[January]

Hi Friends,

I am one of the few people in the world who do not own a cell phone. It has always seemed like a waste of precious money. Well, my car broke down today. It wasn't in the worst of neighborhoods, but it certainly wasn't the best. There were no pay phones available. Two wonderful Good Samaritans allowed me to use their cell phones to call for assistance.

When I get my car back, I'm going to buy a track (sp?) phone with enough minutes to use in case of emergencies. If you can, please do the same. You don't want to be caught without a way to get help.

Cheers,

Jan

[(JD)]

January, ANY cell phone is REQUIRED to be able to call 911 (in the USA) without paying for service. If you only want it for that option, pick up a used one with a charger...and the police don't mind you testing it at all if you tell them that's what you're doing

[silver_queen]

Jan, my dad doesn't own one either... though I sometimes wish he does on the times he goes out cycling for miles on his own on Sundays...

[(JD)]

Another note (not hijack I hope) My 86 yr old mother wanted one of those alert necklaces, but it would have cost a lump sum up front, a monthly fee, and it only worked near/in her home. We dug out her old cell phone, which she never activated (long story) and charged it: it works whether she is down at the mail box, at church, etc! No fee.

Still another thought, and someone can add to it since I'm not sure about the newest phones, but the older ones you need to leave ON all the time, ladies... that way if you become lost or, heaven forbid, abducted... with the phone ON the police/FBI can track you. My T is adamant about me leaving my cell on all the time I'm not at home! Go figure, someone cares

I think the new GSM phones (which I now have) are able to be tracked without being on ???

Jan, I'm glad you're ok... car trouble is traumatic enough without being out of safe areas! grrr

[Rhapsody]

Yeah I agree.... my sister and her daughters have a pre-paid phone for emergency situations. Thanks for the heads up.... we all need to be reminded of the simply things that can keep use safe.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[wi_fighter]

I have a Virgin Mobile pre-paid phone.

I just bought my kids the factory reconditioned Vox 8610 phones that they have on their site right now for $24.95 with free overnight FedEx shipping. You only have to add $20 every 90 days to keep it active. There's no daily fee for them either, unless you want to set that up because you use it daily, otherwise it's 25 cents a minute until 10 minutes in that day, then it drops to 10 cents per minute for the rest of the day. I researched a lot of prepaid plans and found theirs to be the best deal.

[(JD)]

Yes there are plenty of cheap plans out there.

Just so no one confuses what I meant: In the USA, if there is any service in your area of country... all you have to do is turn a cell phone ON and it is required to be able to call 911 (assuming the phone isn't defective.) No plans, no agreements nothing... This was enabled, orginally for women in distress, abused women who were destitute but needed some way to always call for help. It has become a nation-wide service backed by law or statute

[wisewoman]

Jan, I have a few old cells that as long as you keeep charged will call 911 for free, no service required. I don't know but they might be compatible to a track phone system? Let me know and I'll send you a couple.