Jan Quintrall: For some, the cell phone is like a siren’s song
The young woman at the airport was obviously quite moved by a sentiment in the card she received.
“Oh, I don’t know what to say! I didn’t read it right away and well, gosh, I think that is the coolest thing anyone has ever written to me, or even said to me! Wow, you just like blew me away! It made me feel like I have never felt about anyone.”
The conversation went on in a similar tone as she talked about buying a book to read for her flight, yet the words in the card kept coming up as she spoke.
By now, all of us at Gate 6 in Terminal B were ready to ask her to see this “cool” card, as she was a perfect example of someone thinking she is the only one in the room when carrying on an intimate cell phone conversation.
And it gets better: On my way to the gate, I was almost forced to listen to a young man bargain with a court clerk or sheriff deputy about a bench warrant issued against him, and how the warrant just wasn’t going to work into his schedule. Wherever that conversation went, he didn’t end up getting on the plane!
When people corner me in my day-to-day life to vent, there is no topic more popular than cell phone ethics.
Most of us have one, love them or hate them, and are genuinely puzzled about how some people use them.
In a little over a year from now, we will be faced with the potential of being ticketed for using them in our vehicles. Where will be the ticket for using them in a quiet restaurant? (What a clear message that would send to those forcing us to listen to their rants and raves!)
Oh, maybe they really are talking to each other on the phone about something important. Or the person in a meeting with the harping Blackberry displays constant interruptions because there is a pressing issue developing. No matter what the scenario, in cases like these, I always feel like I am getting about 40 percent of their attention. Thanks, I appreciate your time!
These gadgets we lean on are so necessary, yet have become so overused.
However, even I, too, have succumbed to their power. Don’t try and pry mine out of my hand! For even I would miss seeing that little window light up with an incoming call from someone I desire to talk to. Just the simple name on the screen can bring a smile to my face.
I would be sad to not have the ability to make calls from nearly anywhere, (except from that spot on the South Hill), to just share a laugh with someone I love to laugh with.
Losing the freedom of communication would cut my lifeline to my swift four-minute calls to my “way too busy daughter” as we catch a quick conversation between work and time with her children.
Furthermore, how would I even begin to manage my on-the-road work schedule from Yakima to Richland to Bozeman without that handy dandy little phone? With it, I can get updates on the progress of important projects from anywhere, at any given time.
But it’s a double-edged sword: where cell phones keep us busy and competent at work yet annoyed in our real lives.
What other conundrums, besides the things I just vented about regarding cell phones, get folks complaining to the BBB about these handy dandy mechanisms?
Conundrum number one: “My bill is a whole lot higher than I ever imagined it could be!”
There are providers that bill by the minute, so, yes, even that call you disconnected in one second is now one less minute on your plan.
Roaming is not what you thought it would be and 750 minutes seemed like enough. However, when you go over that limit, you better hold onto your checkbook!
Contact your cell phone company. The majority of them, if they are worth their weight, will help you get into a decent plan that fits your lifestyle.
If the sales pitch overpromises and does not line up with the contract you signed (and probably did not even get a chance to read) you might just have to ride out the remaining time left on that contract. Sometimes it is less expensive to let a pricey phone plan sit in a drawer while you go find yourself a better provider and plan.
Conundrum number two: “My teen downloaded all sorts of rings, games and other add-on accessories under the assumption that they were free!”
If you’ve ever gotten a bill for assorted cell phone accessories, then you know that they add up fast!
When you take the step to give your teen a phone, be sure they do not order downloads, as they usually carry a charge.
Demand that they check with you first (if you are paying the bill) so the right decision can be made about the right course of action with spending.
If you are already in this predicament, call the company and discuss the option of blocking future downloads.
Bottom line? Be sure you check out any potential provider at www.bbb.org before you sign that contract, and try to make that contract as short as you can time-wise. This gives you an out.
But, if you have a good cell phone provider/client relationship, you can always extend the contract. Just wait until you are sure you like it enough to send it a card!