Once while standing in line at Costco, the guy behind me called his wife to let her know he was ready to check out. Her phone started ringing, in her purse, in the cart.
It didn’t take us very long — about three decades — to transform from the ’I’ll call my friends when I know they are home and not busy’ to a society that was willing to ‘leave a message at the beep’. And another two decades to transform from ‘leave a message at the beep’ to one which insists on instantaneous response. ‘We’ no longer care what the person we are calling might be doing; we just expect them to drop whatever it is and answer the phone. We do not consider that they have lives outside our own needs. I have classes three mornings a week — the same schedule for over ten years — and yet friends and relatives will try to call me during class time. Their voice mail recordings often start with “where are you?” And in ten years time, not one call was an emergency or even time sensitive.
Before the pandemic husband and I went weekly on our Saturday night date which included a movie at a local independent movie theater chain – we go to the last showing of the night. We are also 18th century reenactors. (You will see how this connects.)
One Saturday evening we went to the movies. When we got home husband could not find his phone. He looked up where it was online and it was at the movie theater. We drove back and checked every inch of the parking lot and it was not there. Knowing the theater and the people who work – no problem, it would safe and we would come and pick it up the next day – except that we had a reenactment the next day, we are on the board of our unit and had to be there for a board meeting before the event – plus help with the event setup. He was in a panic. I figured it out – we went to the event (dressed in reproduction 18th century clothing, had the board meeting – the theater opened at noon on Sundays – and I drove to the theater to find his phone – dressed in 18th century clothing. (I did leave my cap in the car when we I went in.) I explained to the employee at the window what had happened, she looked at me and said – okay, go look for it. (Guess she figured if I tried to stay and watch the movie I would be obvious.) Theater was not in use yet, but not well lit. I was looking where we were sitting and not finding his phone – so, I called it, found it, thanked the employee and drove back to the reenactment event to sit and embroider and give tours of our headquarters (a weaver’s cottage).
Does anyone ever think of a person in 18th century clothing having a cell phone with them?
Templo S.U.D. almost 3 years ago
unless you set the device to silent/vibrate, you’re still out of luck
Gent almost 3 years ago
Find her phone. There’s an app for that.
Gent almost 3 years ago
And me thought doggie would just sniffs it out and finds it.
some idiot from R'lyeh Premium Member almost 3 years ago
I thought Plugger phones were firmly cabled in place?
juicebruce almost 3 years ago
When home place the mobile next to the Landline and it will never be lost ! Now when a phone rings you only go to one place ;-)
david_42 almost 3 years ago
Once while standing in line at Costco, the guy behind me called his wife to let her know he was ready to check out. Her phone started ringing, in her purse, in the cart.
rickmac1937 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Man did you nail it
ctolson almost 3 years ago
I do that for my wife as she leaves her cell phone all over the house.
GreenT267 almost 3 years ago
It didn’t take us very long — about three decades — to transform from the ’I’ll call my friends when I know they are home and not busy’ to a society that was willing to ‘leave a message at the beep’. And another two decades to transform from ‘leave a message at the beep’ to one which insists on instantaneous response. ‘We’ no longer care what the person we are calling might be doing; we just expect them to drop whatever it is and answer the phone. We do not consider that they have lives outside our own needs. I have classes three mornings a week — the same schedule for over ten years — and yet friends and relatives will try to call me during class time. Their voice mail recordings often start with “where are you?” And in ten years time, not one call was an emergency or even time sensitive.
mikeywilly almost 3 years ago
Need to invent a phone protector with a neck strap!
mafastore almost 3 years ago
Before the pandemic husband and I went weekly on our Saturday night date which included a movie at a local independent movie theater chain – we go to the last showing of the night. We are also 18th century reenactors. (You will see how this connects.)
One Saturday evening we went to the movies. When we got home husband could not find his phone. He looked up where it was online and it was at the movie theater. We drove back and checked every inch of the parking lot and it was not there. Knowing the theater and the people who work – no problem, it would safe and we would come and pick it up the next day – except that we had a reenactment the next day, we are on the board of our unit and had to be there for a board meeting before the event – plus help with the event setup. He was in a panic. I figured it out – we went to the event (dressed in reproduction 18th century clothing, had the board meeting – the theater opened at noon on Sundays – and I drove to the theater to find his phone – dressed in 18th century clothing. (I did leave my cap in the car when we I went in.) I explained to the employee at the window what had happened, she looked at me and said – okay, go look for it. (Guess she figured if I tried to stay and watch the movie I would be obvious.) Theater was not in use yet, but not well lit. I was looking where we were sitting and not finding his phone – so, I called it, found it, thanked the employee and drove back to the reenactment event to sit and embroider and give tours of our headquarters (a weaver’s cottage).
Does anyone ever think of a person in 18th century clothing having a cell phone with them?