Is there anything you liked about having a landline instead of a cell phone?

Question

Just think, if you had a party line you could listen in and get all the juicy details. Try that on a cell phone.

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

You know what I miss? Being unavailable, unreachable. You could, hide, essentially😂

I really resent the way people — and I’d say ESPECIALLY employers, but friends and family too — EXPECT YOU to be available to answer their call or text (and now email) at pretty much any time, at least during normal hours that most people are awake, and it’s like it’s on you if you don’t answer, because everyone knows everyone pretty much has their phone with them at all times, and is using it for something or another, so you’d have seen it, even if it’s on ‘silent.’

I don’t like that pressure or that expectation. I choose to enter and exit the world outside on my terms only. If it’s your day off and your boss calls you to fill-in, and you just plain old don’t feel like it…. you don’t answer these days, and your boss is all pissy on your next shift, which they shouldn’t be, because it’s in no way your obligation, but they are anyway. Back in the day…well…. landline with Caller ID was a PEAK era. Pre-caller ID, it was a dice roll when you picked up the phone, if you wanted to hear from that person or not. Answering machines let you potentially screen calls, of course, but required the caller to leave a message to know for sure. But anyway, the point was, if you had the day off, you could be like “I’m not answering any calls, if I want to talk to you, I’ll call you.” And the next day at work you could just say “sorry, I was out for the day, wasn’t home to receive your call🤷‍♂️“

I miss the HELL out of that.

MCheetah · Accepted Answer

I liked that people actually had more of an attention span and were generally smarter and had better memories (to remember people's phone numbers) instead of carrying around a super-computer all day and mainly using it to talk sh*t to others about politics on the internet. Imagine being in 1990 and telling people you had a half-terabyte supercomputer that could fit in your pocket and people mainly used it to argue about politicians and watch stupid 10 second videos. We really are living in the Worst Timeline.

DubiousIntentions · Accepted Answer

I have an internet land line phone, but it stinks. If you don't dial fast enough it hangs up on you. Plus if the power goes out so does your phone. It definitely has its limitations.

whirled_up_girl · Accepted Answer

When people couldn't get a hold of me I could easily say I wasn't home or that I was in the other room and didn't hear it ring, lol.

Likes2drive · Answer

Yeah when the electricity went out we could still could call people since the phone company used a different power supply of 48 volts dc and still call anyone and didn’t these telemarketers calling from long distance since it cost too much and there were busy signals too

SnowedIn · Answer

What a great question!

Yes, I liked the clarity of voice and connection. Even the worst landline connections were better than almost all mobile phones. I enjoyed that the mouthpiece and the earpiece we're perfectly positioned.

Miss them. But, I do like having a phone in my pocket.

Googlemyahoo · Answer

No. It sucked. Originally before cordless we had one phone in the kitchen & one in the downstairs living room. The downstairs phone had a long cord so I used to go sit on the basement stairs with the door closed while talking to girls.

In the 80s we got cordless with speaker phones. One time my friends were over waiting downstairs to head out sitting with my family. My girlfriend called so I ran upstairs to talk. We started talking about what we wanted to do with each other before saying bye.

I run back downstairs & my friends are giggling my Moms scowling & my Dads shaking his head & there's my sister by the phone. She turned on the speaker they heard everything 😑

Nomina · Answer

Not being reached. People would have to wait until they thought I was home. But then they could still miss me.

Being able to say - if they left a message - "meh, I'll see them tomorrow" and not have this knee-jerk anxious reaction if I don't send a text back quickly enough. I can still say that today and have but this reaction is there... grrr.

Alex8736 · Answer

TBH I actually still have a landline which is only $1 a month extra with my FIOS plan. If I am not working or just need some "me" time I power of my cell phone and only closest friends and family can still contact me if I am not out and about which makes my life much simpler without any interruptions and/or distractions

Static_In_The_Attic · Answer

The landline days were the best & it was a time when you remembered everyone’s number & if your friends didn’t answer you walked down to their house & knocked on the door. I loved messing with telemarketers as well.

ChillaxingLove · Answer

I miss how dumb they were and not tracking your every breath. I left my cell phone home on mistake and when I returned to get my phone it had a notification on it and it said I left it behind lol.

Massageman · Answer

The old Western Electric desk phones were much more durable. You could use those suckers as a weapon if needed!

Havthrills · Answer

Definitely the leaving it off the hook and also slamming it down. Also, people trusted more and didn't try to see your phone location.

exitseven · Answer

I still have a landline. It is my home phone number. It can never have a dead battery and it does not sound like two tin cans and a piece of string/ .

Surely · Answer

They didn’t have dead spots! Plus the phones were free! Monthly charges were so minimal compared to cell phones.

Mangospacho · Answer

Oh, Daniela, you can still listen into other peoples’ phone calls with the right equipment. 🤣

Anonymous · Answer

You think you are so pretty and smart, but I don't care.

NathanDavis · Answer

going to the Matrix

msc545 · Answer

The lack of static helps a lot.

Is there anything you liked about having a landline instead of a cell phone?

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