Pluggers by Rick McKee for January 15, 2025

You’re a plugger if you ever used the light on your phone to hunt for your phone.

you’re a plugger if the actors who play grandfathers on TV are younger than you.

“Call me back so I can find it when it rings.”

Find my iPhone is the most useable app! I use it all the time.

Eh me never say anytheeng like that.

while talking to hubby on phone i offered to take a picture of saw blade he needed replaced. he said it would take too long for me to go get my camera. uh, honey ?

My phone is on the bed shelf, on the charger, in my pocket or, on very rare occasions, in my hand being used. I hate looking for stuff.

?? I’m missing something here; if he can’t find his phone he can’t be talking on it. My memory takes a hike once in a while but it’s never that bad.

When I was growing up, the 1 phone was on the wall by the staircase. It took 8 rings for someone to get from the upstairs or kitchen to answer it. If it didn’t get answered, the person called back. No big deal. No one expected the callee to drop everything and answer on 3 rings. Later, answering services meant that callers could leave a message, which was more convenient for both caller and callee. The caller did their duty and relayed the message; the callee received it when they had the time to do so.

Then came car phones and cell phones and soon people had the idea that they could call any time and expect an immediate connection. Great for emergencies like burst pipes, stranded motorists, and teenagers needing to be picked up from a party. But, not so great when bosses started calling at 6 am on Sunday to have you redo the presentation for Monday’s meeting or parents started calling to check on teens who missed curfew.

Text messaging solved some of that. The message could be sent and received without the callee having stop everything and answer the phone — the assumption being that the callee would check for messages ‘as soon as possible.’ The phone was back to being under the control of the phone owner. The ‘callee’ did their duty and passed on the information; the ‘callee’ received the message when they had the time to do so. Sort of like back to the beginning — where people aren’t expected to drop everything at the sound of the bell and courteous messages were left, providing all the information needed by the receiver. Too bad more people don’t realize that.

I’m not looking forward to this! Getting old and goofy enough to go back to carrying a flip phone!

If the phone doesn’t ring it’s me. :)

Checking your online calendar while talking on your cell phone is a real challenge.

This doesn’t make you a plugger, it makes you a dumb-ass.