Smartphone Phobia and Nomophobia in RV Life

[bigbAZ]

This will do anything that one can do, and more, and still fit in my watch-pocket.
View attachment 2455003

The same one I carry. I also have a special edition in black.

 

[bigbAZ]

All major cellular carriers still have flip phones available. I know several people who have and use flip phones yet. I believe that all except one of them is past the age of 90, but you could join them.

Or you can get one of these

 

[CharlesinGA]

Never heard of Libre Link, I'll look that one up.

Most likely the Abbot Labs Libre Glucose monitor app for monitoring blood sugar/glucose

 

[NY_Dutch]

Most likely the Abbot Labs Libre Glucose monitor app for monitoring blood sugar/glucose

That's what my daughter has.

 

[DonTom]

Here is my favorite. Tiny keychain knife about 1 1/2" long with an X-Acto type razor blade. Cuts through heavy cardboard like butter.

That one looks very handy, I will need to get myself one-thanks.

 

[DonTom]

. That feature is the on/off button

No, the Smartphone itself is NOT the issue! The issue is the near REQUIREMENT to own one these days. It is expected. I cannot use the washing machines in Valley View RV Park when my Smartphone is OFF. Cannot pay a parking meter, cannot charge an EV (in many places). More than ten years ago, I was in an auto-parts store that had no prices, just a sign "for prices, scan barcode".

When on, countless other things too, such as how everybody gets ignored as they use their Smartphone. But Darwin takes care of some of that, but too often innocent people are killed because of Stupid Smartphones users.

I dislike my Smartphone even when turned off, which is its normal setting. Only used when I must. Even to pay some credit cards online I will have to go get the StupidPhone out of the car and wait around five minutes for it to bootup or whatever just to use the stupid thing, where I have NO choice.


I wish I could keep it off. Not being able to keep it off is the main cause of my SmartPhonePhobia.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[dave541]

I could name them all day long. But for starters, since this is an RV forum, go wash your clothes at the RV Park in Tahacahpi, CA, and you will quickly see one reason. This would be impossible to require such a method if the stupid smartphones had never been invented. There is NO other way to pay (and yes, I did ask).

FWIW, I had no problem getting the job done, but I would rather use my collection of quarters I keep in each RV.

-Don- Auburn, CA

We have ran across several of those. Unfortunately, there are several different companies offering the service, and they all require different apps. You have to look at the sign to see which app to use, and if you do not already have that one you have to download and set up an account, enter your credit card, etc.
On the plus side, they are convenient. Tells you how many machines are currently not in use, when your load is done, etc, and you do not need a roll of quarters.

But the really strange phone only thing we found was a restaurant in Wyoming that had a QR code laminated onto the tables that you had to open to see the menu -- no paper menus. This area had really poor cell service and most people could not get it to work. After fiddling with the settings I finally got it to open and could read the menu. I ended up passing my phone around to other tables so they see a menu.

 

[NY_Dutch]

No, the Smartphone itself is NOT the issue! The issue is the near REQUIREMENT to own one these days. It is expected. I cannot use the washing machines in Valley View RV Park when my Smartphone is OFF. Cannot pay a parking meter, cannot charge an EV (in many places). More than ten years ago, I was in an auto-parts store that had no prices, just a sign "for prices, scan barcode".

When on, countless other things too, such as how everybody gets ignored as they use their Smartphone. But Darwin takes care of some of that, but too often innocent people are killed because of Stupid Smartphones users.

I dislike my Smartphone even when turned off, which is its normal setting. Only used when I must. Even to pay some credit cards online I will have to go get the StupidPhone out of the car and wait around five minutes for it to bootup or whatever just to use the stupid thing, where I have NO choice.


I wish I could keep it off. Not being able to keep it off is the main cause of my SmartPhonePhobia.

-Don- Auburn, CA

5 minutes to boot up your phone? How old is it! My Samsung Galaxy boots up in a bit less than 90 seconds.

 

[DonTom]

But the really strange phone only thing we found was a restaurant in Wyoming that had a QR code laminated onto the tables that you had to open to see the menu -- no paper menus.

I forgot to mention how many restaurants are going to Smartphones for just about everything. Wait a few years and the StupidPhone could be a requirement just about everywhere, resturants, gas stations, you name it,

IMAO, my bad case of Smartphone phobia is well justified, And I say again, it is not the Stupid Smartphone but the requirement to often need one. And that requirement is getting larger by the day, so my SmartphonePhobia keeps on getting worse.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

5 minutes to boot up your phone? How old is it! My Samsung Galaxy boots up in a bit less than 90 seconds.

It a 5G Trackphone from year 2022. Boot it up, then put in your PIN and then it boots up again saying "phone is starting".

The next time I turn it on, I will time the process so we will have the exact numbers, Perhaps it is only 90 seconds, but that seems like a long time waiting for the stupid thing. And from there, load the app or whatever.

That reminds me, I will have to download the app from my new LiTime batteries just to see what is there.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[LarsMac]

Well, I long ago embraced the "Smart Phone" era, and am quite satisfied with how it has come along.
My phone is smart enough to know when the caller is probably someone I have no interest on conversing with. It also knows who I am happy to talk to. It is always there for me when I want to make a call. Every couple of days, I plug it in when I turn in for the night, and the next morning it is awaiting my whim. We get along just fine.

 

[DonTom]

Well, I long ago embraced the "Smart Phone" era, and am quite satisfied with how it has come along.
My phone is smart enough to know when the caller is probably someone I have no interest on conversing with. It also knows who I am happy to talk to. It is always there for me when I want to make a call. Every couple of days, I plug it in when I turn in for the night, and the next morning it is awaiting my whim. We get along just fine.

The phone section of a Smartphone is not my reason for my SmartphonePhobia. Needing it for other things is the issue.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[NY_Dutch]

It a 5G Trackphone from year 2022. Boot it up, then put in your PIN and then it boots up again saying "phone is starting".

The next time I turn it on, I will time the process so we will have the exact numbers, Perhaps it is only 90 seconds, but that seems like a long time waiting for the stupid thing. And from there, load the app or whatever.

That reminds me, I will have to download the app from my new LiTime batteries just to see what is there.

-Don- Auburn, CA

The boot time is partly dependent on how many background apps need time to startup. Since my phone is always on, boot time is really irrelevant to me. It reboots every night at 3:00 AM, but that doesn't bother me.

 

[TheBar]

What I dislike about smart phones is they are taking over the computer world. So many Windows apps are primarily designed for phones. It is getting so bad I sometimes have to use the phone app because the Windows app doesn't work right.

 

[DonTom]

What I dislike about smart phones is they are taking over the computer world. So many Windows apps are primarily designed for phones. It is getting so bad I sometimes have to use the phone app because the Windows app doesn't work right.

I do NOT have a phobia about Win11 machines and I would complain a lot less if all apps would run from a REAL computer, such as a small laptop I always take with me anywhere I go.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[NY_Dutch]

I do NOT have a phobia about Win11 machines and I would complain a lot less if all apps would run from a REAL computer, such as a small laptop I always take with me anywhere I go.

-Don- Auburn, CA

An Android emulator installed on your Win11 machine could give you the best of both worlds.

 

[LarsMac]

I do NOT have a phobia about Win11 machines and I would complain a lot less if all apps would run from a REAL computer, such as a small laptop I always take with me anywhere I go.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I'm with you, there. I prefer using the PC to do utility tasks and such, and I see the phone as a tool for communications.
I don't want to manage my bank account or my home loan, or my burglar alarm, or browse the web with my phone.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

While I will not travel without my Stupid Smartphone, it is turned off at all times until I MUST use it.

And I carry a large collection of quarters in each of my RVs. I never let it get below around $50.00 or so worth. But that does me no good at the Valley View RV Park where a Smartphone (and putting money in the app via credit card) and setting up the app that may never be used again. At the next RV Park, perhaps it will require a different app. I think we will see more and more of this.

BTW, I hear a lot of money is made this way by using other people's unused money put in such apps. by the company that sponsors such.

BTW, before your next RV trip, be sure to download and setup your Dadson Pay account. They are probably the largest for now. But expect more, all requiring their own different app.

Yes, I prefer to use quarters and very much so.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I don't know if you are married but when I bought our bus a washer/dryer was a must.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I don't have levelers, I use Level Mate Pro and manually level my rig.

How big is your rv?

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Some packages are very difficult to open with a knife.

But many types of package openers exist, such as this one.

-Don- Auburn, CA

You should learn to sharpen your knives.