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Old 09-21-2017, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Retired in VT; previously MD & NJ
14,267 posts, read 6,906,900 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly View Post
At present, my cell phone is my own version of "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Maybe someday I'll need something dedicated, with a simple panic button interface.

Good to have something, just in case!

Me too.

But also, I do take a phone into the bathroom when I take a shower... in case I fall and can't get up,
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Old 09-21-2017, 03:17 PM
 
Location: Retired in VT; previously MD & NJ
14,267 posts, read 6,906,900 times
Reputation: 17872
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr5150 View Post
Zip lock?
Honestly anything I keep in a ziplock goes in the freezer.

But if you had a medical emergency in your car would it be nice to have that smartphone handy?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat View Post
My mom had a cell phone but 'forgot' to keep it with her. I got her a Life Alert system and that was better because she actually wore the button. Those are great if something happens and you're still conscious enough to use it. My mom had a major stroke, sitting in her recliner and wasn't able to use it...if she even thought about it. Can't imagine what a stroke like that must be like but she didn't survive it more than 11 days. So, so much for a cell phone AND Life Alert. Although I think both are a good thing to have available if you want/need them.


I have a smart phone but it's in a zip lock in a drawer. I activate it if I'm going on a road trip or something and then let it go till the next one. I like having a smart phone on trips because I can still access the internet, etc.. Otherwise I couldn't care less about any cell phone.
Huh? You got one for your mom for her safety but she didn't use it, so you lock yours away in a drawer? I have always heard that most accidents happen close to home, not on road trips. Why wouldn't you carry the phone with you in case of accident or medical emergency?
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Old 09-21-2017, 03:21 PM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,779,161 times
Reputation: 21845
I thought the trend was people getting rid of landlines, not cell phones (?)

Who is replacing their cell phones with landlines?? (That's like replacing computers with typewriters!)
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Old 09-21-2017, 04:18 PM
 
Location: Cushing OK
14,539 posts, read 21,197,802 times
Reputation: 16938
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYgal1542 View Post
^^^^^^ 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.
Sure is. I hate the what do I leave out? Food? Taxes? GetOutofTown for a day?

There's no cables here for landlines, but I have a cheap backup phone too, lest the current one goes and dies on me. It's a flip phone, so I have an emergency classic communictor too. I have a good phone for the normal one. Once it starts to have problems, I replace it with the same. Or will until Sprint makes you replace it with a fancier one, but that's picked out.

Even if you don't spend a lot of time on one, a dependable phone which goes with you is definately a safety measure.
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Old 09-21-2017, 07:42 PM
 
Location: Placer County
2,518 posts, read 2,748,070 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ansible90 View Post
Me too.

But also, I do take a phone into the bathroom when I take a shower... in case I fall and can't get up,
I do too. I put it right outside the shower door where I hopefully could squirm over to get it. That's assuming I'm conscious. That's my biggest worry - what if I'm knocked out? There are a couple of devices that work if you've fallen and are unconscious. A friend has one and said that the battery life is really short and the time it takes to charge is lengthy. So it's not a definite asset, either. For now, I'll just put the phone within reach and try not to be clumsy. The rest of the time it's in my pocket. It's a flip phone so it's not too cumbersome.
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Old 09-21-2017, 11:18 PM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,714,406 times
Reputation: 7117
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch View Post

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.
Tracfone works great for us. We have one of those cheap flip phones, who needs data? We get on the internet when we're at home! They have a plan where you can buy a year's worth of minutes and it works out to $8 and some change per month.
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Old 09-22-2017, 03:35 AM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,751,882 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jghorton View Post
I thought the trend was people getting rid of landlines, not cell phones (?)

Who is replacing their cell phones with landlines?? (That's like replacing computers with typewriters!)

That is the way I thought it was working too. I'm 72 and love my cell phone. I don't have a smart phone, I don't need it and I have a simple flip phone. It does all I need. It has saved me a lot of times because I can instantly contact someone to ask something or get help.

I haven't had a home phone in probably 15 years or more, no need. The cell is so much more convenient. However, we just found out how they can be unreliable too, during Hurricane Irma. All four of us could not get any signal for several days or more. But not sure if a land line would have been any better in that instance.
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Old 09-22-2017, 04:07 AM
 
5,151 posts, read 4,500,682 times
Reputation: 8346
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYgal1542 View Post
^^^^^^ 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 could get a Tracfone for $10 or $20 (it's a flip phone) & then purchase however many prepaid minutes you want. I think the cheapest is 60 minutes for $20, plus they always give you "bonus minutes" & you can also text. They sell them at Walmart, Target, etc. So, your initial investment would be around $40, give or take.
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Old 09-22-2017, 05:02 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
27,798 posts, read 32,306,070 times
Reputation: 14611
Quote:
Originally Posted by jghorton View Post
I thought the trend was people getting rid of landlines, not cell phones (?)

Who is replacing their cell phones with landlines?? (That's like replacing computers with typewriters!)

I prefer landlines in the home, cell phones out of the home when I'm on the road.

I see people's faces in their phones constantly and not interacting w/ others around....don't want to be like that.
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Old 09-22-2017, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,779,161 times
Reputation: 21845
Quote:
Originally Posted by BucFan View Post
I prefer landlines in the home, cell phones out of the home when I'm on the road.

I see people's faces in their phones constantly and not interacting w/ others around....don't want to be like that.
Me too! - We've got both, but, I pretty much use them as phones, not as an 'umbilical cord' to keeps me 'socially connected' to email and Facebook 24/7. I'm not even sure what walking around talking loudly on a cell phone or with a cell phone glued to one's face is really about. IMO, cell phones are a bit of a paradox: People trying to appear socially in-demand and connected ... who are actually avoiding real interaction with the people around them.

Okay, I'm not a complete 'troglodyte' -- I do use my smart phone some to look things up, as a GPS and a few other incidental things (and I do play a card game on my cell phone when I'm bored or waiting). But, the only reason I have a smart phone, is because my wife keeps upgrading and I get her old phone. OTOH, I spend quite a bit of time on my computer and tablet (writing, reading, CD forum, buying things) and since I'm retired and don't need to get out all the time, I guess that's the same thing.

Also, I would probably replace the landline with cell phones, but, we get a clearer signal on the landline and the cost is pretty nominal.
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