Why I Refuse to Own a Mobile Phone

I\u0027m not a fan of mobile phones. I don\u0027t own one, and I don\u0027t plan to in the future. I hate the assumption that I need one, or that I\u0027m strange for not owning one. The other day, I opened a new bank account. A woman helping me, and this is a true story, asked me if I was serious when she found out I didn\u0027t have a mobile phone. She simply couldn\u0027t understand how I could live without one. I don\u0027t see the problem - I can be contacted at home or work. Yes, I have a laptop computer and instant access to the internet. Yes, I have a digital camera, a microwave oven, and an iPod, but I absolutely refuse to get a mobile phone! I can see how useful they could be, and I understand that they could come in handy in an emergency. But emergencies aren\u0027t always predictable. I once heard a story about a guy who had a parachuting accident and found himself on top of a cliff with two broken legs. He had his mobile phone with him, but guess what? He couldn\u0027t use it because he was in a remote area! So, in great pain, he had to pull himself along the ground with his elbows until he reached a road and could stop a motorist. Not much help for him then, was it? Sometimes, mobile phones even create emergencies. Remember that awful story about the Kenyan student? She dropped her phone into a pit latrine while "answering a call of nature." She offered the equivalent of $13 to anyone who could get it back for her. And what happened? Three men died, intoxicated by the fumes because they were so desperate for the money. But these aren\u0027t my main reasons for disliking mobile phones. No, what I hate is how my daily life is negatively affected by other people using theirs. Take a restaurant - I really, really hate it when friends arrive and the first thing they do is put their mobile phones on the table. So, if it goes off, they stop talking to you and start ignoring you. Are they doctors? Are they giving advice on open-heart surgery? Are they talking to long-lost friends or sick relatives? No! It\u0027ll be their mother, who they saw recently, or other friends they\u0027re going to meet soon. For me, it\u0027s the height of rudeness. And, of course, I also have to put up with the same thing happening at the table next to me. And how inept and pointless the conversations are! "I\u0027m with Jenny, and we\u0027re having Dim Sum." The person needs to know that? "Hi, I\u0027m on the train now and will be there in about 10 minutes." So? Are they not expected? Can\u0027t they just turn up in 10 minutes and say "I\u0027m here"? I\u0027m also affected by the light - do restaurant owners really not realize how bright those mobile phones are? OK, maybe the stupid thing is on vibrate, but when it\u0027s opened in the cinema or at a concert, the owner is all lit up, and I can\u0027t concentrate on what I\u0027m watching. I was at a concert not long ago, up on the balcony, looking down on the audience. There were always at least five people using their mobile phones. Why didn\u0027t they switch them off? It drives me so mad! My mate sitting next to me actually answered his phone and started whispering loudly. But when he saw the look on my face, he instantly apologized. "Sorry - it\u0027s my sister." So? Finally, mobile phones are an excuse to be late. If the waiting friend can be contacted, "Just to let you know I\u0027m going to be half an hour late." Somehow, being late is therefore OK. No! Just make an effort to arrive on time! Sometimes, friends even blame me for sitting alone for 20 minutes when it was they who were late because, they insist, I couldn\u0027t be contacted! No - I\u0027m never, ever going to get a mobile phone!