Worst invention ever ??

[foreda]

Here is some food for thought.. Worst invention ever invented.. Cell phone!!
Yesterday I was riding in downtown Lafayette and there was this lady on the side me and she was obviously texting. I stayed on the side of her for about 3 blocks and I swear she never took her eyes off of that phone!! I finally got a chance to get clear of her and I left her behind. I have a cell phone only because of my work and I have never sent a text in my life. My thinking is this.. it's a phone why text when you can call?? duh!!

[mstic2000]

Yesterday about 5pm I was in downtown Saginaw and a guy blew thru the red light. I had the green light and had to slam on my breaks or else I would have broadsided him. I did notice he was talking on his cell phone. It happened so fast but I wish I would have had the time to lay on the horn at him. Even thought about turning around and catching him to ask him what the h*** was his problem? But that would have been "road rage."

[Lucien Harpress]

The way I see it, the guy who invented texting must have been the same guy who invented bottled water and canned air. He took something COMPLETELY unnecessary, and convinced nearly everyone that you couldn't live without it.

But honestly, texting has got to be THE MOST AWKWARD form of communication ever invented. I mean, you can finish speaking a sentence in a few seconds. You try typing one on a keypad? Quadruple that time.

I have a cheap, $15 pre-pay cell phone that I use very occasionally. I've sent 5 texts in my life, and three of those were against my will. What makes this even more surprising is the fact I'm only 22. Lord, I hate my generation.......

(On a side note, I'm happy to see that the spell check on Firefox thinks that "texting" is an incorrect spelling. I wonder how long THAT will last... )

[Guy_b_g]

I think it's now spelled txtg....

[CatatonicBug]

SWMBO and I text so much that we racked up a $400+ bill just in text overage charges ($0.10/text) a few months ago, texting each other while she was visiting her family. We already got 400 texts between us for free, but went over that by a lot... There is a purpose for texting, but not everyone has a need for it. IMO, it's for when you want to talk to someone but you are not sure whether they are in a position/situation that will allow them to verbally communicate. You can text in a business meeting without making a sound, and actually get work done while still listening to the meeting. You can also communicate more personal things to someone without the people around you hearing what is being said.

Phone booths used to provide the necessary security in a public place to have a conversation without the rest of the world listening in. With cell phones, and the loss of phone booths, we don't have that anymore. Texting fills that void.

That brings up a potential issue though. I have heard of the following situation:

Wife loses cell phone and wallet, or has it stolen.
Thief uses cell phone to text to "Sweetie" (her husband) asking what their ATM PIN number is, because she forgot it.
Husband thinks that's strange, but texts back with the answer, and the thief drains their bank account.

Be careful answering texts with secure information unless you KNOW that the reciever is who you think it is. Also, NEVER list your contacts by title (Husband, Wife, Sweetie, Boss, etc.). Always list your contacts with their actual names so a thief won't know who they are to you.

[trbig]

Did you really just try to actually defend the validity of texting??

SWMBO and I text so much that we racked up a $400+ bill just in text overage charges

Say what you need to say and put the phone away. How much of that was actual important texts that NEEDED to be sent? Is a relationship so fragile that you can't lose contact for any length of time without the "Luv u, Miss U" constantly to the tune of $400 a month? Wouldn't an update every few hours be sufficient?

You can text in a business meeting without making a sound, and actually get work done while still listening to the meeting.

You can't text AND listen to a meeting. You're there being paid. Put the phone away and listen to the meeting. Your employer thought you should be there, and they didn't just mean physically.

Phone booths used to provide the necessary security in a public place to have a conversation without the rest of the world listening in. With cell phones, and the loss of phone booths, we don't have that anymore.

Sure you do.. billions of places if you don't feel the need to yell into the thing when you talk. How about in your car WHILE IT'S PARKED?


Texting/cell phones are simply a matter of convenience. The world went 'round just fine before texting and still would if it ended tomorrow. Instead of having to wait just a bit to talk to someone, it's an instant gratification to be able to shoot them a text at any time. Just like it's more convenient to try to talk while you're driving. It would be an inconvenience to actually have to pull over to make that call or text.


Tod

[CatatonicBug]

You are exactly right there. It's a matter of convenience. However, the world is getting to the point where we are EXPECTED to be accessible 24/7, and that includes by employers (mine included). Texting is not exclusively a "personal" thing. Businesses use it all the time, just like instant messaging (IM's). More and more people are being allowed to work from home, or from the road, and are required to be accessible the entire time. SWMBO is a teacher, and gets texts from her assistants at all hours of the night, telling her that they will not be in the next day, or that they will be late, or providing an update to a situation that happend the previous day. I would much rather have a text in that situation than hear the phone ring and listen to her have to answer it and talk about it.

My reference to texting in a meeting was not for personal use, but for taking care of business-related work while still listening to a meeting. I don't know about you, but I can sit in a meeting, hear everything being said, and still type a text message or an e-mail on my phone. I do it all the time.

Texts are not just short little "Luv U", "Miss U" messages. I often use up the entire 156 characters I am allowed per text, and have to trim the message or send it in multiple texts. If a person is in a public place, no amount of "not yelling" is going to make a voice conversation private. I personally don't want to hear any part of another person's voice conversation, no matter what it is about. I was raised with the belief that voice conversations should be totally private, and other people should not hear what is being said. Texting allows that to happen, no matter who is in the vicinity.

Now, I am in no way condoning the use of texting while driving. However, when you set it up correctly, in advance, I see nothing wrong with holding a voice conversation while driving as long as you can use a hands-free setup of some kind. I do agree that many people send text messages or participate in voice conversations at unsafe times though.

[egleaves]

Here is some food for thought.. Worst invention ever invented.. Cell phone!!

The cell phone it's self isn't such a bad invention, I'm rather fond of mine, it's the idea that there is nothing wrong with using the phone while piloting a few tons of steel through a maze of steel and concrete that I see as the problem.

There are times and places for using this wonderful convenience; behind the wheel of a moving vehicle is not one of them.

I don't use the phone while I drive. It's not, as some have accused, because I can't. I am perfectly capable, it's just that I choose not to because I feel it is exponentially more important to operate the vehicle without causing death or damage.

I say there is a difference between using a car and driving a car. Way too many people know how to use a car and not enough of them know how to drive it. A person texting while driving is not driving the car and they are a danger to themselves and everyone around them.

As odd as it sounds, I think I might prefer to ride with a drunk than a texter.

At least the drunk is watching the road and trying to drive well.

[foreda]

The cell phone it's self isn't such a bad invention, I'm rather fond of mine, it's the idea that there is nothing wrong with using the phone while piloting a few tons of steel through a maze of steel and concrete that I see as the problem.

There are times and places for using this wonderful convenience; behind the wheel of a moving vehicle is not one of them.

I don't use the phone while I drive. It's not, as some have accused, because I can't. I am perfectly capable, it's just that I choose not to because I feel it is exponentially more important to operate the vehicle without causing death or damage.

I say there is a difference between using a car and driving a car. Way too many people know how to use a car and not enough of them know how to drive it. A person texting while driving is not driving the car and they are a danger to themselves and everyone around them.

As odd as it sounds, I think I might prefer to ride with a drunk than a texter.

At least the drunk is watching the road and trying to drive well.

You are right.. It is not a bad invention and has probably saved a few lives... On the other hand it has taken lots of lives. I don't think the inventor envisioned kids walking around like zombies ignoring everything around them including their parents, teachers... you get the idea.

[Rocknroll90]

Texting

Its easier to read texting while XSing than it is to hear while XSing.

But then some use only one hand to ride anyway, some none.

Just talked to an ex senator the other day. "I ride with no hands most o the time ," he said. And he helped make our laws?????

[Ivan]

I text because I like it. I can send SWMBO a message about how damn sexy she is and she'll see it when she isn't expecting it, and give her a bit of a smile.

Also, if you put your feet on the forks, and hit the throttle lock, its pretty easy to text while riding. You just gotta remember to counter steer with your feet, like rudder pedals in an airplane, which is another great place to text, especially on final.

And its not txtng or texting, its called a "Cruise Control" as in "I was busy messing with my 'cruise control' when I drove my Saturn Ion up that innocent motorcyclists ass."

[Bigfoot]

My reference to texting in a meeting was not for personal use, but for taking care of business-related work while still listening to a meeting. I don't know about you, but I can sit in a meeting, hear everything being said, and still type a text message or an e-mail on my phone. I do it all the time.

Texting during a meeting is disrespectful and rude. You are telling your boss that he and the business are not worthy of you complete attention. As bad as taking a call during the meeting. If I was your boss, you would get one warning, then it would be adios. The text can surely wait until after the meeting is over. When I am in a meeting the phone is silenced. Not even on vibrate. Texts can be read later and voicemail is there for a reason.

One time I set up a headset in my helmet. I could take calls while riding. I found that it was not really the safest idea. Normal chit chat wasn't too bad but trying to troubleshoot a server problem while doing 65mph in traffic was a little much.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I text because I like it. I can send SWMBO a message about how damn sexy she is and she'll see it when she isn't expecting it, and give her a bit of a smile.

Also, if you put your feet on the forks, and hit the throttle lock, its pretty easy to text while riding. You just gotta remember to counter steer with your feet, like rudder pedals in an airplane, which is another great place to text, especially on final.

And its not txtng or texting, its called a "Cruise Control" as in "I was busy messing with my 'cruise control' when I drove my Saturn Ion up that innocent motorcyclists ass."

Ivan, I'm going to pick on you because you are in the same region and from what I've read from you since being here on ch. 11, I kinda like you. So what I say is because I care.

Texting while driving is stupid, TEXTING WHILE RIDING IS INSANE!

Would you like your LAST text to SWMBO be "Your so damned---------"
because some farmer pulled out from a side road and you splattered against the side of his 1987 K25 Chevy pickup before you could finish.

Just because I care man. DON'T!!!!

[CatatonicBug]

Texting during a meeting is disrespectful and rude. You are telling your boss that he and the business are not worthy of you complete attention. As bad as taking a call during the meeting. If I was your boss, you would get one warning, then it would be adios. The text can surely wait until after the meeting is over. When I am in a meeting the phone is silenced. Not even on vibrate. Texts can be read later and voicemail is there for a reason.

I don't know about you, but if I can't be reached for more than 5 minutes at a time, all hell breaks loose. I answer e-mails on the toilet, while walking across the street to another building, and definitely while in a meeting, listening to some lady going on about a new 401(k) plan. As long as it's not distracting to the presenter or other attendees, I see nothing wrong with typing messages in a meeting. Several of the executives are known for doing it while talking to your face, 1-on-1. That, I think is a bit rude... But you can't tell the boss that.

[Bigfoot]

Ivan, I'm going to pick on you because you are in the same region and from what I've read from you since being here on ch. 11, I kinda like you. So what I say is because I care.

Texting while driving is stupid, TEXTING WHILE RIDING IS INSANE!

Would you like your LAST text to SWMBO be "Your so damned---------"
because some farmer pulled out from a side road and you splattered against the side of his 1987 K25 Chevy pickup before you could finish.

Just because I care man. DON'T!!!!

I am pretty sure Ivan was being a little sarcastic, especially since he was plowed into by some jerk-off who was texting while driving.