Phone Problems

When I was a child, the telephone my parents had, was an old black, boxy thing that hung on the wall between the kitchen and the hallway. It had a mouthpiece attached to the black box. The earpiece was at the end of a wire that had to be held to listen and a crank at the side to rouse the switchboard operator. We were on a party line and had to listen to the number of rings to see if the call was for our family. A phone problem then was if someone else on the line forgot to hang up. If they forgot, the line was useless unless I wanted to eavesdrop on what was happening at their house.

Now, came the challenge. If we wanted to use the phone, we had to yell, whistle, or make some other loud sound to catch the attention of the other persons on the line and get them to hang up so the phone was useable.

Today, phone problems can be multiple. Because they are so small and portable, they can be misplaced or lost. Most times by dialing on another phone, it can be retrieved, unless… it is on vibrate or silent, then it becomes a nightmare to find.

Another problem happens because it isn’t a landline. Many areas have limited or no reception, here in southwestern Pennsylvania. That can be so frustrating. Sometimes it can happen in your own home and have to move to another room to call.

The battery consumption can create another pain for the cell phone user. Why sometimes it can be used all day with little or seemingly no drain on the battery and the next, it seems as if there is a ghost sucking the energy out of it and the level shrinks right before your eyes.

In the past these little conveniences have been fragile, breaking if dropped, not working if wet, or unreliable because of butt dialing. All would never happen if they were hanging on the wall at home.

Has anyone else been embarrassed when your cell phone’s ring tone goes off at an inopportune time? Mine has. Popeye the Sailorman is not the most welcome sound in the middle of a church service. It seems to take innumerable seconds to fish it from a pocket and shut it off.

Now, I come to my present problem. The phone is freezing and I can’t get it past the initial “turn on” phase. My cell phone is useless and not any more useful than a rock or a stick. If it was a tin can, I could find some string and make a phone, albeit not a great example and not good for long distance calls. I will be visiting the phone store later today and allow them to troubleshoot. My phone is over two years old and I expect them to try to get me to purchase a new phone and a renewal of the contract. It is time to put on my armor and sharpen my sword to do battle.