Cell Phones

There's a scene in Inside Man, in which the bank robber has all the hostages turn over their cell phones. One man doesn't have one, and is roughed up, as the robber doesn't believe he left it at home. What would he have made of me, if I had told him I didn't own one? That was true until yesterday. I finally joined the 21st century and got a cell phone.

I never really needed one, and I still don't, not as long as there are pay phones. I can see that they are a comfort to have in the car in case of a breakdown, and are convenient if you're running late and stuck in traffic. But I probably won't give out the number to too many people, because I like the idea of not being able to be reached. I certainly hope I don't turn into one of those people who have long, intimate conversations with people that can be heard by an entire train full of people.

I played a little bit with my new gadget yesterday, calling my home phone, and then calling the cell phone to see what the ring sounded like. The user's guide is dense; I don't know whether I'll explore what else it does. I really just want to have it for emergencies.