|
I still remember the first time I saw someone with a cell phone. It was a big one. Sometime around 1988, I thought. I'm pretty sure we already had commonplace cordless phones, and car phones had been around for a while. But there was this guy outside a store at a strip mall. It blew my mind when I realized it was a cell phone and he wasn't attached to a car, and it wasn't a cordless phone with a nearby base unit. It was such a big deal to me that I'll never forget that moment!
And even now, I still frequently call all the mobile phones "cell phones" (like most of us, I suspect) even though people keep correcting me to say that's no longer what they are. But it's still the best name for them. Sort of like Xerox (copies) or (Kleenex) tissues or Tivo (recording) are so easy to use even when it's not always really very accurate for Kodac copiers or Puffs tissues or Motorola VCRs!
As far as me, a "cell" phone is great for emergencies, for avoiding long distance charges from my home phone, and for any time I need to coordinate with people away from home. When you need it, you really appreciate it. But other than that, I'd just call it a nuisance, so I don't use it or even keep it turned on very much! I'm sure my carrier loves me as a customer.
|