[quote=MDinana...Though someone once said that having a kid is like buying a dog that slowly learns to talk...[/quote]

I think the distinction is that most kids learn to speak english a little better than most dogs speak english.

First, don't ever let a woman tell you that dogs and babys/kids are similar in any way. That's a huge marginalization. (Stepping off soap box before dragged down and beaten by mob of angry dog owning mothers.)

I was hiking the other day and tested a rumor I had heard about. The rumor: b/c texts use less 'whatever' to get through phone systems you could send a text when you have no service and when the phone picks up enough signal power, the text will be sent.

At least for me, on AT&T, this did not work. I sent a text with no signal, knowing I was only a few minutes away from walking back into coverage. I got a call before I realized I had walked back into zone. After the call I checked my text and it was still unsent.

I don't know if this was my phone or my service or a larger issue.

Lots of variables here, including how your phone handles the situation where it can't send text right away for some reason. And there is some arbitrariness here... Sometimes it will work as you described, sometimes the reverse.


In my experience, in a situation with marginally cell coverage the text will go through when the connection is too bad for any conversations to take place.

I've only experienced overcrowded network a couple of times, so I wouldn't know too much about how that works. I would suppose that text would have a higher probability of coming through. But you must realize you may have to wait a few hours before that happens... I've had several "happy new year, we've just opened the champagne" messages arriving sometime the next day.

"Though someone once said that having a kid is like buying a dog that slowly learns to talk."

Ask the parent of any teenager if that is a plus or a minus.

You can't - but you should be able to.

You can get a text message through with very little signal strength. The phone will generally also keep trying until the message gets through

There have been lots of cases of people lost in mountains being rescued because a text message to friends got through when a voice call couldn't. There was even a case of boat that sunk in the Caribbean who sent a text message to friends in the UK to call the coastguard.

You can also send a txt message if you have a single finger still working.

Don't hold your breath for a quick rescue if you have to get a message relayed.

A woman in Oregon was on the phone with a friend in California when she tripped and fell backwards onto a glass coffee table. She dropped the phone as she fell. She was kind of embedded in the broken table, with the glass sticking into her. She screamed for her friend to call 911, hoping the phone hadn't disconnected when she fell. The friend called 911 in her locale, who seemed to have some difficulty in understanding the situation but finally called the authorities in Oregon, and they sent paramedics to the house. Forty-five very long minutes.

sue

DS=17 y/o
DD=14 y/o

Knowing what I know now, I would not trade them for the world. I just would have waited a little later to get started.

That the dog doesn't speak can often be an asset. Dogs don't find the need to "back-talk" when receiving instruction/correction. Their clothes and toys are cheaper too.....

I text quite often, actually. There are plenty of times when I want to update someone on my whereabouts, eta, change in plans, etc., and I don't want to place a call and leave a voicemail message should they not answer... I know that they will get the text (almost always) and can review it more discreetly than calling voicemail. You can also send but one text to many different recipients, which is very difficult to do with voicemail, if not impossible on most plans.

Plus, ask yourself this question: aren't there times when you want to send a message to someone but would rather not actually talk to them over the phone, or negotiate with their voicemail?

Texting is also much cheaper than using your minutes. I get something like 250 texts/month for $5, and pay for the minimum monthly plan of 500 shared minutes.

I also refuse to text while driving, unlike some crazy people I see on the road these days.

Another advantage of texting is when you want to communicate some specific type of information which needs to be transfered and stored without any errors: phone numbers, account numbers, coordinates, web links, names and specifications of various devices etc. In addition to eliminating errors caused by mishearing, the message is automatically stored and the receiver doesn´t have to quickly search for paper and pen (which not everybody carries anyway) to write it down.

Well, I'll say that third party calls to 911 are not unheard of . Been to many myself. Out of state friends/family can't reach a sick person, they call their 911 who calls our 911 .

Hell i've been to fires called in from other states. Look in the past smoke signals were state of the art, times are a changing folks . I can look at facebook right now and see what any number of my kids friends are doing AT THIS VERY MOMENT.

Bottom line it worked. Would i hope my kids call 911 ? sure ! If no signal would i hope they have the knowledge and skills to come up with another form of getting help like these kids did ?

You bet .

Years ago my dept. did not like it that FF started to carry cell phones on the job. Then during a highrise fire a LT. found that his radio would not work in the building. He got out his cell called 911 gave them a report,for them to give to the Batt. chief. Fuuny but their view of guys carring cells changed. Welcome to the '90's .