[bmateo]

Reason I ask is related to MTB, so don't flame me yet....

My wife has a cell phone for emergencies, I can borrow hers if she does not need it. Other than that, I really don't have (or want) one, but...

Often I ride with friends after work, and if I get stuck in traffic, or need to meet them mid-ride or something, I have no way to contact them. Sometimes it's a PITA for me, others it holds them up waiting on me.

SO that is why I "need" one. Other than that, I really don't want one. I like my privacy, and I can't stand when others get calls during a ride. In other words, I'd probably only use a very few mintues per month, and therefore can not justify another $30-40 monthly bill.

The only other option I see is to get a pre-paid, and use it sparingly. Does anyone have any experience with Trac-fone or similar? Seems like it would be the cheapest way if my minutes were truly down around 20-50 minutes per month (as I believe they would be).

Comments?

 

[mbmojo]

My wife has a Virgin Mobile for just the sort of use you're describing. After buying the phone - ours was ~$65, it costs as little as $20/90 days. Per minute times are high if you use less than 10 min/day but for occasional use, it's about the cheapest thing around. Only real problem is it's on the Sprint network and coverage absolutely blows. It only works around cities and the interstate highways. Still pretty much suits our needs though because I have a regular cell phone plan.

Cell phones still suck though.

 

[aj in ma]

I work nights and the only way for my wife or family to get in touch with me in an emergency is for me to have a cell. I had a pager but the pre-paid cell is the same price and I can talk directly. I'm also near 60 and do a lot of hiking/snowshoeing as well as biking so it makes sense for me to take it with me. I leave it off when doing outdoor activities though. The one I have is Simple Freedom and it costs $20 every 2 months. Calls are $.25 per minute and about 80% of the country is considered local. Pretty similar to Trac Phone but more coverage. Only problem is it's only available at...yep, Wall Mart, which we've been boycotting for a few years due to their politics/employee relations etc., but that's another story for another forum. I buy my minutes on line which is convenient too.