slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I am probably only one of many on the OPP who consider themselves 'technology-challenged', so I will repost this written to a local publication.....


I thought about the 30 year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my 7 kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great-grandkids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue Tooth (it's red) phone I am supposed to see when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife as everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-ul-ating".

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves, but this sudden "paper or plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "paper or plastic?", I just say, "Doesn't matter to me...I am bisacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, "No, but I do toot a lot."

Y360AZ

I have flip-phone with no email, data, or texting. Sorta keeps all the texting and tweeting stuff out of sight (never once have I tried either). People either gotta email at home or call me. But GPS, I love it, except when it is wrong (seldom) in a place I don't know where I am. I think I'll try that bisacksual thing, sounds like something I am looking forward to.

Abel

Thank you, Slat! My thoughts seem to resemble these remarks.

Fortunately, I've been able to restrain myself, but it has annoyed a number of people, especially my kids, my in-laws and out-laws, my grand kids, and it will likely annoy my great grand kids when they get a little older. I've lost a few friends because I refuse to Tweet, Twitter, and wh**ever off-the-wall thing technologists have come up with.

Just today I had to retire my 3G cell phone because my carrier was going to drop me if I didn't at least get a 4G model. I had, and now have another, flip top cell phone, which I activated today. I made no changes in my program, but I did add an extended warranty package because I have been known to fish things out of my washing machine. Somehow they just don't work well after a bath.

I remember when I purchased my 3G phone. The young lady at the sales counter spent about 10 minutes explaining all the wonderful things this phone would do, like text, get on the internet, and etc. I got a bit tired of listening to all her claptrap so I asked her a question that seemed to shock her, because she couldn't speak for several seconds. The question was very simple. I just asked "Can I talk on it?" That's all I wanted to do.

She helped me set it up with minimum services, but couldn't get rid of some of the icons. But, I have as nearly a talk only phone as I can get., which annoys the family, particularly the kids and grand kids who like to text each other around the holiday table get togethers. I feel a little left out, but they don't like my politics anyway, and I might say something not so politically correct.

Anyway, thanks for your story, I enjoyed it.

Tug484

Funny. My second GPS had an annoying voice.
I love how they take you around the block when they could say turn right.
I listened to mine say turn right and turn left for 70 miles.
I'm glad I knew where I was going.

Seth

ImLogicallyRight

I'm 78 and have never owned a cell phone much less a smart phone. I'm that guy at the bar who has to watch reruns of the game I saw earlier while everyone I might want to talk to is tweeting, texting or looking something up. I don't want to see your cat or dog or what you had for breakfast. Mine are dead and I know what I had for breakfast. I talk to people and h**e when they suddenly tune me out to take a call or respond to a text. Screw them. I'm here. If someone somewhere else is more important to communicate with, I suggest you join then because I'm no longer interested in talking to you. And don't get me started on fACEBOOK. God, these people must be mad. I have a land line on my desk and I check my email often, If that isn't good enough, I guess you really don't want to talk to me so I probably don't want to talk to you. Besides, real conversation takes more then 144 characters and I'm not sure you are capable.

That was fun writing that.

Tug484

I h**e to go out to eat then see a mother and her probably last year of high school daughter come in.
They never say a word to each. They just keep texting on the phone.
I think lady, do you know how fast time flies and she'll be out of your house soon.
Have a conversation with her.

Y360AZ

I was in C*****r Barrel here a while back and, to my amazement, really did see 5 people sitting at a table (or booth, I think) and all 5 were 'on' their phone doing something besides talking – texting? internet?

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

It was also fun reading it. I couldn't have stated your observations/frustrations better.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Your story mirrors my experiences, Abel. Thanks for sharing & confirming I stand not alone.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Tug, I still pretty much use only road maps.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I, too, own a flip-phone with no email, data or texting. It serves me well enough.

No GPS for me

billy a Loc: South Florida

Back in the 70's, I worked construction in and between Ft Lauderdale and Miami.I knew every pay-phone near every exit-ramp on I-95. Other trades knew this too,and we all respected each other's time on those phones.Some guys used c.b.'s ( Google that,kids...)

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Roger that, Billy A.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I was asked if I had blue tooth and I said "no, but I had chronic blue balls in my 20's, is that similar?".