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Thread: Without phone or internet

  1. #21
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    They used to be everywhere when I was growing up. But then, I grew up in a big city, not in a cotton field. Among my early memories was my dad taking me across the street from our house and "surprising" mom with a call from the pay phone every few months. It was great fun for me, but obviously in hindsight the point was to teach me at a really early age how to phone home if I needed to.

  2. #22
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    Dinosaurs, pay phones and land lines. Home phones through cable companies are not the same.

    Dad retired in 1981 from Splicing at Michigan Bell. He tells stories of someone's phone being out and I remember this growing up, the phone ringing at 2am to get called in and fix the line somewhere! Dad worked every holiday he could for overtime, because Bell would send out someone on any holiday to fix a line. The company actually had a crew that did nothing but drive around and look at lines to see if anything looked out of place. Imagine that or waste at it's finest.

    I read a article last year about jobs that left and will never return some seemed so funny now: Street sweepers, Ice delivery, I think the phone repair people like dad was can be added to this.

    But yes very scary how dependent the world is on technology and the what ifs happened. Does everyone really have a plan?? I think I revisit this topic with husband.

  3. #23
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    Remembering the dime, then 2 dimes Mom had taped inside my belt incase I had to use a payphone.

  4. #24
    Senior Member Cypress's Avatar
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    Cell phones are great things if you travel abroad. I am getting ready for a trip to Italy and already have contacted the landlord at my apartment in Lucca. We connected on WhatsApp and now I have a better idea where I am going.

    There's a woman I met on a travel forum that's 75 and been to Lucca several times. She's going to be over there when I am. Do you think we've connected over here first? There's some generation gap of behavior going on as I gave her my cell phone number but she won't give me her landline number and have a conversation. She will communicate via e-mail and is asking me to find her over in Lucca after I arrive at her hotel. She doesn't have a cell phone and won't have internet access. She is asking me to call her hotel when I arrive. I am not anticipating meeting her over there. I let her know it was all a little daunting as it's my first trip, I am on my own and it's overwhelming.

    I honestly have no idea how to communicate with this person and get the impression she wants to keep a distance.
    Here is a link to my blog page http://francesannwy.wordpress.com/

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cypress View Post
    Cell phones are great things if you travel abroad. I am getting ready for a trip to Italy and already have contacted the landlord at my apartment in Lucca. We connected on WhatsApp and now I have a better idea where I am going.

    There's a woman I met on a travel forum that's 75 and been to Lucca several times. She's going to be over there when I am. Do you think we've connected over here first? There's some generation gap of behavior going on as I gave her my cell phone number but she won't give me her landline number and have a conversation. She will communicate via e-mail and is asking me to find her over in Lucca after I arrive at her hotel. She doesn't have a cell phone and won't have internet access. She is asking me to call her hotel when I arrive. I am not anticipating meeting her over there. I let her know it was all a little daunting as it's my first trip, I am on my own and it's overwhelming.

    I honestly have no idea how to communicate with this person and get the impression she wants to keep a distance.
    It may not be a generation gap. Many people on the INternet are not who they say they are, and that may be why she wants to meet you over there only, in person in an neutral place. For her protection.

  6. #26
    Senior Member Cypress's Avatar
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    I did wonder if there is something odd here. The landlord and I exchanged photos and I've used this rental service before so we can both see our history and figure out it's okay. I don't feel any hesitation talking to him and he is a complete stranger.

    I was polite and thanked the woman for her suggestions, but have left this to fade out. I have this vision of me being slightly loopy from the long flight, trying to adapt to a new language, trying to navigate the train and get to my hotel for the first night. I did tell her all this and she didn't seem to connect with my being a little out of the comfort zone. Maybe it's for my protection to let this go. I was half hoping to lean on her for support when I arrived. You are right, I know who I am but she's sending out mixed messages.

    Sorry, didn't mean to change the course of conversation. I had a landline until seven years ago and no cell phone. When I moved, I got such a hassle from Verizon on establishing a land line at the residence, I said forget it and went to a tracfone. I had a pay per use phone and was happy being pretty much a low user. That's not new, I rarely talk on the phone and see it as a necessity and safety device. When I decided to travel two years ago, that's when I went to an iPhone. It works great in Europe, relatively low cost, I have a computer in my hand, Wifi in Italy is terrific with no hassles at all. The iphone is so fancy I could post video to my FB page right from Italy. It was super fast and low low low cost. I rarely use my traditional camera but will take it with me anyway. The iphone plan is with Verizon wireless and I've got it down to $55 per month includes text, data and phone.
    Here is a link to my blog page http://francesannwy.wordpress.com/

  7. #27
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cypress View Post
    Cell phones are great things if you travel abroad. I am getting ready for a trip to Italy and already have contacted the landlord at my apartment in Lucca. We connected on WhatsApp and now I have a better idea where I am going.

    There's a woman I met on a travel forum that's 75 and been to Lucca several times. She's going to be over there when I am. Do you think we've connected over here first? There's some generation gap of behavior going on as I gave her my cell phone number but she won't give me her landline number and have a conversation. She will communicate via e-mail and is asking me to find her over in Lucca after I arrive at her hotel. She doesn't have a cell phone and won't have internet access. She is asking me to call her hotel when I arrive. I am not anticipating meeting her over there. I let her know it was all a little daunting as it's my first trip, I am on my own and it's overwhelming.

    I honestly have no idea how to communicate with this person and get the impression she wants to keep a distance.
    Make sure you purchase an international data plan if you have a smartphone--otherwise, one quick use of an app is likely to cost you $100.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  8. #28
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    I still rely on my landline for my telephone interviews, and I probably look like Lily Tomlin's Ernestine when I wear my old-fashioned headset. Still find it hard to let them go, though.

    However, I HAD to do interviews in a hotel a couple of weeks ago and I found that my cell phone worked just fine. So maybe I'll give up my landline, since I use it for business and nothing else--but it will be hard to give up my 31 year old home telephone number--I've had it since the rotary dial days.

    I agree, Cathy, that it's so strange that we've come so far that we expect to be connected at all times, whether we use it or not.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  9. #29
    Yppej
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    Catherine your home phone number is portable. It's the law that you have that option.

  10. #30
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yppej View Post
    Catherine your home phone number is portable. It's the law that you have that option.
    But then she'd have to give up her cell #. That said, I wish home numbers had been portable when I got my cell. Then I would have a 212 cell area code!

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