Petty Vents

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I have (and did) use the press 0 thing. Usually it works. This time I just got cut off. For anyone reading in on this, usually pressing 0 will actually disconnect you from the recording and get you a human.
 
In this state all telephone operators, personnel, mailcarriers, busdrivers and any other person who serves the public are trained to assist people who are having an emergency. I can't imagine why AT&T should be any different.
 
I'm furious. A good friend lives nearby -- maybe a block away. She lives alone. We are having a huge snow storm. We normally have a group that gets together on Fridays at 5 or so. I emailed everyone in the group, and called an elderly friend to say .. no way. Then I got an email from this friend saying she didn't think her phone was working. So tried to call her. Nothing (two rings and nothing). Called AT&T (both her carrier and mine) and could not get to a human, was put on eternal hold. I mean eternal. Called another friend who lives even closer to her than I do. Her phone was working. After much frustration I notified everyone I know who lives closer to her than I and sent an email that if she runs outside and screams, someone dial 911. But I've been holding on to my land line at a considerable cost, and I cannot call a human being to report this friend's problem (she doesn't have a cell phone). I'm realizing that I'd get faster service if I slid on my butt in the snow down to the fire station, because I sure a h..... won't be able to get ahold of AT&T.

It is not just AT&T! I have Verizon and it is the same thing. I have been wondering about my land line also. The only reason I keep it is because I have been told that if I use it to call 911 it can pinpoint my location. The basic service is about $500.00 per year but, I got a bill the other day and it had a call within the state that was billed at 20 cents per minute. The drug store trac phone I bought to carry with me in case the car. or I, break down only costs 10 cents per minute for a call to anywhere in the world! I don't really use the phones for social reasons and it seems like I get more calls on my land line from sales people and survey companies than anything else. What have the rest of you done about your land lines?
 
My cell phone is a trac fone as well. But, yes, I've been told that 911 service works best on a land-line. But given how cheap the trac fone is and I don't need a telephone to do anything but call and receive (I have no interest in voice mail, texting, taking pictures, etc, all the crap that cell phones can do), I'm beginning to wonder. My basic phone service is about $65/mo, and I absolutely cannot get a human being when I call for service?
 
I gave up the land line years ago and don't have to deal with sales calles, that right there makes it worth it.

Most phones have a gps chip in them, between that and the cell tower triangulation, 911 shouldn't have a hard time finding you. Yes a land line is slightly better, but at least with a cell, I don't even have to think about long distance charges.
 
And I forgot to mention, if you discontinue your landline service, the line should stay "live" meaning that even though you can't make personal calls, there is still a dial tone, and you can still call 911. They don't usually come and physically disconnect the line anymore, I'm not sure that they are allowed to.
 
My cell phone is a trac fone as well. But, yes, I've been told that 911 service works best on a land-line. But given how cheap the trac fone is and I don't need a telephone to do anything but call and receive (I have no interest in voice mail, texting, taking pictures, etc, all the crap that cell phones can do), I'm beginning to wonder. My basic phone service is about $65/mo, and I absolutely cannot get a human being when I call for service?

My land line is Verizon also. I got rid of all the foolishness that I never use. Call waiting, conference calls, calling ID showing the name, long distance, etc. The only thing I kept was caller ID showing just the phone number. If a call comes in and I don't recognize the number, I just don't answer. And I don't have an answering machine. I do need the land line unfortunately for 911. And I have used it more than once. Otherwise I would get rid of it. You can't place calls inside this building with your cell phone. The walls are thick brick and the cell phones just simply don't work. As a result, my land line phone is only $17.00 a month. I get 60 minutes a month free and they roll over. To show just how much I don't use the cell phone, I now have 1300+ and more than 500 service days. I use it mostly to call my son or daughter to locate them in the store. "I am done shopping, where are you?" This way I don't have to ask the service desk to page them over the PA system. I don't think I have ever made a call longer than 30 seconds. The phone sits in the little pocket on my scooter. That way I always have it when I go out. :)
 
And I forgot to mention, if you discontinue your landline service, the line should stay "live" meaning that even though you can't make personal calls, there is still a dial tone, and you can still call 911. They don't usually come and physically disconnect the line anymore, I'm not sure that they are allowed to.

You are right. You can also make 911 calls from a pay phone free. All phones HAVE to have a dial tone for just such purposes. (Federal Law) But pay phones are quickly disappearing. I had a very short career as a 911 dispatcher for the police department in the town I was living in. Too stressful. I didn't last more than three months. I quit. :)
 
You are right. You can also make 911 calls from a pay phone free. All phones HAVE to have a dial tone for just such purposes. (Federal Law) But pay phones are quickly disappearing. I had a very short career as a 911 dispatcher for the police department in the town I was living in. Too stressful. I didn't last more than three months. I quit. :)

I couldn't do 911. I would have to leave and go help...:rolleyes:
 
my land line and cell and internet are all with at&t. never had a problem. i have life alert and it has to be on a land line. i use the cell mostly to talk to my daughter, she has the same and we talk for free. when the phone went out because of the life alert. they came the same afternoon. never have waited on hold for very long with at&t. guess it might be different where you guys live.
 
I don't really use the phones for social reasons and it seems like I get more calls on my land line from sales people and survey companies than anything else. What have the rest of you done about your land lines?

I use my Android for all my calls now. I have "MagicJack" for my home phone, and it's set to forward all calls to my android.

The MagicJack is USB, through my PC, but my PC stays on 24/7/365 anyway.

I'm paid 5 years ahead on my MagicJack and the android costs me $40 per/month, unlimited data.

It's nice to not worry about huge phone bills any more.:LOL::)
 
Last edited:
No, she isn't old enough to qualify for anything. Widowed very young, and not poor. Not rich, just like us, middle class. But I seriously am looking at my land line which I've kept for mostly emergency services and wondering if my trac-fone isn't the better way to go. Luckily, we have a good social network and I've emailed everyone to let them know she's out of service. But why can I not call AT&T and get ahold of someone? It is going to be Saturday soon, so it will be less likely that I can call a human. If all else fails, I may walk over and hand her my cell phone if her problem isn't fixed (today was blizzard day).

Someone you know must have an old cell phone they don't use any more. Get them to give it to your friend. She doesn't need a plan to have 911 from the cell phone.
 
I use my Android for all my calls now. I have "MagicJack" for my home phone, and it's set to forward all calls to my android.

The MagicJack is USB, through my PC, but my PC stays on 24/7/365 anyway.

I'm paid 5 years ahead on my MagicJack and the android costs me $40 per/month, unlimited data.

It's nice to not worry about huge phone bills any more.:LOL::)
MagicJack is only a good option if you have unlimited bandwidth. My MagicJack added a LOT of usage to my Internet use--which was more expensive than my LD phone bill because of roaming to the US charges. So no, it is NOT free long distance--it depends on your Internet plan. Also, if you are not in an area with good coverage, the voice quality is iffy. I thought it was the next best thing since sliced bread until I got the first month's bill for my Internet usage after getting my MagicJack. My MagicJack is in a drawer somewhere...
 
Calling 9-1-1 from a cell can be risky depending on where you are relative to the nearest tower. Cell service routes the call to the police dept nearest the tower, not necessarily the police in the town where you live. Tracking you down by cell tower location can take a lot of time.

While cell phones now can be located by GPS, many police departments don't have the equipment to do that. They have to go through the phone company. If the phone companies react as quickly as they did for Claire, you're in trouble.

I dropped my old Verizon land line a couple of years ago and switched to a Comcast cable bundle for phone, internet and TV. Because of the deal I got, it was cheaper than keeping Verizon.

My younger daughter has been surviving quite well with only a smartphone.
 
MagicJack is only a good option if you have unlimited bandwidth. My MagicJack added a LOT of usage to my Internet use--which was more expensive than my LD phone bill because of roaming to the US charges. So no, it is NOT free long distance--it depends on your Internet plan. Also, if you are not in an area with good coverage, the voice quality is iffy. I thought it was the next best thing since sliced bread until I got the first month's bill for my Internet usage after getting my MagicJack. My MagicJack is in a drawer somewhere...

What a drag for you! My Internet bandwidth is unlimited and has acceptable speed. My calls are auto-forwarded to my cell phone and are always crystal clear with no drops.

Sorry you've had such a bad experience with it.
 
i was enjoying a dish of mar's vanilla w/snickers ice cream or thought i was until i was about halfway through. the chocolate, caramel and peanuts were all in there and tasting real good. but the vanilla ice cream itself, i noticed was totally blah. it wasn't tasting like vanilla--no true vanilla flavor. it tasted bland--like something i'd call sweet white plain, without the chocolate, nuts and caramel it was by itself pretty flavorless.
then i retrieved the ice cream container and read the ingredients label. and vanilla was not an ingredient anwhere among the forty or so listed. how can this be? how can you sell vanilla ice cream without putting the even the tiniest smidgen of vanilla flavoring in it? this is so disillusioning! i may have to shell out the extra bucks and buy ben and jerry's ice cream from nor on. i can't wait to check the ingredients on their product on my next trip to the market. they are my last hope--please don't let me down, ben and jerry....
 
i was enjoying a dish of mar's vanilla w/snickers ice cream or thought i was until i was about halfway through. the chocolate, caramel and peanuts were all in there and tasting real good. but the vanilla ice cream itself, i noticed was totally blah. it wasn't tasting like vanilla--no true vanilla flavor. it tasted bland--like something i'd call sweet white plain, without the chocolate, nuts and caramel it was by itself pretty flavorless.
then i retrieved the ice cream container and read the ingredients label. and vanilla was not an ingredient anwhere among the forty or so listed. how can this be? how can you sell vanilla ice cream without putting the even the tiniest smidgen of vanilla flavoring in it? this is so disillusioning! i may have to shell out the extra bucks and buy ben and jerry's ice cream from nor on. i can't wait to check the ingredients on their product on my next trip to the market. they are my last hope--please don't let me down, ben and jerry....

We used to really like Natural Vanilla Ice Cream- Breyers® Original Ice Cream, but they don't sell the all natural one in Canada any more and it just isn't as good tasting with extra stuff in it.
 
We used to really like Natural Vanilla Ice Cream- Breyers® Original Ice Cream, but they don't sell the all natural one in Canada any more and it just isn't as good tasting with extra stuff in it.

breyers natural vanilla is exactly the kind of vanilla ice cream i would like, with its natural vanilla flavors". taxlady, do you know why it is no longer available where you are? i used to think that the french vanilla ice cream was richer and with more vanilla flavoring. i will probably read somewhere tomorrow that the difference was just buttery yellow-colored food dye....
 
I just got a call from the salesman of the heating and air company that I decided NOT to use. He copped an attitude. He thought that I should have followed up with him after he sent me an estimate over e-mail! That's his job if he wants my business.

I also told him that the other company did a proper load calculation (he never took out a measuring tape). I told him that the other company gave me a line by line list of charges, he gave me a 3 line estimate, with no details, so I had no idea if he missed some things or not, and worried that I would get hit with charges at the install, and I didn't feel like chasing him around asking questions. I finally told him that to be up to code, that the basement would need a cold air return added, there was no mention of that from him (the basement was finished after the house was built)

He didn't inform me that the manufacturer not only had a 10 year parts warranty, but was offering 10 years labor for only $100 more, he was offering me one from his company for $600.

He also not only read an e-mail while I was talking to him, he wrote one back. That couldn't have waited a few minutes?

I hope he got the message.

I paid slightly more going with the other company for the same equipment, but there were no surprises.
 
Last edited:
breyers natural vanilla is exactly the kind of vanilla ice cream i would like, with its natural vanilla flavors". taxlady, do you know why it is no longer available where you are? i used to think that the french vanilla ice cream was richer and with more vanilla flavoring. i will probably read somewhere tomorrow that the difference was just buttery yellow-colored food dye....

I don't know why. I've gotten used to the fact that some companies bring out a great tasting, natural product and then when they have a big consumer base, they start making it cheaper and adding more weird stuff. The Breyer's package looks the same. They are just trying to fool us. I have learned to watch for weasel words and keep reading the danged list of ingredients.
 
Back
Top Bottom