Claire
Master Chef
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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).
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...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.
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...
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.
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....