this can be, since you don't know this person. But then again if you didn't answer it for some reason, and you're trying to get back at this mysterious person.. and you fail. For the rest of the day you'll be wondering who that was and why.
It ruins my day for real.

But the point why I started hating these phones is.. You are ALWAYS reachable! I mean anyone can contact you anytime they choose. I don't want to hear about 'yeah, but you can shut it for a while if you don't want to be disturbed'...
It's like you're not in control any more. You can be reached at any moment, time, place.
I was thinking that I should just throw the damn evil thing to the sea, but the only reason I haven't done that yet is because I'm sure right after that I'll see an accident and need to call the police etc.
But because everyone has them, it's not valid option, so I'm sure I'll get into an accident myself and no one is around. Talk about irony then.

It's like if you don't have a cellphone, you don't exist in this country. I don't know what I should do.. I don't want to be at reach for everyone at any moment and place. I WANT PEACE!

edit: Oh, I forgot to mention few more stupid things about cell phones.
It makes people paranoid. When you call to your friend, you know he/she can see that you're calling.. no answer.. you start to wonder why it wasn't answered.. is he/she dissing me? Was it a bad time? If it was, well uh, that's bad, I can get blame for it.. Will my friend call me back? Why doesn't he/she call me back already? Should I call again? Or send a text message?
These are problems that comes with cell phones, when everyone has them, and they are so easy to use and handy, you don't have to wait by your phone because it's always with you and everyone knows it.

And if you misplace it, then you're in trouble. Is it stolen? Is someone now calling to some pornlines worth of $3000? Is someone trying to reach me now? What if it's something important, and I'll miss it because of that?

Let's destroy these evil things! They create nothing but misery, paranoia and huge bills.

[Q Classic]

finland. figures. although, i could see you saying that if you were in sweden, skorea, or japan.

although, come on, nokia's done great things for your country... i think.

besides, if you really have that much trouble with the handphones, you can just turn it off and leave it off until you need it...

[Sava]

Yes, I hate cell phones, I hate ppl that talk on them.

[Pekka]

Yeah I know! But when you eventually open the phone again, it will be filled with text messages and phone calls, and your answer machine is full of angry people shouting why you don't return calls.

It's like your new mailbox, everyone can access with 24/7. And now, if you don't answer your phone, want to be in peace, well.. that creates paranoia among the callers!

[Q Classic]

yeah, i know. of course, i also get plenty of angry calls about why i don't return emails...

you know what you could do. you could conceivably switch providers/phones, and not give anyone the new one. and the old one, just say it got stolen, or broke, or lost it, and for those that want to know your new one, say that you find it liberating "not to have" one.

[Lefty Scaevola]

I refuse to get one. If I had one my wife would call me 6-7 times a days. And I guaran-damn-tee not once would it be to say "Honey, I have to have you now!"

[Pekka]

And since everyone has them, and uses them and it's in the culture already.. it's hard to be different .
People won't make the effort to really contact you, because it's easy by phone. Any time, Any place, it really doesn't matter what YOU are doing.

People are impatient.. I am too. We have become to that because of cell phones. Why wait? You can call right away and have the answer in 10 seconds. So what if you call 40 times in a row, that's normal.

What about rumours? It's like a wet dream for them. Everyone knows about it in 1 minute around the country, and everyone has it wrong usually. After that it's impossible to fix what ever has happened.

So what happens if you get rid of it? No one contacts you. It's too hard.. everywhere you go, they ask your cell phone number. You don't have one? Hmm.. go back to Zimbabwe then.

[Pekka]

Q Cubed, I actually did that . I gave the number only to few people with message not to distribute it.
Does it ever work? No .

And then you have the phone and you're like.. 'it would be easy to just call now because I have this very urgent thing, but if I call, they'll know I have a new number and wonder why I refuse to give it'..been there done that.

[Q Classic]

mm... i feel your pain, actually. it's crazy, all my relatives in korea have handphones (what they call cellphones)... from my 12 year old cousin to my 70+ grandmother... oy.

do you guys have the same big injunction against people using phones during performances and what not? that's always been a big pet peeve... listening to some clever and witty dialogue in a play, and then... *beepbeepbeepbeepbeep*... makes you want to grab the phone and crush it right there.

two things with this, though, are scary. in america, they have headsets... and when you ride mass transits, you never know if someone talking to themself is crazy, or if they just have one of those earpiece/mike sets that plugs into their cell.
in korea and japan, young people on the subways are even more antisocial, because their heads are always down, text messaging each other...

[Pekka]

Lefty Scaevola, I envy you .

That phone has reached a new status in this country. First it was a status of good income, now it's your second ID. It's like murricans and guns . It's your right, and you are obligated to have one and carry at all times.

And the calls lose there meaning. They are just like 'Hmm... sorry I forgot what I wanted to say' and then 10 seconds later 'Hi it's me again.. so.. it's boring, where are you?'. People have nothing to say to each other any more. And they prefer now speak over the phone, not face to face especially with hard and touchy subjects, yeah.. it's the finnish way!
It's common to see a man in a bar, talking to his phone and having beer. Yep. Like a virtual friend. What's wrong with that picture? EVERYTHING!
This is not what life is supposed to be like GRGRGRGRG!

[Pekka]

Q Cuber, YEAH! Both things, very common in here, it's even normal! Those scare me too.
Those headseats are what I called handsfree system.

Many times some people just walk by you talking to themselves, maybe even shouting, and you can't be sure if he was just making a call. It's scary as hell.

And it's like if you're in the bar, and someone bugs you, and you say the wrong word .. it's beepbeepbeep and he just called 2000 of his friends waiting outside and ready to kill you.

[Zopperoni]

Re: Don't you just HATE cellular phones?

The thing that annoys me most are the ringtones. Few are nice, most are stupid.
I only have one beep, followed by "vibrate".

Originally posted by Pekka
But the point why I started hating these phones is.. You are ALWAYS reachable! I mean anyone can contact you anytime they choose. I don't want to hear about 'yeah, but you can shut it for a while if you don't want to be disturbed'...
It's like you're not in control any more. You can be reached at any moment, time, place.

Nonsense, since my phone is "silent", it's possible I don't hear it, or feel it vibrate in my pocket. It's usually a good excuse for an unanswered call.
And I've also disabled my voicemail, so people cannot leave me a message.
I am required to pick up if they need me...so I am in control

[Pekka]

Zopperoni, Yep.. ringtones makes me and many people furious. It's like road rage. Some people (usually teenagers) have the urge to play them over and over again to their friends.. maybe the whole archive while at it, loud of course. Then they start challenging each other, having a concert straight from hell. Trying to synchronize them. Aaaaargh!

My phone is usually 'silent' too. But still you get to see all the numbers that tried to reach you. If you don't call back, you're considered and ******* here.
Basically, cellphones are devices that gives everyone a chance to shout 'BIKKABOO!' to your ear 24/7.

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah, they can irritate me, especially with some stupid arsehole driving whilst chatting away, waving from lane to lane and not paying the slightest attention to the road.

As for ring tones, yes, they generally irritate me like mad. I just have a standard ringer set to a very high volume because I am as deaf as Beethoven

[loinburger]

I love cell phones, they're a fantastic convenience and a must-have in case of a roadside emergency (or other type of emergency). I've got a Tracfone, which has an extremely cheap calling plan (five bucks a month) and is ideally suited for emergency use since it keeps accumulating minutes.