No phone, what now?

[Colleen27]

I would rely on the kindness of strangers (and have, though under different circumstances - we were in a remote location where my phone carrier was useless, and I asked a woman we were chatting with at the next camp site if I could shoot my husband a quick call to let him know we'd be "off grid" longer than expected). And I'm always clear that if they're more comfortable, I can tell them the number and have them dial. I know people have all sorts of private info on their phones these days and respect the reluctance just to hand it over to a stranger.

But like you, I'm non-threatening - a chubby middle aged women and a pretty friendly one at that. I'm not sure that approach would work as well for a man.

 

[wenrob]

I totally understand the concern of theft (as I mentioned in my comment) but at the same time I can totally understand the nature of privacy. If I'm going to offer my phone I also don't feel the need to be privy to the person's conversation nor do I want to feel like the message man. I think in those cases I would just decline the usage of my phone period that's not to say I don't get how you feel.

There is that I suppose but it goes both ways. If I hand you my phone or you hand me yours there’s the chance we’re going to see something, a text, notification etc. we wouldn’t want the other privy to. Chances are everything would be fine but it’s just not something I’d be comfortable with in either case. Me? I’d probably just straight out buy the trac phone but then I’m at a place in my life where the $79 or whatever it is wouldn’t be a big deal.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Maybe I'm a weirdo but I wouldn't let anyone use my phone. Too many variables...

No problem; we all have our idiosyncrasies.


There have been times in my life when I felt like it's mine; go get your own (NOT saying that's your reasoning) but 9/11 kind of changed that mindset. The need to let your loved ones know where you are is basic and phones and phone calls are cheap at this time in our part of the world. I can hear peoples personal conversations and tune them out daily; NYC is crowded. If I felt uncomfortable in anyway about phone theft my turn on password would thwart them and has although no through mugging just oops I left my phone somewhere.

 

[wenrob]

I would rely on the kindness of strangers (and have, though under different circumstances - we were in a remote location where my phone carrier was useless, and I asked a woman we were chatting with at the next camp site if I could shoot my husband a quick call to let him know we'd be "off grid" longer than expected). And I'm always clear that if they're more comfortable, I can tell them the number and have them dial. I know people have all sorts of private info on their phones these days and respect the reluctance just to hand it over to a stranger.

But like you, I'm non-threatening - a chubby middle aged women and a pretty friendly one at that. I'm not sure that approach would work as well for a man.

I always say I’m a middle aged mom type so I’m not going to have issues in most circumstances but my DH while a small guy has a definite “don’t mess with me” face. Nicest guy in the world and very easygoing but people are intimidated by him for some reason. The upside of that is teen boys were instantly wary of him.

 

[wenrob]

No problem; we all have our idiosyncrasies.


There have been times in my life when I felt like it's mine; go get your own (NOT saying that's your reasoning) but 9/11 kind of changed that mindset. The need to let your loved ones know where you are is basic and phones and phone calls are cheap at this time in our part of the world. I can hear peoples personal conversations and tune them out daily; NYC is crowded. If I felt uncomfortable in anyway about phone theft my turn on password would thwart them and has although no through mugging just oops I left my phone somewhere.

Well in circumstances like that I wouldn’t hesitate.

 

[wvjules]

We were somewhere in Europe-Sweden maybe? I had our phone. We only got one for the trip. A Verizon international loaner or something like that. DBF and I got separated. Luckily he found a kind stranger that allowed him to use their phone to call me. That couldn't have been cheap. Now we have T-mobile and both have international capabilities on our phones.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There is that I suppose but it goes both ways. If I hand you my phone or you hand me yours there’s the chance we’re going to see something, a text, notification etc. we wouldn’t want the other privy to. Chances are everything would be fine but it’s just not something I’d be comfortable with in either case. Me? I’d probably just straight out buy the trac phone but then I’m at a place in my life where the $79 or whatever it is wouldn’t be a big deal.

Oh for sure.

I feel like it's just a possibility to see a text but if you're the one on the phone on behalf of someone else you're 100% in their biz YKWIM? Mundane things like in the OP's case wouldn't be big thing but I could see things of a more private nature being different--you're going to hear one side being that you'll probably want to be in the presence of your phone so either way it's not full privacy just at least some. I guess I would honestly feel a bit strange relaying "so and so will be at X place at Y time". Totally just a personal thing there

The trac phone people have been mentioning is yes def. a good solution.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

To follow on from this, how many people actually memorise telephone numbers anymore? We have hundreds of people in our contacts lists, press redial and never tap in the actual numbers.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

To follow on from this, how many people actually memorise telephone numbers anymore? We have hundreds of people in our contacts lists, press redial and never tap in the actual numbers.

I never memorized hundreds of phone numbers though. Back in the day you had notebooks that you hand wrote what people's numbers were (and usually their addresses), lots of times keeping that that with you (especially women who had the advantage of purses), etc You also used white pages a lot.

I only knew a handful of numbers by heart way back when the rest I had to look up.

To your point though I think it's easier to forget even the most used numbers or to hesitate more when you need to write that down (for like a contact number to reach) than it might have used to be in the past.

 

[wvjules]

I know my DBF's, DD's, parent's, grandparent's, and I think that's it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Well in circumstances like that I wouldn’t hesitate.

But the truth of the matter is how does it differ?
Someone in need is just that.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

To follow on from this, how many people actually memorise telephone numbers anymore? We have hundreds of people in our contacts lists, press redial and never tap in the actual numbers.

I was going to ask the same thing. I asked my niece a while back what her Dad's phone number was, she had no idea. How many people actually know phone numbers any more?

I do know DH and older DS' numbers but they've had these numbers since before smart phones. I don't know younger DS' number at all.

 

[Imzadi]

Tracfone: (No space in between the words.) Owned by the 2nd or 3rd richest man in the world, Carlos Slim, because this company, and the sister companies: Straight Talk and Net10 made him so rich.

While the contracts are prepaid, month to month, these phones work on the regular networks of: T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint as Tracfone has a deal with them.

I have had various Tracfones, for over 2 decades now. I have one for personal use and one for business. I've been able to upgrade the phone models while keeping the same phone numbers. I currently have 2 great smartphones, one is a Motorola and the other a ZTE, BOTH with VERIZON service, at a fraction of the price most people have for ONE phone & number. The minutes & data roll over each month and I now have hundreds more minutes than I can use. So I can get the cheapest minute cards now. I do pay for extra data occasionally.

Tracfones: order directly:

https://www.tracfone.com/


Buy IN-Store at:

Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=Tracfone

Target: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=Tracfone

Best Buy: (online too)
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/brands/tracfone/pcmcat361600050000.c?id=pcmcat361600050000

Rite Aid: (There are more in-store than listed online)
https://www.riteaid.com/shop/catalogsearch/result/?q=Tracfone

Other drugstores that sell them: Walgreens & CVS.

And they are available at almost any 7-ELEVEN store.


Order Online:

HSN & QVC usually have the best bundles on newer phones + minutes & accessories:

https://www.hsn.com/shop/tracfone-cell-phones/ec0373-10962

https://www.qvc.com/electronics/phones/_/N-1z1393yZmlt0/c.html


And of course, there's always Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Tracfone&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[elgerber]

To follow on from this, how many people actually memorise telephone numbers anymore? We have hundreds of people in our contacts lists, press redial and never tap in the actual numbers.

This would be the bigger issue for me, I think the only number I actually have memorized is my husbands.

 

[Kennywood]

 

[Imzadi]

And I'm always clear that if they're more comfortable, I can tell them the number and have them dial. I know people have all sorts of private info on their phones these days and respect the reluctance just to hand it over to a stranger.

Having you input the number in would actually work best. I learned when I was trying to sell something on Craigslist and had a slew of people wanting me to text them back and I Googled WHY, that I learned that criminals can steal your phone number and transfer it over to them by inputting a simple certain TEXT number into the phone. Then they are using your phone number and calling up all their friends around the world, racking up foreign call charges on your account, while you don't even realize it. By the time you do, your phone bill is up by several hundred dollars.

 

[Imzadi]

Ohhhh- jail phones!
I didn't realise they were still available in this country.

I've never heard of them referred to as jail phones. Law & Order and the FBI crime shows I watch always refer to them as "burner phones" as a criminal can buy and burn through the few minutes they come with and toss them after a crime. So the criminals know about them way before going to jail. I guess it would make sense that they'd also use them IN jail.

 

[Colleen27]

To follow on from this, how many people actually memorise telephone numbers anymore? We have hundreds of people in our contacts lists, press redial and never tap in the actual numbers.

I don't memorize everyone's numbers, of course, but I have my husband's, my kids', my mom's and my MIL's numbers memorized - basically anyone I'd need or want to contact in an emergency situation. I've insisted my kids do the same, just in case.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I would rely on the kindness of strangers (and have, though under different circumstances - we were in a remote location where my phone carrier was useless, and I asked a woman we were chatting with at the next camp site if I could shoot my husband a quick call to let him know we'd be "off grid" longer than expected). And I'm always clear that if they're more comfortable, I can tell them the number and have them dial. I know people have all sorts of private info on their phones these days and respect the reluctance just to hand it over to a stranger.

But like you, I'm non-threatening - a chubby middle aged women and a pretty friendly one at that. I'm not sure that approach would work as well for a man.

All the private info on my phone is only accessible via a separate pass code but I've no idea if this is common or not. The hardiest thing about losing a phone is not remembering the special passcode for my sight. I would never think badly of someone not wanting to lend me their phone because life is too short to spend time worrying about such.

 

[wenrob]

But the truth of the matter is how does it differ?
Someone in need is just that.

One is, “we may never see our loved ones again” and the other is a brain fart, a lack of planning or just plain bad luck. If I think we’re about to die I’ll gladly let you use my phone, if your phone battery has died I’ll be happy to make a call for you.

I was going to ask the same thing. I asked my niece a while back what her Dad's phone number was, she had no idea. How many people actually know phone numbers any more?

I do know DH and older DS' numbers but they've had these numbers since before smart phones. I don't know younger DS' number at all.

I know DH’s but our phone numbers are from before “contacts” were an organized thing. I know my stepmother’s landline but not her cell and didn’t know my dad’s. I know older DD and my sister’s but I really have to think about them. My younger two, no clue. My brothers and best friend change their numbers like underwear so I don’t even try, lol. Before smart phones I *did* pretty much know everyone’s number including schools, doctors etc. Oh! I do know my insurance agents number by heart because it’s never changed and he’s been my agent for over 30 years.