Mobile Phone Holdouts’ Lives Would Be Easier If They Got Mobiles

The Times ran a story today about people they (somewhat oddly) call “Refuseniks”: Those who refuse to get mobile phones not due to price but to a moral stance. Unsurprisingly, it’s not necessarily the most practical choice, even for them.

These Refuseniks (which have nothing to do with the Soviet Jews to whom this term is usually applied) usually cite the always-reachable effect of carrying a mobile phone as their main reason for refusing to use one, but sometimes you want to be connected. Jenny Catsos falls into this category, but tells a story in which a mobile phone would have made her life an awful lot easier: Her car broke down on the interstate on the way to surprise her father, and it took her hours to contact someone she knew.

But the best story in the article has to be that of Linda Mboya. Her friend lives on the top floor of a building with a broken buzzer. So to let her friend know she’s arrived, “Ms. Mboya makes noise to disturb the dogs who live on the first floor, who then bark and announce her arrival to her friend.” Sort of like that board game Mouse Trap.

I don’t really have a judgement on those who don’t have mobile phones — but what about you guys? Is it OK to make yourself unreachable? [New York Times]