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Why Nearly 1 in 7 Americans Still Lack Cell Phones

newsweek.com — But a handful of start-ups are aggressively pursing wireless holdouts. The bulk of the un-mobile fall into three groups, says senior analyst Chris Collins of Yankee Group: children, the elderly and the credit-challenged. (There's actually a fourth group, prison inmates, but companies haven't yet found a way to target that elusive niche.)

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madeingermany, on 07/16/2008, -2/+324I'm pretty sure there is another group: The people that just don't want one.
- bosssmiley, on 07/17/2008, -3/+89Ah yes, the "What do I need one of those annoying gadgets for?" demographic. Seriously thinking of re-joining them myself.
  - joegibes, on 07/17/2008, -24/+12Try going a day without gadgets... Just try it. Soon you'll be puking in a gutter, longing for the warm glow of LCD screens...
  - Garlik, on 07/17/2008, -1/+33Not quite, I belong in that group and it's not that I don't want "annoying gadgets," it's because I just don't see the need for one at the moment. Just because everybody else has a cell phone and constantly bugs me about it, doesn't mean I need to get one if I don't need it.
  - Teck64, on 07/17/2008, -2/+26I don't have a cell phone, and I really don't care for one. It's just another way for people to keep tabs on you, on where you are and what you're doing. I'm also saving 60 + a month.
  - Otto, on 07/17/2008, -21/+4No, you're really not saving $60 a month. You're just limiting where you talk on the phone.
    
    I mean, why do you need a land line again? I haven't had a land line for 8 years. Haven't missed it either.
  - mywhitenoise, on 07/17/2008, -3/+12Otto...no I am saving $60 a month. I'd rather spend that money on a few movies, a couple of video games, some albums, food.
    It's funny I have a better home theatre than most people (it's worth around $4000), I'm into a lot of gadgets, but I refuse to ever get a cell-phone.
  - tech42er, on 07/17/2008, -13/+2Wow. Digg really isn't techies anymore. Granted, slashdot demographic != gizmodo demographic, but still.
  - EtherGnat, on 07/17/2008, -2/+9"no I am saving $60 a month"
    
    Only if you'd talk a lot, which seeing as how you don't want one is doubtful. Prepaid cell phones used to be a total ripoff, but somewhere along the way they turned into a good deal for people who don't talk much. If you're smart about it you can get the phone for free and call time that doesn't expire (unless you go over a year without adding time) for $0.10/minute or less.
    
    So for $100 ($8.33 per month) you could get a phone and be paid for a year with almost an hour and a half per month of talk time. Of course you may not want that either, which is fine, but $60 a month isn't a fair price to mention as a minimum.
  - Aggaman, on 07/18/2008, -0/+6What about phone haters? I hate phones and I can't remember the last time I used one (it would have been skype in any case).
    
    Phones are just an excuse for people to annoy you with pointless ***** or to send you such illuminating text messages as "W@sup lol wut?"
    
    ***** phones.
- OffPiste, on 07/17/2008, -4/+65Amen. Who wants a leash?
  - dullnation, on 07/17/2008, -8/+41Your mom.
  - ToddsSpleen, on 07/17/2008, -2/+24You do understand that you're not obligated to answer a phone when it rings right?
  - ricksite, on 07/17/2008, -4/+13A cell phone is a leash? A land line is a lease in my opinion. It even kinda looks like one. With a land line, if you are expecting a call, you have to wait next to a phone. With a cell phone, you are free to go about your business and take calls at your leisure.
  - madeingermany, on 07/17/2008, -3/+1Just learn to configure your phone.
- brettg102, on 07/17/2008, -5/+23I just bought a pager for this reason...I've grown to hate my cell phone. Everyone in the world has one anyway...i get a page...I borrow a phone...dirt cheap too! It's also super old school.
  - awtripp, on 07/17/2008, -1/+26ha "super old school"
    
    i only have a telegraph hooked up at my house.
  - zakatov, on 07/17/2008, -22/+11That makes no sense. Instead of just answering a call, you force someone to page you, then you still have to find a cell phone anyways and call them back. Hello and welcome to the 21st century, stop annoying the people who want to get a hold of you.
  - brettg102, on 07/17/2008, -2/+18Exactly...I enjoy punishing people who feel the need to disturb me. If you REALLY need to get ahold of me however..you can.
  - UberNick, on 07/17/2008, -3/+20@zakatov
    "stop annoying the people who want to get a hold of you"
    
    What kind of entitled sense of privileged is that? "Hey! I'm more important than whatever you're doing. Don't be 'annoying' by calling me back at your convenience"
  - jkoski, on 07/17/2008, -4/+12Actually, the people he's annoying are the ones who's minutes he's burning on the 'borrowed' phones.
    
    Oh, and those pagers a REALLY handy when your car breaks down on the highway on a winters night.
  - gfxlonghorn, on 07/17/2008, -2/+7Why not just get a phone and never pick up?
  - HoratioHellpop, on 07/17/2008, -2/+5@zakatov
    
    //then you still have to find a cell phone anyways and call them back.// Erm, did you know that land-line phones still exist? And, they're usually quite accessible, as they have been for ... like, decades now?
  - brettg102, on 07/17/2008, -2/+7jkoski: first of all i maintain my car...second of all, emergency phones are spaced quite conveniently along highways...and they are free! Also...there are, believe it or not, kind souls out there who will stop and help those in need.
- stonewaljacksn, on 07/17/2008, -11/+561 in 7 people aren't ***** slaves to unnecessary technological advances
  - TomFrost, on 07/17/2008, -12/+7I wouldn't call it unnecessary, per se. While it may not be necessary in the lives of some people, I think it's an extremely integral step in the advancement of consumer technology as a whole. For example, the 700Mhz band -- if its handled well, it will provide much more adequate, affordable internet access to rural areas, as well as usher in the next wave of devices that will allow a much greater, faster access to information than current phones. None of that would have happened without cell technology in its current state.
  - jkoski, on 07/17/2008, -7/+19Since when did convenient communication become unnecessary technological advances?
  - humperdeath, on 07/17/2008, -5/+10"1 in 7 people aren't ***** slaves . . . "
    Do you still have slaves in this day and age? And even so, you get to ***** them? That's so 19th century.
  - stonewaljacksn, on 07/17/2008, -12/+5people say that religious folk are destroying our society. as a nonreligious person (so dont get to calling me a neocon jesusfreaking evangelist), I say it's this kind of slavery to technology that's destroying us. we are slaves to things like the internet that have absolutely NO real connection to our real lives and we live in fakeass digital universes for half the time that we are awake. we spend ridiculous amounts of our time on cellphones and on the internet completely oblivious to what's going on around us in real time. we feel naked and lost without them because GOD FORBID we have to live in the world around us at the current moment!
    Does nobody here remember back to even the early 90s before all this stuff blew up? What the ***** do you really remember those times as some kind of "Dark Ages". No. Life was EXACTLY the same minus a whole lot of the escapism into digital fantasy worlds.
    I'm not saying it's all bad...that would be retarded. Of course if ur lost in the middle of nowhere n u need directions or something blah blah blah a cellphone is great. But ur just lying to urself if you think we arent slaves to this for the most part unnecessary technology (all because the businesses producing this technology have brainwashed us into thinking that life sucks without these things...again, AS IF life sucked in 1990. That ***** was great and we went on fine back then without all this crazy ***** we have now.)
  - abhiroop, on 07/18/2008, -1/+1@stonewaljackson...
    This is a very interesting line of reasoning. And while you say that you are not a religious person, your arguements seem to be following that line (not saying that you are or not).
    
    Every generation feels that technology/advancement is bad. I bet when I am a bit older I'll say to myself damn these holoprojectors/brain implants are completely useless, etc.
    
    I was sitting at my computer buying tickets for a play I want to go see and I realised how amazingly easy the internet had made simple things like that. I paid for my tickets and in a few days they should be coming in the mail.
    
    With you're argument we should still be writing on stone slabs and living in the forests! Before computers it was the television, before that the radio, etc. There is always some advancement that people think is "bad". Look at the number of people criticising Wikipedia. What makes encyclopedia Brittanica that much better? I bet when that first came out people criticised that as well!
    
    I make informed decisions and I haven't been "brainwashed", if that was the case I would own an iPhone. I own an iPod because it allows me to listen to a vast collection of music without having to change CD's or carry around a rucksack full of CD's/LPs.
    
    Advancement is going to happen it is upto each person to decide how they want to embrace it.
  - caseycoold, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2Slave?
    I just don't answer mine if I don't want to.
    Free will. It's not that hard. It often requires thinking for yourself, though.
- dlinkwit27, on 07/17/2008, -4/+45I agree. What a biased title for an article. "Lack." Since when it is a disability to not have a cell phone?
  - Otto, on 07/17/2008, -5/+4Since always. Even before they didn't exist, people could not talk from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world. Now they can.
- kamiten, on 07/17/2008, -3/+15I am a member of this forgotten group.
- Veretax, on 07/17/2008, -4/+10Or perhaps they are like me and see no reason to have to pay additional cost for a cell phone plan in addition to my land line. If it was all for one nice price, sure I'd consider it.
  - Otto, on 07/17/2008, -3/+12Or just get rid of the land line.
- toastgodsupreme, on 07/17/2008, -2/+16Agreed. Got rid of my cell phone almost a year ago and never looked back.
  
  One day I stopped answering my phone no matter who called and just screened my voicemails and called people back if I felt like it. Then I got tired of listening to retarded voicemails so I just ignored my phone completely.
  
  Wasn't too hard to cancel my cellphone service after that considering I used maybe 10 minutes a month in my 500 minute plan.
  - adairnic, on 07/17/2008, -4/+1exactly the point of everyone on this comment string.
    
    It does seem stupid that anyone would pay for a phone they didn't use, or didn't want. I hope people don't feel obligated to have a phone or cell phone if they don't have anyone to talk to.
    
    What is your argument again? You don't have anyone to talk to right?
  - vivalavey9o, on 07/29/2008, -0/+1no, he has me to talk to. :)
- po43292, on 07/17/2008, -8/+4Warren Buffet doesn't have one. I doubt McCain has one. Neither of them can barely use a computer, let alone such a complicated device such as a cell phone.
  - cheeseron, on 07/17/2008, -2/+10Read: Elderly
  - 1longtime, on 07/17/2008, -1/+12They have lackeys to answer phones and type on their typin'-box-gadgets.
- Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -7/+25I don't have a cellphone. It's ridiculous and unnecessary. People force you to waste time on them. Every time a phone rings when I'm out in public I get douche-chills, because -- And especially in a restaurant -- I just KNOW the person is going to start yapping away about the latest gossip with their friends, or some lame business they're associated with.
  
  Total lack of disrespect. It's a spit in the face to everyone around you. I won't even get into the bastards text messaging.
  
  I can understand wanting your email with you, but likewise, I feel almost as if all other functions should be disabled on the device -- And that people should leave them in their cars so they don't just sit around emailing back and forth constantly.
  
  The worse is when a friend invites you out to dinner, or just to hang out for 3 hours... Then they spend 2 of those 3 hours on the phone with someone else. Why bother?
  
  You're basically spending 150 dollars a month so that people can DEMAND your attention and time. If you don't pick up then you get berated about how big of an ***** you are when you finally do pick up. Never mind that hitting the red cancel button (or "***** you button", as it's referred to more commonly) only results in the person calling back 9-10 times in a rapid row, until you finally hit the green answer button and talk to them. Then they call you a jerk for ~that~. So you have no choice but to let the phone ring out, and make up some asinine excuse about where you left your phone so that you wouldn't lost 40 minutes of your day helping them decide when they should get their car washed. Of course before you even make the excuse they leave a voicemail calling you a ***** for ignoring their call.
  - AchaIemoipas, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6I think you'll enjoy this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6H9hR4nIM
  - LucerinRed, on 07/17/2008, -3/+6"Total lack of disrespect"? Pretty sure you meant respect.
  - Bouncybanana, on 07/17/2008, -0/+20if your friends are so disrespectful that they talk on the phone with other people while hanging out with you or get mad if you don't pick up the phone...then i think you need new friends. don't blame cell phones :-)
  - jkoski, on 07/17/2008, -5/+13If douchebags use technology to enhance their douchebaggery it is not the fault of the technology.
    
    And if you have a problem with people DEMANDING your time, maybe you shouldn't give out your cell number.
  - 1longtime, on 07/17/2008, -3/+8It's called an OFF BUTTON, and you use it whenever you want things to turn off.
  - skipdog172, on 07/17/2008, -3/+8$150/month? wowzers.
  - sirbeta, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8Who the hell pays $150 a month for a cell phone?
  - Otto, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7$150 A MONTH? HOLY ***** ***** BATMAN!
    
    Seriously, man. $45-60 a month is pretty average.
  - Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -1/+4I have the type of friends with smartphones. I ask them about their plans. Usual response is, "Oh, it's not too expensive... Like 160 dollars a month? I have unlimited text unlimited this, so many minutes, internet, and GPS... It's pretty cheap! You NEED one!"
    
    Granted I live in NJ so ~everything~ is more expensive here, in my experience. I was stunned to find out that it's not normal for malls to charge 79.99 for a new Xbox 360 game. (If you've ever been to Short Hills Mall, you'll know what I mean.) At the same time I thought Best Buy/internet had insanely great prices. (Though now I know they're just 'standard'.)
    
    Suppose that's why I was never much of a mall person.
  - BinaryFragger, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11"Who the hell pays $150 a month for a cell phone?"
    
    Rogers iPhone users?
  - AikonIV, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6"People force you to waste time on them."
    
    You're doing it wrong.
  - o0joshua0o, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4"We each have enemies in this world,
    but from our friends, good Lord protect us!"
  - addiktion, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1I can tell you've been hurt. There there it's okay. I agree with you somewhat but in a more toned down kind of way.
- picpak, on 07/17/2008, -1/+10So teenagers who don't want cell phones still exist. We need to examine this phenomena.
  - OrangeSoda31, on 07/17/2008, -3/+2They do, and I represent that group.
  - hackiavelli, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I feel sorry for teenagers today. They can never escape the oversight of their parents.
- KAJed82, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8I agree with the 4th group... I myself am a games developer. We started doing mobile (cell phone games) 4 years ago and in that time I've never wanted to own a cell phone. The major reason... they aren't reliable enough. When cell phone are guaranteed to work as well as home phones then I might consider it. This whole no dropped calls business is complete bull.
  
  You may make the argument that a home phone is worse because you can't move it, however, if I use a mobile phone at home I don't want it to perchance die on any given stormy day.
  - skipdog172, on 07/17/2008, -4/+2maybe u just need a better cell provider lol. and yeah that would be funny if rain caused cell phones not to work. whatever cell provider you tried, is pure CRAP. but yeah if that was only service available, then yeah, ***** cell phones. nothing you can do is you only have the choice of a single provider...who sucks.
  - KAJed82, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Cell phone coverage and quality in North America is also terrible in comparison to places like China and a lot of Europe even.
  - KAJed82, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Cell coverage and quality is terrible in North America. China and many parts of Europe are amazing compared to here.
- Scriabin, on 07/17/2008, -2/+14I could afford a cell phone if I wanted it, I'm not elderly or a child, and I'm not in prison. Where do I stand? I prefer sticking to a landline personally, because I see using a cellphone only having a point if you're a businessman or if an emergency comes up; and usually if an emergency comes up, there's a phone nearby, or at least someone with a cellphone. I also find cellphones come with a lot of unnecessary fluff these days, I don't need a friggen camera, internet, or text messaging abilities on my phone, I just want a phone. So it would be a waste for me. If I need to talk to someone, I have a regular phone in my living room, and that's good enough.
  
  I'm 22 years old, and this POV isn't typical. All of my friends have cellphones, even my grandparents do, and my parents, and most of my family. The hilarious thing is most barely use theirs. I think it's just a status symbol for them. 'Look at my awesome cellphone... I got a johnny cash ring tone.' Though I am tired of people asking me for my cell at work and then getting a puzzled look when I say I don't have one. My boss even had trouble believing me. I think she thought I was lying to her so she couldn't call me in anytime she wanted to.
  
  They should add another group for people like me. The 'Have no use for it really' group; or in some people's eyes, the 'Pretentious anti-cellphone' group. Pick either, it doesn't bother me.
  - jstancom, on 07/17/2008, -4/+3You never know where you will be during an emergency. Don't depend on outside factors when emergencies arise. For personal emergencies, say on a long isolated highway, cell phones are great. Who knows when the next car will be coming down the road, and if they will in fact be carrying a phone. But during widescale emergencies, cell phone networks usually go down.
    
    I travel a lot, and I don't want to have to depend on people I don't know and cannot count on for help. Also, it is my lifeline back home, say if I need money or if I need some information right away.
  - talonh, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6An Ax can be indespenisble in an emergency. I don't carry one of those either.
- cambob76, on 07/17/2008, -3/+11I've never owned one. I've gotten by without one. If I really need to call someone, I use a payphone. If someone needs to call me, OMG it can wait. I'm willing to take that risk. And guess what: 100% of the time I'm not that annoying person yapping on their cell phone or causing an accident while I'm on my cellphone. I bet most of the time people only use it because its there and really have nothing important to say on it to anyone.
  - Acqua206, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2I don't know about your neck of the woods but payphones seem to be a rare sight these days. The ones I see are either non functional or have an empty spot where the phones supposed to be.
- Rassa, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5I'm in that group of Just don't want one. If I need to talk to someone it can wait until I get home.
- Feep, on 07/17/2008, -11/+11What the hell is going on? You may have a legitimate concern via privacy issues, but all this nonsense about "I don't need one, how annoying, blah blah blah" is *****.
  
  This isn't Grand Theft Auto IV, idiots. If you feel that incoming calls are annoying, screen them, leave it on silent, or stop giving out your number to every Dick and Jane that pass by. Having a cell phone can save a life in an emergency, get you directions if you're lost, and help you feel safe and connected during travel. They are not a necessity, but you all need to stop pretending you're cool because you "don't need one".
  - BinaryFragger, on 07/17/2008, -2/+2Right, people were unable to get directions or help before the invention of cellphones.
    
    Cellphones CAN be handy, but for many people, they're not essential. The cellphone is a relatively-recent trend, and people managed fine before that.
  - Kingoftherings, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5So why should I be paying $60 a month for something I'm not going to use?
  - Feep, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1If you truly feel that you don't need one, and are comfortable being out of contact during travel, then like I said, a cell phone is not a necessity for which you need to pay. I was rambling against all the above who claim how "annoying" and "like a leash" a cell phone is when you can in fact control all incoming traffic with marked precision.
  - nybble41, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1There's no need to pay $60 a month for a cell phone you only plan to use for emergencies. I have a VirginMobile pre-paid cell phone, for example, which only requires a $15 automatic "top up" every three months to maintain the account. The per-minute rates aren't the greatest, but the minimum top-up still allows for plenty of time to call for assistance should one happen to become stranded miles from the nearest (working) public phone.
    
    My only problem with the service is that VirginMobile's idea of "ringtones" doesn't seem to include anything I'd care to be identified with in public, consisting entirely of fragments from popular music, and the firmware on the phone is crippled such that you can't load your own sound clips instead. It's not that much of a problem, though, since I tend to leave the phone set to vibrate first.
- humperdeath, on 07/17/2008, -2/+11Absolutely! I am also without cell phone. (And I am an I.T. professional) I like my quiet time when no one can bother me. If I am home, they ring me up. If I'm out, I cant be much help anyway. And I agree, Cell phone is like a leash. (someone above mentioned that).
  Sometimes I like to mess with the cell phone sales people in the mall kiosks. Take the 'free phone' with a smile and thanks and keep walking. They change the tune and come after me, but it's.....interesting to debate over the word FREE.
- ryanisnotsuper, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7There is also the "I don't live within 20 miles of a cell tower" group. And if you try to put a cell tower up, they will kill you.
- xDibblerx, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7I finally bought a pre-paid just so I could have something for an emergency and to see how I'd like one. So far I carry it around with me...leave it and have to go back to find it constantly...battery is always on the verge of dieing and so far I make one call every 2 to 3 weeks. I just don't think I'm the type that needs one. I don't want people to find me or call me all the time. They can call my house and leave a message if it's really important.
- bebop717, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4Agreed! I want to hang out with my friends, chat drink play games or whatever, but lately everyone spends more time on their phone asking "so what are you doing tonight" than actually doing anything worthwhile.
  
  “Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.”
  
  Don't waste your time making plans spend time acting on them.
- JinnRikki, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6I have a single cell phone that my wife uses for emergency and very important communications. We buy $20 worth of time every 2 months. I don't understand why I would want or need to lock myself into a $50 a month contract. I have a "land line' that costs $25 a month for my main phone and this setup is more than adequate.
  I am neither elderly, credit challenged or an inmate, yes I think people walking around with a cell stuck to their ear (don't get me started on Blue Tooth) look idiotic. You haven't cut the cord you've just extended it.
- BinaryFragger, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3I got rid of my cellphone a few years ago.
  I admit I do miss it sometimes (it was especially handy for checking bus schedules) but I manage just fine with only a landline.
  If I need to call someone, it can wait until I get home. If it's urgent, I'll call from the office.
  If you need to reach me, again, call at home and leave a message. I don't want to be called in the middle of the day just to be asked "so yeah, what are you up to.."
  
  I really don't understand why people think they need a phone glued to their face 24/7, especially when a typical conversation goes like this:"
  
  "whats up"
  "oh me, not much... just getting on the bus"
  "like night was crazy... I ***** like so many guys"
  "oh here's my stop.. "
  
  Cellphones can be very handy, but people can be so obnoxious with them.
- mike23w, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5I don't have a cellphone. I don't have cable TV. But I do read digg. Keep it to the bare necessities:)
- Harbinger1080, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2I replaced my land line with a cell phone shortly before the rediculous number of hurricanes hit here in Florida. Turns out, it was a good move.
  
  After the hurricanes, power was gone, land line phone access was gone, and yes... cell phone coverage was spotty. BUT, cell phones WERE able to get signal in many places. Trying to connect a call was extremely difficult, but text messages did get through, given time. Texting was extraordinarily useful during the week following the hurricanes. These so-called non-essential fluff technologies helped me keep in touch with family and friends in the area and up north, when others failed.
  
  I still refuse to take calls at the movies, restaurants, the grocery store, etc, unless it's something I absolutely need (recently had to answer a call at the grocery store as I was trying to schedule a closing on a new mortgage...), but I don't see that cell phones are at all superfluous gadgets.
  - dkla, on 07/18/2008, -1/+1So you'll still take a call at the movies or restaurant if it's important? That's still pretty rude...
slickrocktrail, on 07/16/2008, -25/+3Prepaid Mobile has become competitive recently. In fact people can even get a free AT&T Go Phone by using the dealking.com $25 AT&T prepaid cash back. Also, STi mobile has cheap rates of .10 and you can pick up STI cell phones and refills for cheap at cheapphonecards.com. Both STI and the Dealking / AT&T deals are talked about a lot on big deal sites.
- insanebrain, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5spam
orbaldrugger, on 07/16/2008, -3/+73I agree with you, madeingermany. The last thing I want is an electronic dog collar. Besides, the cost is *outrageous* for what you get.
- Phearce, on 07/17/2008, -2/+5@orbaldrugger says "dog collar". Couldn't agree more. It's disturbing to think that nearly everybody keeps a real-time tracking device with them, especially when considered in conjunction with the recent court decision on phone-records and wire-tapping.
  
  But the worst part is that while this is an affront to my sense of privacy, my kids are going up thinking this is *normal*.
- tekiek, on 07/17/2008, -8/+3Wow, I can't believe I'm reading comments like this in the 21st century
- BobZombie00, on 07/17/2008, -4/+0I just can't imagine having to go to stop and find a payphone every time i have to call somebody.
- SasquatchBill, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I am one of those who likes his mobile, and uses it a lot for good things.
  
  However, that's partially because I have no compunction against turning the little beasty off. It's maybe a "collar" of sorts, but it's one I can choose when to have on.
  - ryenski, on 07/18/2008, -1/+1I figured that over the course of my lifetime I would end up paying over $60,000 ($100/mo for about 50 years) for cell service. Hardly seemed worth it.
kroni, on 07/16/2008, -7/+34Some people don't want / don't need a cell phone. I'm one of the later, if I need to do a call I use a payphone, I don't like to go around with electronic gadgets on me.
- nbcaffeine, on 07/17/2008, -1/+44Man, finding a payphone is getting harder and harder though.
  - allenu, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5Amen to that. I remember years ago before I got a cell phone wandering around for blocks trying to find one just to make a call. Then when I went to make a call, I had to make it count since I was low on change.
  - zombies187, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2True, but one thing I have noticed is that six out of every seven passing Americans have a phone they might let borrow especially in an emergency.
- diggduggDOOM, on 07/17/2008, -4/+4It's becoming very hard to find a payphone these days.
- fakekevinrose, on 07/17/2008, -4/+4payphones are pretty hard to find in my area. but to each, his own
- Ninjapope, on 07/17/2008, -0/+23Hey guys, in case it hasn't been said before, payphones are apparently hard to find.
- KH47, on 07/17/2008, -2/+9I don't like going around with a pocket full of change.
  - Ph34rb0t, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8I don't like going around with a pocket full of phone. To each his own. Although most payphones take visa here...
  - kroni, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I dont have credit cards or bank accounts eithe... so is coins for me
  - BabaRamDass, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1To play devil's advocate, there's always prepaid phone cards. That's what I carried around before I had a cellphone.
- KingGorilla, on 07/17/2008, -3/+2The difficulty of finding a payphone has been increasing
- humperdeath, on 07/17/2008, -2/+3And IF you finally find one . . That works. . . It has some nasty, sticky goo all over the handset, you dont want even to touch it.
- XombieRobot, on 07/17/2008, -1/+4Payphones are disease ridden, AIDS infested, and overpriced!
- xsecretfiles, on 07/17/2008, -1/+4Hard to find, pay phones are
- Duositex, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1Keifer Sutherland said he'd kill me if I used a payphone...
- digitallysick, on 07/17/2008, -2/+1payphone? the cost of using that you could almost buy a prepaid cell phone. Good luck locating a payphone anymore.
  - WomensUnderwear, on 07/18/2008, -1/+0***** PAYPHONES
- milsorgen, on 07/18/2008, -1/+2If you can't find or think it's hard to find a payphone then I think it's game over for you, might as well pack it all in you are fail.
- kroni, on 07/21/2008, -0/+1listen you all, fearing a payphone because it may have what? AIDS? goo? hell, you probably are even scared to go out the house, or wipe your own ass...
user12345x, on 07/17/2008, -14/+22In related news nearly 1 in 7 humans are dieing of poverty in dictatorships so corrupt they almost make bush look like a sane fellow.
- mariecordona, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6Dieing?
  - user12345x, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1Ok, technically we're all dieing, one day at a time, but i am referring to the segment of the population that would be better off if starvation finally finished them.
    
    And actually, it's probably more than 1/7
  - mariecordona, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1No, technically, we're all _dying_. Not "dieing". That's not a word. Sheesh, you have it wrong twice.
h3lx, on 07/17/2008, -3/+17I've never owned a cellphone, never needed a cellphone, I can still remember phone numbers and I'm better for it. There is nothing they can do to get me to get one. But if I ever had to get one, I'd have that Boop-Beep-Beep-Beep from Metroid on it and I'd let it ring and ring.
- orangefly, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1if it wasn't for activesync, i would lose my mind if i lost my phone....i used to have probably around a hundred numbers in my head....now my phone has made me lazy....
- OrangeSoda31, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I would set my ringtone to the sound of a really old phone, and I would rip out the keypad and replace it with the old fashioned circular dial setup. That is my ideal cell phone.
executorzz, on 07/17/2008, -6/+114Children don't need cell phones.
- dgaspard, on 07/17/2008, -3/+13I'm divorced. It is a lot nicer to have my son have a pre-paid cell so we can call each other anytime we want and I don't need to go through his mom.
  - Duositex, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7It works both ways. Now when he's with you she can call him directly too. I find that to be the sort of passive-aggressive behavior that leads to divorce in the first place. My condolences.
  - dgaspard, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1Their were a lot of reasons for our divorce (not infidelity). We still get along, and talk about him. But if they aren't together. He is with his grandma, aunt, friends, park, school, etc.....
    
    I could have used the condolences on the marriage. The divorce actually kinda rocks.
- KH47, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8Tell that to the overprotective parents.
  - serif69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6You mean underprotective parents. If they were overprotective they wouldn't let their kids wander around wherever the ***** they want as long as they have a cell phone. The kids would be in the house, so they wouldn't need a cell phone. If they were properly protective parents, they'd actually know where the kids were before they left so they wouldn't need a cell phone.
- Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3I haven't met a 5 year old in New Jersey that doesn't have a cell phone. That seems to be the starter age.
- TheWorm, on 07/17/2008, -0/+17Recently I volunteered at an elementary school, and I was shocked that all of them had cell phones. Two of them even had iPhones. These kids were about 7-10 years old. I'm 17, so it was only 10 years ago that I was in their shoes, and none of us had cell phones. We didn't need them. Now instead of out playing on the playground, they sit around tables and text message each other. Parents need a brain check.
  - santaliqueur, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4I'm not pulling the "back in my day" line here, just providing my story. I'm 30, and when I was in high school, nobody had a cell phone. My friend's dad had one of those bagged phones you carried around like a small suitcase, but that's it. My school only had two computers with internet. Things surely have changed quickly.
- jjb123, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4I'm 16 and have never owned a cell phone, they're to expensive.
  - santaliqueur, on 07/17/2008, -4/+3"To" expensive? You're certainly not spending your extra cash on vowels.
  - serif69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1I never thought I'd see the day that someone made a Wheel of Fortune reference on digg...
  - Papajohn56, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3good, you're not leeching off of your parents
- OmegaWolf, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1People over 40 don't need to use the Internet. Please don't generalize by age. Different people have different needs, no matter their age group.
  
  I think as a general rule, kids much under say 12 probably shouldn't have a phone. In the end though, if their parents want them to have one, what the hell? Some kids and parents are away a lot of the time, due to parent's work, kid's extracurricular activities, etc. and a cell phone can come in handy then.
  
  I really like those Kajeet phones. They're real phones instead of just toys like the Firefly. If I had a kid, I'd probably get him a Kajeet.
Asianwaste, on 07/17/2008, -1/+11You know, the regular phones still work great. This report is not super natural.
- digitallysick, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2So do VCRs, Cassettes, and Floppy disks.
  - Asianwaste, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Yea and I'm sure there's a significant population that still uses all of those.
xiambax, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5Virgin Canada has the best credit system, allowing many clients with poor credit the ability to access their system. They have a pretty good approval rate.
Not to mention they do not require their users to sign multiple year contracts.
Month to Month options are available off the bat.
mixxo, on 07/17/2008, -1/+13Just give me a cell phone that allows me to CLEARLY hear who I'm speaking with. I can do without the other bells & whistles.
danielrh9, on 07/17/2008, -1/+17I'm one of the one in seven. I just purposefully choose not to own a cell phone. I'm reachable by my phone at my office or my house, and if there's some emergency, you can reach me by email or SMS via my iPod Touch. I just simply don't want the burden of a virtual chain around my ankle while I'm out and about throughout the day. One good reason is that I get enough of work while I'm there.
- jezsik, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6Right on, brother! My colleagues are still mystified by why I won't get a phone. When they start bitching about roaming charges and calls coming in during supper I point at them and say "THAT is why I don't have one!"
  - coyote1284, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Your colleagues have no place to bitch. Roaming charges? Get a roaming plan. Calls coming in during supper? Wasn't this always an issue, land-line or cell? At least you can turn off the cell.
- OMGIAMTHEMAN, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1if you can still be reached at home or at work or out on the road via email/sms, then you're hardly collar-less. make the plunge, get a phone, and cancel your home phone line.
- coyote1284, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3Now install Skype on your Touch and you effectively have a cell (when at a wifi hot-spot)
  - danielrh9, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1There's not an option to do that without jailbreaking it is there?
xsquirrel378x, on 07/17/2008, -0/+25I am one of them. Which is funny because I was one of the first people my age in my high school to actually own a cell phone (everyone else had pagers) in the mid-late 1990s but have not had one since and don't want one again. I hate the idea of people being able to get a hold of me whenever they want and having more bills come in the mail that I won't pay.
- SnuKs, on 07/17/2008, -0/+10Hopefully it was a Zack Morris phone
  - xsquirrel378x, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4pretty close. it was this beast of a nokia. i think i still actually saved it somewhere with all my old *****. if i can find i will post a jpeg XD
- diggduggDOOM, on 07/17/2008, -1/+9You can always choose not to answer the phone.
  - Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -4/+3The whole problem is that this method does not work.
  - Bouncybanana, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5sure it does! just hit the "reject call" button
  - MavRevMatt, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Or answer and say STFU and return to business.
  - flashingcurser, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2I do this all of the time, though I get pretty tired of hearing:
    
    "How come you NEVER ANSWER YOUR PHONE?!?"
    or
    "Why do you even have the ***** THING if you're not going to answer it?!?"
    so on and so on.
    
    People are very rude if you are not on their leash. They also believe that by filling up my voice mail box with 50 messages that I will do something other than 777777777777777....
  - MadLeper, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2I've been issued a company cell phone, and my solution for annoying calls is just to turn it off until I need to make a call (which isn't often).
    
    Sometimes I turn it on only to find a days old voicemail or text from a co-worker along the lines of "Call me at extension xxx, it's an emergency!". If it really was an emergency then they could just as easily called me at my desk or emailed (or even gotten up on their two hind legs and walked the few meters over to my desk), but for some reason when people find out you have a cell phone they interpret it as a God-given right to contact you immediately at any time.
  - Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Why not hit reject call? Because then they KNOW you're ignoring them.
    
    So what happens?
    
    They call back. At least a good 20-25 times. And you have to hit reject. A good. 20-25 times. And then get verbally abused for it later on.
- BedPost, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Heh. Pagers.
crapmatic, on 07/17/2008, -1/+21The credit-challenged? Does this guy think all there is is Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T? You can go and get a Tracfone for $20 cash and be up and running with your own phone number.
Screwy1138, on 07/17/2008, -1/+42This article is insulting. What about people who are just trying to live within their means? Spend responsibly? I have great credit. But I don't have a cell phone. I don't need one. I prefer to spend only the money I have, thanks.

Is it impossible to comprehend that some people just don't think that the money spent is worth it?
- awtripp, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2can't have great credit unless you put it on the line.
  - Screwy1138, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Not true. Certainly, I have a home loan that IS spending money I don't have, I admit. But my loan was for 150% of my annual salary at the time of the purchase, which is very conservative.
    
    But as far as credit cards, I use them all the time, spending money *I have*, and pay them back at the end of every month when I get the bill.
  - awtripp, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Having a loan is putting your credit on the line. If you get fired or suddenly can't afford to pay it back and consequently default on your loan, your credit becomes *****.
- coyote1284, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Personally, I like having a cell instead of a land-line. I've also cut the bells and whistles like internet access and text. It comes out about the same, if not cheaper, than a land-line with long-distance. I only use it as a phone, not a portable game system/mp3 player/PDA/gimped browser/***** digital camera.
- MattB123, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Those people just need to be reprogrammed. They are defective.
phish3r, on 07/17/2008, -1/+52What do prisoners use to call each other?
...
Cell phones!

Hopefully that wasn't so bad that it injured someone.
- zakatov, on 07/17/2008, -4/+3I see what you did there...
- brettg102, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6Seriously didn't get that for a second...now I do. Dugg.
  
  Ona seperate note...on teh radio last week they were talking to a gaurd who said he is consistantly offered more to smuggle prisoners cell phones than any drug under the sun.
- jezsik, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5Not bad. Not bad at all.
- lornefs, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2Prisoners need cell phones so that they can run their illegal businesses while they're away.
- KJSatz, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1If the companies want prisoners to have cell phones, they can smuggle them into prisons via cheese and asses.
IllBeBack, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4If my work didn't pay for my cell phone, I would seriously consider going without it.
Marglar, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8I actually really despise the fact that it's almost expected of people to have a cell phone now.

I hate being so easily reachable. If I really wanted to be in contact with someone, I would..

blah.

course this is just mindless whining, I'm one of the drones with a cell phone.
- nitrojunky24, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1could just turn it off and only call people when you want
jarjarwang, on 07/17/2008, -0/+32What about the friendless? Many people have absolutely no one to talk to by phone.
- frothyswine, on 07/17/2008, -0/+15$45 a month. I text my cats. They don't answer.
  - serif69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Your cats text me...
- meruru, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8On the plus side when you are friendless with a cell phone the roll over minutes really pile up. I probably bank 300-350 of my 450 anytime minutes each month. I could Talk for like 24 hours straight without an overage....of course not having anyone to talk to I never have any need for rollover minutes, but in theory....*goes and cries in a corner*
- adairnic, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1It seems like the friendless are the only commenters on this string.
  
  Really the only reason I have a cell phone is that I am rarely home, and rarely close enough to my close friends for face to face conversation.
gdog05, on 07/17/2008, -0/+17I really don't like people calling me. It breaks into whatever I'm doing. But I had a cell phone for years, and finally dumped it. With VoIP I don't have long distance, but most importantly I'm not giving any money to the worthless mother ***** at the phone company. Now if only I could afford solar for the house, I could get rid of the worthless mother ***** at the power company too.
- webyatri, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7and the cable company and the oil companies.
  - gdog05, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3Yeah! Them too. All the worthless mother ***** need to go down.
- foolfoolz, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7i like your thinking. if only it were easier to set up a small scale ISP in my closet and i could finally drop those ***** at cox.
  - njdube, on 07/19/2008, -0/+2The child part of me wants to laugh for the use of "*****" and "cox" in the same sentence.
- njdube, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1Dugg for "worthless mother ***** at the phone company".
  
  Nice!
brettg102, on 07/17/2008, -5/+1Pagers FTW.
melonhedd, on 07/17/2008, -7/+28Why 6 in 7 Americans have been duped into paying the telecoms more money.
- coyote1284, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Assuming all of them have a cell and a land-line, but that's not the case for me a quite a few people I know. I only have a cell and I've had the text and internet service deactivated, so I don't pay for that. My bill comes out cheaper than when I had a land-line with long-distance.
paulot, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6When you think about it, $30/month for a cell phone is pretty expensive for those on a fixed income or those with low paying jobs.
- dougmc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3Or even those with well paying jobs, but only spend perhaps 30 minutes/month on the phone.
  
  I have a cell phone, but it's a pre-paid one, and it works out to about $9/month and I get about 80 minutes/month out of that.
  
  If I had to pay $30+/month, I'd just do without.
- basye, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5$30 a month is cheaper than most landline service, after being tax-raped.
- santaliqueur, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3$30/month? You'd be lucky to find that.
StinkyHobo, on 07/17/2008, -3/+21My husband and I have cell phones rather than a land line and we both like it that way. I certainly don't consider myself digitally tethered to the thing, either. My phone is for my convenience, so if I don't feel like taking calls, I turn off the ringer and go on with life. It's quite easy to do.
- jeehalte, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2same here, imho landlines are dead i never use one except for at work and the only reason i do is because my office phone has a hands free adapter. of course i could just buy a BT headset and use my BB, but I am too cheap to buy one
- Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -7/+4So all the rude voicemails about how you're a bitch that doesn't answer the phone doesn't bother you?
  
  Or are your friends the type to call you a bitch to whoever is sitting in the car with them when you don't answer?
  
  I'm just saying... If you have it, other people have the mentality that it's your responsibility to answer it. Until you get rid of the cellphone you will always be the *****.
  
  Which is why I got rid of mine. I was exactly in your situation, I'm not trying to insult you at ALL... I relate. I figured, "Oh, hey, I'll just turn it off, I'm busy now.."
  
  Then people started acting nasty and resentful towards me because I ignored a call. It would hurt friendships. So I just ditched it. The "I can't afford it" excuse lays a lot better with people rather than, "I was busy, sorry." The latter is usually interpreted as, "I'm too good for you, sorry."
  - jkoski, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8You have ***** friends.
  - skipdog172, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5You need better friends. None of my friends would ever berate me for not answering my phone. But yeah, when your friends are that huge of douchebags and you refuse to find different ones, guess you might as well cancel that plan.
    
    Glad I don't have to get rid of my cell phone to avoid "dick friends".
justananomaly, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11And then there are people like me who are in their 20s-30s that don't think its completly nessessary for anyone to contact us 24/7 and don't want to be able to contact everyone 24/7. Leave a message when im not home ffs.
- Klisk, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6Ever notice how cell phone users refuse to leave a message?
  
  Your answering machine will have a good 9 or 10 "clicks" on it before a "You're an ass, I know you're there, pick up!!!!" message. Or just 15 "click" messages, and then the person won't talk to you for a week and try to make you feel guilty about it.
  - skipdog172, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3we understand that your friends are rude *****. it doesn't mean we all choose rude assholes for friends.
  - justananomaly, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4My friends are nice and thats why I concider them friends but hearing about the cute little thing their 2 month old baby just did can wait until I'm back from the store to be brutaly honest.
- coyote1284, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I have a cell, but I sometimes either leave it at home or turn it off if I don't feel like being contacted.
tripledjr, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5Lol thought this was going to be an Onion article.
- santaliqueur, on 07/17/2008, -3/+2Is everything a potential Onion article? Just go to The Onion already.
Shivetya, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8While I own a cell phone I found that moving back to a prepaid plan was the best change to make. My average bill is around seven dollars a month now. I have learned that I don't need to talk to someone every hour of the day and after a bit of "training" my friends have come to only call me when it really is important. See, they know I am on a prepaid plan and actually respect my time.

That and having an average of $360 extra a year lets me spend money on things I can keep, minutes on a cell phone plan are a meaningless expense. I would love to be the marketer who came up with cell phone plans, imagine the ecstasy the phone companies must have felt when they realized people would pay to talk again and do so by the minute
po43292, on 07/17/2008, -6/+1I'll post it again here:

http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_on_1_2 ...

I want one. My parents had one when I was a kid.
- ajb2015, on 07/17/2008, -2/+3really? you want me to download some sketchy file?
  - xShifty, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2Sketchy? It's a jpeg of an old phone, you *****.
  - po43292, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1Uh it's just a jpg from google search. Thanks xShifty. If you look at the url it's a .jpg, you idiot. You're not getting goatse or something. I don't post ***** like that. Been on digg too long to post spam.
jezsik, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4I carry enough junk around in my pockets already. If someone comes out with a cell phone plan that's nationwide without roaming charges (I'm a road warrior), charges calls by the second (not rounding UP to the nearest minute), and is competitively priced, I'll think about it.
- NonLeftistDiggr, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5I know what you mean, in 1999. You should check again. I haven't hit a roaming zone with my verizon yet and I've used it in Yellowstone park before.
- sholt, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4Agreed, I haven't heard anyone complain about roaming charges anywhere in ages. Many consumer plans allow up to 50% of your minutes used a month be on a non-home network.
ugmold, on 07/17/2008, -6/+14I am neither a child (physically) or credit challenged. I think Cell phones are the rudest, privacy evading pieces of garbage man kind has ever created.
- jkoski, on 07/17/2008, -3/+1You kids get outta my yard!
- antdude, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1I have no need for one. I don't own one and even if I did, I rarely use it. I rarely use my landline and it doesn't help with my speech and hearing impediments.
PolishLogic, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Left the house one day without my cell, since I had only planned on running a quick couple of errands. When I got home I saw that I had 2 messages from a buddy about some mundane thing, so I called him back. He seemed almost bewildered and disgusted at the idea that I willingly left my phone at home, making me unreachable.

I'd never really thought how put off people can be in today's world, if they can't get in touch with you on a moment's notice.
- WomensUnderwear, on 07/18/2008, -0/+0you use voicemail? who the ***** still uses voicemail?
jonnyeuchre, on 07/17/2008, -1/+12

I don't own a cellphone because I don't want to speak to people when I'm away from the phone. I like to think of stuff, listen to the birds, watch people go by...I don't need to constantly be ***** talking to people about stupid *****.

If they still sold them, I'd probably have a beeper.
- RadioVibes, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1You are a rare bread these days! :)
allenu, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11Ha, can't wait for the next study that finds the majority of Americans are still lacking HDTVs and surround sound systems.
- xDibblerx, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3So true. I don't see a need for HDTV until the price drops to the same price as a regular TV. I have the surround sound because they can be purchased cheap but I see no need for a 50" widescreen TV to watch reruns of Family Guy on.
  - Kingoftherings, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Now is a really bad time to buy HDTVs since places like Best Buy are upping the price since everyone thinks they need one when the Analog to Digital switch happens next year. Prices should come back down after then.
NonLeftistDiggr, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7Hired some movers last weekend who didn't have a cell phone. Became a stupid game of, call us every hour from whatever phone you use, to see when if we're on schedule to arrive at our new place.

If you break down on the road and are not a cell phone owner, what are you going to do? Flag out another driver to use their cell phone.
ChinkInMyArmor, on 07/17/2008, -2/+6What kind of crazy third world country are we living in?!
alldigit, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6Because wireless data transfers cost nothing compared to what you pay for the service. A more reasonable price would be 10 dollars a month for unlimited data, sms, international calling, etc.
- sholt, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2Because no one needs to be paid to maintain the physical infrastructure. Ever.
  
  right.
diggduggDOOM, on 07/17/2008, -2/+8You don't have to answer the phone, you know. (Unless it's work related, but that's a whole different problem)
iddybiddy, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6My last phone (2003) resides at the bottom of the Swan River. Since that time my Business has quadrupled in size and my social life is better than ever. Remove the leash folks life is so much better.
- xiambax, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Saskatchewan Represent!
jayrok, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2The credit-challenged are assumed not to have cell phones? In that case, most of North America must be living in the stone age... plus they'll have to call all those credit-counselling hotlines on a landline.
minorthreat, on 07/17/2008, -2/+3still?? As if I am supposed to have one? What if I don't want a phone?

Why do 6 out of 7 America still have cell phones?
Chahrlie5, on 07/17/2008, -2/+13Didn't realize owning a cell phone was required for American citizens.
FredFredrickson, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3They 'lack' them? That implies that cell phones are a necessity, and while I'd have trouble getting through the day without one, I'll readily admit it is not and shouldn't be a required part of anyone's life.
nick1971, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5OK cell phone explosion in Europe
1 Have a different numbering space I know I'm phone you on your cell phone I pay.
2. Who needs pagers when you have short message service. I pay to send you a text you get it.
3. Caller ID block a caller or group of callers.
4. Seamless international roaming go to the Maldives and your phone rings without a problem. If you choose to accept the call or divert it to your mail box or switch the phone off these are personal choices.
5. Kids, GPS and location based services are available on all networks. Pre-paid accounts stop your kids texting or phoning to much. If some other kid is texting or phoning too much this is not your problem.
dpvu, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6"There's actually a fourth group, prison inmates, but companies haven't yet found a way to target that elusive niche."

Make cell phones that fit in someone's rectum easier.
brock790, on 07/17/2008, -5/+1Who really cares???

obviously everyone has cell phones... i want to read the article about the 1 in 7 people (under the age of 35) that still uses a landline
- Rudegar, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1think many people over 70 use landline
  - headband, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1because 70 is definitley under 35
Syphon8, on 07/17/2008, -0/+31 in 7 Americans actually seems like less than would be under the age of 14 or in prison...
- marillion, on 07/17/2008, -1/+21 in 41 Americans are in some kind of correctional program - that is 7.2 million out of a population of 300 million. Out of that, 2.2 million are actually incarcerated - which is 1 in 136. (source Wiki)
- Syphon8, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1*under the age of 14 or in prison*
webyatri, on 07/17/2008, -3/+3prediction : 1 in 7 will soon become 6 in 7 if we stay in recession for more than a year. I have already saved $30 a month by ditching my cell phone. A phone in office and at home (VOIP of course) is good enough.
Worst case go for prepaid and reduce payment to less than $10 a month.
crazzy88ss, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Prisoners shouldn't have cell phones... that's why it's prison.
Apocrypha, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7I don't fit any of those 3 groups and I do not have a cell phone. It's because the ***** cell phone companies are rip offs. I refuse to give them ANY of my money until they get with the program and stop charging all these crazy fees and make my phone able to work on other networks. Otherwise, eat ***** and die cell phone companies. Just eat ***** and die.
skidooer, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1I bought my first cell phone a couple of days ago. But I wanted it for mobile internet access. I don't care so much about the phone part of it. Unfortunately, it's a requirement in order to get a data plan with my provider.
insonh, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4my 90 year old mother dosent have one and neither does my one year old grandson

theres 2 out of 14
- WomensUnderwear, on 07/18/2008, -0/+0wtf! get that boy hooked up right now! unlimited data plan grandad!
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Why Nearly 1 in 7 Americans Still Lack Cell Phones

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