A cautionary tale: Why Mrs 5150 and I will always have and carry a (beach, coverage)
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Cell phone. I noticed a number of posters in the Landline thread either say they got rid of their cell phones or don't have or want one.
Well this is my tale: About four years ago my wife was driving from her office and pulled over with intense chest pain. She called 911 then me. I saw them load her into the ambulance. I followed to hospital which was less than five minutes away. After about 3-5 minutes I heard a code blue call. It was for Mrs5150. But she didn't die.
Now then, let's do a replay without her having a cell phone. Mrs5150 is sitting in her car having a heart attack. And so, she does what? Go to the nearest house to borrow a phone? Flag down a car in this residential area or stop a pedestrian and explain why 911 needs to be called. I suppose I would have remarried by now.
Cell phone. I noticed a number of posters in the Landline thread either say they got rid of their cell phones or don't have or want one.
Well this is my tale: About four years ago my wife was driving from her office and pulled over with intense chest pain. She called 911 then me. I saw them load her into the ambulance. I followed to hospital which was less than five minutes away. After about 3-5 minutes I heard a code blue call. It was for Mrs5150. But she didn't die.
Now then, let's do a replay without her having a cell phone. Mrs5150 is sitting in her car having a heart attack. And so, she does what? Go to the nearest house to borrow a phone? Flag down a car in this residential area or stop a pedestrian and explain why 911 needs to be called. I suppose I would have remarried by now.
Agree - I bet people loved it when you could quickly contact someone via a payphone somewhere. Cell phones get a bad rap.
^^^^^^ That is a powerful story. Thank you for sharing.
My cell phone is not working right now and I think about that every time I go out.... I want to replace it but have to wait for my SS check which goes in tomorrow.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I hope to someday have cell coverage in at least one of my (3) USA homes, Internet would be a Plus also... all are very close to significant towns (<5 miles). 16 miles from 1m people at my main home, but no cell, no internet, no DSL, no cable, so satellite dishes allowed. (National Scenic Area) no coverage coming (until some brilliant and capable provider installs 'Distributed' signal as available in much of the world.)
On our RTW trip, we generally had GREAT coverage, even in 3rd world countries. Most countries had GREAT coverage in rural / beach / forest / mtn areas.
yeah, Cell phone is nice when you have coverage (and the $$ to afford data)
^^^^^^ That is a powerful story. Thank you for sharing.
My cell phone is not working right now and I think about that every time I go out.... I want to replace it but have to wait for my SS check which goes in tomorrow.
Low-income is for the birds.
Even a cell that is not activated as a subscriber phone can still reach 911. Keep your old phone on charge and carry it for emergency use.
Similar issue with my mother. She never wanted a cell phone, hates modern nonsense, hates watching people walk around with those things glued to their ears. Then she fell in her house, couldn't get up and had no way to call out to anyone. I had tried calling her one evening on her 1 landline and got the machine, tried again the next morning, no answer. my office was close by and decided to run over there and I found her laying on the floor in pain. Ended up in an ambulance and in the hospital. After that I got her a cell, it's on my family plan and I made her promise to always carry it with her. She says she learned her lesson and keeps it with her at all times. Parents these days . . . .
On a lighter note, she always said the same thing about those flat TV's. Didn't need one of those either. Then I replaced her old picture tube TV with a larger flat screen and I hear her all the time about how much she loves watching her shows on that big screen.
Cell phone. I noticed a number of posters in the Landline thread either say they got rid of their cell phones or don't have or want one.
Well this is my tale: About four years ago my wife was driving from her office and pulled over with intense chest pain. She called 911 then me. I saw them load her into the ambulance. I followed to hospital which was less than five minutes away. After about 3-5 minutes I heard a code blue call. It was for Mrs5150. But she didn't die.
Now then, let's do a replay without her having a cell phone. Mrs5150 is sitting in her car having a heart attack. And so, she does what? Go to the nearest house to borrow a phone? Flag down a car in this residential area or stop a pedestrian and explain why 911 needs to be called. I suppose I would have remarried by now.
I agree. It's the ONLY reason I have a cell phone. I never carry it at home, even when I walk my dog outside on icy grass or sidewalk. It's a PITA, pure and simple. But I wear it around my neck when I'm away from home, just in case I'm in an accident or any kind of emergency.
I truly hate cell phones, but they are a necessity these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crashj007
Even a cell that is not activated as a subscriber phone can still reach 911. Keep your old phone on charge and carry it for emergency use.
I've heard that for years, but has anyone actually tried it?
A cell phone on one's person, even while at home, can make a big difference if one falls, and can't get up without help. A cell phone in your pocket can be very handy for summoning any sort of emergency help, for yourself or someone else. A cell phone while you are in the car is a convenient way to let people know if you are just running late, and can be handy arranging a tow if your car "fails to proceed".
There are many low-cost, no contract services like Consumer Cellular, IMHO it does not make sense to do without a cell phone, just to save as little as $10 or $20 per month.
For a few years I had a McJob at the Nevada/California border at Primm. That cellphone was peace of mind because I knew I was in the middle of no where. I rarely use it. It is for emergencies!
^^^^^^ That is a powerful story. Thank you for sharing.
My cell phone is not working right now and I think about that every time I go out.... I want to replace it but have to wait for my SS check which goes in tomorrow.
Low-income is for the birds.
You should look into the free phones for low income folks.
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