Gimme, Gimme....A Phone?
Just noticed this recent letter to the editor of The Daily Triplicate. The writer asks that someone provide regular pay phones for her since she can't afford a cell phone:
Last month my husband had an appointment in Brookings with a cardiologist. He’d previously seen the doctor in years past.
Upon arriving in Brookings at what had previously been
the cardiologist’s office, we were informed that his location had moved
and they did not know where.
As neither I nor my husband own a cell phone, we then proceeded to look for a pay phone. But we were unable to locate one.
We finally ended up at the police station where an
officer, upon hearing our dilemma, made a long distance call for us to
the doctor’s Grants Pass office to get us a location for his Brookings
office.
While talking with the officer we were informed that there is in fact no pay phone anywhere in Brookings.
Not everyone can afford a cell phone, especially those
on a fixed income. A cell phone for us is definitely a luxury that
doesn’t fit in our budget.
There should be at least two pay phones in every city
for dinosaurs like us, who by no fault of our own must do things
old-school.
Jill Bausch,
Crescent City
That sort of attitude really irks me. I read similar sentiments years ago in the Times- Standard where a retired couple decided to get rid of their car upon retiring. Then they write complaining that there wasn't local bus service adequate for their needs.
Owning an automobile is considerably more expensive than owning a cell phone. I can understand wanting to do away with the expense. I'm even sympathetic towards that end. But, when you give up an aspect of your independence, don't complain that everyone else isn't providing you an alternative.
I'm not sympathetic with the idea that old style pay phones be available because you think you can't afford a cellphone. If the phone company wants to provide some, fine, and I believe there's at least a few still around in Eureka- one that comes to mind being next to Rite- Aid in Henderson Center. And every now and then I actually see someone using that one!
The thing is, pretty much anyone can afford a cellphone nowadays. You can get a Tracfone plan for as little as $7.00 a month with at least 20 minutes a month call time, which is what we use. Making a phone call nowadays shouldn't be that big a deal.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 7:59 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I've got a cell phone, but that still doesn't guarantee that I can make a call wherever I want (or need) to. While nobody can make a call out in the boonies, my carrier doesn't provide coverage in Crescent City or Ukiah. It might be a good idea to stick a pay phone outside the local police station, fire house, or some other public location, just like you might have a drinking fountain or a public restroom, for the common good. There's always going to be somebody who lacks coverage (me), can't afford it (the letter writer), or who is a total technophobe (my mom). Also, I can easily envision the scenario where someone of lesser means hauls out their cell phone and somebody starts screaming about how if you've got enough money to afford a phone, then you've got enough money to pay for [insert name of favorite poor-people-shouldn't-have-it thing here]. I just hope that the day when someone without a cell phone comes across you or me collapsed on the sidewalk that they're able to find a pay phone to call 911.
Thanks for the heartwarming Christmas post Fred.....
Thanks for the heartwarming Christmas post
If I've made your xmas any less merry, my life has served its purpose. No thanx necessary. I'm here to help!
I've got a cell phone, but that still doesn't guarantee that I can make a call wherever I want (or need) to.
Yep. Some places don't have good coverage and some don't have any. I rarely use my cell phone but, when I have, I've never been unable to connect. Such is life. You might not have either a cop on every corner, or a pay phone, when you need one.
It might be a good idea to stick a pay phone outside the local police station, fire house, or some other public location, just like you might have a drinking fountain or a public restroom, for the common good.
Some places have phones set up. They have those call boxes along freeways for emergency use but I read they've stopped supporting those because of the proliferation of cell phones. Nobody uses the call boxes anymore.
and somebody starts screaming about how if you've got enough money to afford a phone, then you've got enough money to pay for...
And that would be ignorant because pretty much anybody can afford a cell phone. Maybe not some high end smart phone, but a basic phone is very inexpensive nowadays.
I paid something like $35.00 for the phone I have now, and there were cheaper ones available. You can get them for $10.00 at Rite Aid. My phone gets double minutes for life and I pay about $21.00 every three months to keep it activated. That includes the time.
I've seen where you can get even the high end smart phones for free but that's dependent on signing a contract, the terms of which are more than some of us can or need to pay. I have no need to pay $45.00 a month for so many hours when I use mine maybe every couple months for just a couple minutes.
Heck, I'm hearing stories about homeless people having cell phones and their biggest problem being a place to charge them.
As far as emergencies, yep, there might be some time you'd really need a phone, but the likelihood the pay phone is going to be right next to you in an emergency is slim. More likely, a passerby will have a phone, or perhaps a local home or business will call for you.
I know my battery died in my truck once. Some folks stopped and let me use their cellphone to call for help. my phone at the time being one that ran off the power of my truck.
Who doesn't have a cell phone nowadays? It seems 9 out of 10 people you see walking down the street- whatever age or race- are either talking on a cell phone, texting on it, or listening to music on it.
I'm surprised the fabled Obamaphone has yet to be mentioned. I think if you are truly down on your luck you should have a cell phone. If you are couchsurfing and truly making an effort to find work, how else are you supposed to have prospective employers contact you?
A public telephone is a necessity simply because we have spotty cell coverage on the north coast. Period.
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