Doc,Apr 14 2005, 03:42 PM Wrote:HOGWASH.
Fine:
The world went about it's business just fine before the car. People went to the theatre, went to church, went to pubs and bars, and generally went about their business. LIFE GOES ON. That whole "moving faster to live better or otherwise" thing is a sympathy generator. Oh boo hoo... I don't buy it. And neither should anybody else. Why, people used to go a WHOLE FRIGGING DAY RIDING THEIR HORSES AND NEVER SEE A CAR! OMGWTFBBQ!!!!!1ONEELEVEN!! How did they survive such conditions... Life went on just fine.
I have yet to hear of a can't live with out it reason for owning a car.
Cellphones are convenient, they're nice, and they let you reach people more easily, be it for emergencies, funny things, or just nice gimmicks. Your beef with them is no different, as I said, than what you'd have if in the exact same situation two people were having a loud conversation. Which happens. A lot.
Want a little example? Just a little one, a nice "gimmick". My mother is afraid of planes. So, whenever we travel (we usually all know when we're travelling because we talk a lot), we give her a call after landing to let her know we're sound and safe at whatever our destination was. A small, half a minute conversation, and she's much happier. So really, I see that minute interruption of whatever you're doing as pretty small compared to the few hours of peace it buys her if she happened to be away from a landline.
Want a better one? It's not a "dire emergency" or anything of the sorts, but nice nevertheless. Last January my brother was at a trade show in London, for three days, and was having lunch with some of his coworkers and a few other people from said trade show. Networking and business as usual. Then his phone rings. He answers. Why would he have his phone with him and answer it straight away in that situation? Because his wife was pregnant and due next week, but as things go there's always room for error. 20 minutes later he was at Heathrow (he didn't even pack, his housemate did it for him), and arrived to the hospital in Barcelona just in time.
And frankly, if he hadn't gotten that phone call, and missed the birth of his son because you were smugly playing with your jammer somewhere nearby he'd have probably given you the punch in the face you so rightly deserve for being an asshat, Mr. "OMGWTFBBQ!!!!!1ONEELEVEN!!"