CELL PHONES ARE THE DEVIL
Yet another reason why I hate cell phones! I got this call from Jen:
Oh, it was terrible, I … pssehhsshhhthsehhshhh … rear-ended!
Fortunately the omitted words were “almost got” so everybody’s ok — including Killy who was riding with Jen at the time. But those few seconds of thinking Jen had just been in an accident were plenty for a panic attack to set in. It’s amazing how little time it takes for a heartrate to shoot past 200.
Here’s my top reasons why cell phone are the devil:
- For a few seconds at least, I thought my wife and two-month old son were in a car accident.
- There’s only one cell phone (as opposed to having multiple landlines spread across the house), so if you’re not in the same room when it rings you have to either run or miss the call. (80% of all of my cell phone calls are like this)
- All those other times where important conversations were interrupted, especially client calls, and the ensuing shouting matches to hear each other over the static.
- My cell phone does not work well in my office — although it is, ironically, my ‘business line’.
- I get almost as many wrong numbers on my cell phone as real calls. (and 90% of them are ones in the middle of the night when I’m in the wrong room and have to race to answer the phone)
- Forgetting to turn off the phone, and having the phone ring during peaceful walks, dinner at nice restaurants, etc. when I’m supposed to be enjoying myself, not talking on the phone.
- Forgetting to turn off the cell phone before a meeting and having it ring.
- Answering the phone while I’m driving, especially when I have to twist and contort my body just to get it out of my pocket.
- It’s one more thing you always have to remember to carry around with you.
- Corollary 1 from above: Owning a cell phone suddenly means that you’re a bad person if somebody can’t get ahold of you at the exact second they want to talk to you, because “you should have had your cell phone with you” (or had it charged, for that matter)
- Corollary 2 from above: If a cell phone owner does not answer their cell phone, it can lead to worry: “XYZ isn’t answering their cell phone, I hope everything is all right!”