With very few exceptions I'm technologically behind the times, and generally like it that way. Although both my husband and I own cell phones, we use them as phone-booth substitutes (in case we need to call somebody while away from home) and still conduct our life business by land line.
I love landlines. Yes, it can be inconvenient to have to get up and go to another room to answer, but if it's too inconvenient I'll just ignore it. I love the fact that landlines work during power outages, which we have too many of in our neighborhood. Many years ago my husband was in the hospital with a hip replacement and our power went out for a week. I went into zen state for that week, during which I went to the hospital every morning and enjoyed the generator-provided electricity and air-conditioning for 12 hours, then would stop at the grocery to buy something to eat and three cold beers. I'd come home as darkness was falling, drink my beer and and talk with my mother on the phone in the dark for an hour or two. Sleep and repeat.
The phone company would have you believe that fiberoptic or wireless service is vastly superior to copper wires, but just talk to one of the guys who might come around and repair your old-fashioned phone, and he'll tell you that's crap. Copper wire is a much better system, except it does need maintenance, much like every other useful bit of infrastructure. And like so many other aspects of our society, the phone company would rather sub in inferior technology just so they don't have to spend money on maintenance.
It's getting a little staticky these days, or so my husband tells me, refusing to use that phone. I don't notice that much of a problem, but perhaps I'm just making maternal allowances for my ne'er-do-well child. One of these days it can go directly to the museum of obsolete technology, along with so many other of my possessions.
I am glad there are other people like us! Our friends divide into two groups: those with pay-as-you go mobiles who do everything on the landline and people who seem permanently attached to their mobiles and think everyone else is too. I have to remember to turn my mobile on every two or three days to check for messages and texts! I do have a smartphone because I had a long stay in hospital and a Home last summer and it was th e only way of communicating (and then the signal was so poor I often couldn't). But I much prefer the landline, even though getting to it can be difficult because I now have a very disabled leg.
ReplyDeleteI was doing business with somebody who wanted to get in touch with me urgently. She got very upset when I didn't respond to her texts -- to my landline. (Wonder why she didn't just call.)
DeleteBut I obviously don't understand the new mindset and expectations.
We have always had a landline and a telephone just like yours only harvest gold. It comes in handy during power outages (we can call them in) when neighbors need help etc. It sits right by the side of the bed for late night emergency calls (few but still....) I wish we had a raspberry colored one--you are so lucky!
ReplyDeleteSuggestions from my husband.
ReplyDelete1. Is that the only phone in the house?
2. If not is/are the other phone(s) fine?
3. Do you have multiple phone jacks in the house?
4. If yes, have you tried the phone plugged into another jack?
5. Have you tired moving the handset cord around? Does that make it noisier?
6. Is the cord between the base and handset modular (plugs in at each end)?
7. If modular, try another cord.
Hope this helps.
Cool! Love this reply.
DeleteSandy
thanks -- I'll give these a try. (Fortunately it's not the only phone in the house!)
Deleteanother suggestion - is there a junction box outside that might have gotten moisture or something else inside? My Mom & Dad had a phone that got static-y and finally figured out those Asian lady beetles had jammed themselves into the box outside. Cleaned it out and no more problem. They also had to have the phone company do something at the switch rack(?) in town. But that affected both of their phones.
DeleteLove the raspberry, we had only basic black and they kept it so long that they had people not know how to use it when calling for a tow truck. This was before cell phone in every pocket days.
I support software for my job, and when I get home I have no interest in messing about with the computer or the smartphone or the tv or any of it. Change for the sake of change (or more accurately change for the sake of someone else making money off me for no reason) is incredibly annoying and I don't feel the need to be part of it. Though I have to say that texting, sending pictures to people and communicating in a way that is convenient for people in different time zones is great.
ReplyDeleteLeigh