Reality Check by Dave Whamond for February 12, 2024

Totally legit use.

I use it to practice Hindi.

My iPhone is connected to my hearing aids by Bluetooth. If I try to call it when it’s lost, it just rings in my aids.

We’ve called our landline “the cell phone finder” for several years now.

I prefer my landline instead of my cellphone.

That’s what they’re primarily used for nowadays!

I still have a landline because I’m still trying to learn how to work my smartphone.

I have it in case I lose the cellphone outdoors, but I do have to sometimes call it ‘in’.

I’ve tried that! I called my cellphone from a landline before, and it just laughed and hung-up on me!

great idea – now all I need is a landline.

I left the landline years ago but thankfully I have the “Find My Phone” app on my laptop. I have had to used it more than once.

I still have a landline number that I give out for the $6 a month I pay it is worth it, this way I only get phone calls from folks that I want to get on my cell phone

Wouldn’t a second cell be cheaper?

If I misplace my cellphone I have Alexa call it.

What if he loses the handset for the landline?

Because after a hurricane we were without power and cell phone coverage but the landline still worked.

I still have a landline!

You can’t hold a cell to your shoulder..

You’ll never drop a call..

They’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands before I give it up! ☺️☺️☺️☺️

— End of an era: Phone companies phasing out telephone landlines. Providers transitioning to ethernet access, replacing older copper lines;

“Oh sh!t, it’s in silent mode!”

Your Alexa can do that for you.

Great – until a satellite or cell tower is down.

That’s not gonna work once the old landline system is gone…

My 90yo mom has been carrying her cell phone in her pocket for years. She finally got rid of her landline (which had been my late stepdad’s when they got married) about a month ago. The only calls she’d been getting on it were junk anyway; everyone she really needs to talk to has her cell number. She loves her cell phone!

Use Google, type in “find my phone” (no quotes) and choose between Android & iPhone, then continue with screen directions. Even if on silent, I can make my Android ring at full volume. If you have a laptop and internet to start with, this is a better option than a landline.

“Alexa, call my phone” doesn’t work … just goes straight to voicemail.

I’m sorry, the person you are calling is rolling on the floor laughing, please hang up and try again.

Or in any emergency that lasts more than a couple of hours or involves a large number of people, who will be calling each other to prevent emergency services from having full access.

Brilliant Dave!

Funny! We’ve actually done that!

I think you’ve touch-tone a good idea.

I replaced my landline sometime back, and the checkout gal was really snippy…“who uses a landline anymore?” (must’ve been having a bad day) Well, being self employed, it’s a good idea to have a secondary way for people to contact me (especially if my cell gets lost, stolen, battery dies, or it dies, etc. …ya never know) In any event, she’s one of the reasons I use self-checkout whenever it’s available…thank you ma’am!

You’ve really pushed some buttons Dave …!

I have a landline phone in every room. My cell is very rarely turned on.

Ask your computer to call your phone.

I finally got a really bright colored case for my cell. Also have ‘reminders’ set to play music at intervals after it slipped under the car seat and luckily rang when I thought I had lost it while out and about.

I admit using my landline for that purpose. ‘Google Find My Device’ allowed me to retire my landline. Most of the calls to my landline by that time were telemarketers anyway.

Makes sense to me!

I don’t like how we’re expected to carry around a device that lets anyone contact us for any reason at any time.