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Do you let randos in public who ask use your cellular phone?

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E

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Eclectic Jabber Monkey said:
Here in Calgary Canada there are a few still kicking around, usually in public locations, by convenience stores. Its usually people who look like they are lower income using it, so I think its good to keep a few of them around.

One night I was walking to my car after work and a woman pulls up beside me asking to borrow my phone. She was in a minivan, it was still running and she hadn't even put it in park. Uh no chance in hell lady. I told her to use the one by the 7-11 that was close by, not sure if she did or not.
Click to expand...

Ha that's beyond creepy. Here in Manitoba I haven't seen a payphone in years... Once me and a friend were outside my building running the car @ 2 am (after coming home from a midnight movie) and some bizarre woman knocks on our windshield asking for one of our cells. She was oddly calm and didn't seem to be in danger or anything, so we said no.

There's a Tim Hortons and 7-11 like every other block so I would direct someone there as well.
 
T

True Savior

Member
No. I have a pre-paid card and usually it has almost no money.

Unless its a girl asking for taking a picture with both of us. Or if she's dialing her own number for me to save.
 
F

Foshy

Member
i once asked somebody to let me use theirs and they were nice enough to let me.

i had to go to some information event about a school i was interested in (which didn't take place in the school itself). it was around 7pm and snowing really hard. of course i didn't charge my phone the night before and didn't realize it had run out of battery until it was too late.

so what happened is i didn't know the address because i had saved it on my phone. i got to the bus station that was about 10 minutes from the event by feet. so i was running around in the snow trying to find out where it was while freezing my ass off and having snow fall on my glasses making them wet and i couldn't see shit. asked some people around the street, nobody had any idea what i was talking about.

i was struggling for around half an hour until i finally gave up and asked some girl if i could borrow her phone for a minute to call my dad so he could check where it was. she probably pitied me and let me have it. he told me the address, i thanked her and everything went pretty well in the end. arrived a bit late but yeah.
 
T

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
Sometimes. OPs uppity attitude is a bit nasty. If you spend a bit less time caring about what some random person on the street asked you and just do you you'll be happier.
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
My friend let a random guy use his brand new Nokia 7110 once.

One thing lead to another and the next thing we know the guy has a knife threatening to stab him if he continues chasing him.
 
T

TheCrazyGuru

Banned
TimeEffect said:
No. Payphones exist.

Also, that poor businessman... Are you sure they didn't just know each other and were just acting out some kinky fetish/roleplay?

Who just gives up their phone like that
Click to expand...
I am curious where payphones are at around you. I cannot remember the last time that I have even seen one.

If it was an emergency, I would dial the number and hold the phone just to make sure. I have work sensitive emails on my phone that I could not allow someone else to see.
 
V

Virus

Banned
First of all,

I haven't seen a payphone ANYWHERE in ages. Lending someone your cell phone wasn't a problem before the smartphone age. There has been many instances in the past where I didn't have a cell phone, but I needed to contact someone for a ride. People seem to be more reluctant for security reasons, but sometimes exceptions should be made. Personally, I'd base my decision whether to share my phone on the person's mannerism and decide whether this person is asking in desperation. I wouldn't leave an individual waiting in the cold because he/she is unable to contact someone for transportation. I miss payphones.... and the phreaking era.
 
V

Virus

Banned
Nakkilokki said:
I would kindly tell that person to fuck off, as if I would be greatly offended by such questions.
Click to expand...

It hurts me to know there exists people such as yourself. No compassion or willingness to help another by granting such an insignificant privilege...
 
I

Idde

Member
So many people saying no. When I was travelling the States and me and my friend were out of minutes on our payphone, and desperately needed to call our hostel for the night, I just went up to a random guy, and was fortunate enough to use his cell. Even got into a nice conversation about Fire Emblem, he was playing on his 3DS.

I've lended my own cell a couple of times to other people, just stood close by in case they decided to make a run for it. To people complaining how gross that might be, you know other people touch the handles on shopping carts, right? And doorknobs as well?

Also can't count the amount of times people asked me to take a picture of them with their cell phone, or how many times I've asked others. And I've never ran off with a phone, or other people with mine. People on here can be really paranoid.
 
S

Shadybiz

Member
Well I've never been asked for my cell phone..honestly not sure how I'd react. Depends on if it looked to me like the person genuinely needed it for an emergency, I guess.

I DID one time let someone use my house phone, back when I was living in a townhouse. Random person came up to the door, asked to use the phone. I said "sure," handed it to her so she could make the call outside, and just waited. She made a brief call, said "thank you," and handed the phone back. Looked like she really needed it.
 
Y

Yen

Member
If I see someone who could possibly be an Ayn Rand fan coming up to me, I cross the street to get away from them never mind give them my phone.
 
J

justjohn

Member
Only if they're women or old men and they stand close to me as I'm pretty sure they won't be stealing it. I've had two women ask to use my phone and I obliged.

If you're not in this group then lol.
 
G

Gentle Rodriguez

Member
I barely let my friends touch my phone, I need a legitimate reason before I'll lend it. They all just want to find interesting pics or conversations on it(tbf I do it to them too).
 
H

hobblygobbly

Member
No because the last time I did it was stolen.

Maybe I should carry cuffs around, cuff my hand to theirs and let them phone. That shit ain't happening again. This was when the first iPhone came out.
 
V

vikki

Member
It depends on the situation, but usually no. In the situation with the dude on the bus, I bet them utter guy could've just said no.

Dude approached me for money yesterday morning at the grocery store. He tried to make it like he's not trying to ask for money, so when he asked for money, I kind of yelled at the dude. He knows I brushed him off at first so to act like that, it pissed me off.

I feel the same way about the phone as I do people asking for money.
 
G

gsrjedi

Member
Yes, giving you my phone or just putting it on speaker really depends on the situation. I gave a lady my phone at Barrett-Jackson last month, but I'd hold it for someone who asked while walking down the street. Sometimes people just need help, hell I have a stranger a ride the other day. Didn't worry too much that she'd kill me.
 
davepoobond

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
At this point if your city has "pay phones everywhere" we know now what infrastructure project they've been postponing for 15 years
 
NekoFever

NekoFever

Member
Probably not. There's a common scam here where people will text a premium SMS service that's very difficult to unsubscribe from and will charge you £1 per message. Plus I have an unlocked, off contract iPhone 6 that cost me £600, so I'm not giving that to a random person.
 
C

Conkersbadfurday

Member
I have in the past, though my phone is a steaming pile and I wouldn't really care if I lost it. Company is bound to give me a free one after how long I've been with em. ATnT i think?

Either way, I have lent it to strangers before, but only on an emergency basis. "Hey, my car's fucked and my phone is dead. Can I borrow yours for a sec to call AAA?"

Of course. Thats' a shit situation to be in, and I'll help out how I can.
 
D

draetenth

Member
No, I don't even let my family use it without great reluctance.

I don't even acknowledge other people if I can help it. I just want to be left alone.
 
A

AtomskEater

Member
Idde said:
So many people saying no. When I was travelling the States and me and my friend were out of minutes on our payphone, and desperately needed to call our hostel for the night, I just went up to a random guy, and was fortunate enough to use his cell. Even got into a nice conversation about Fire Emblem, he was playing on his 3DS.

I've lended my own cell a couple of times to other people, just stood close by in case they decided to make a run for it. To people complaining how gross that might be, you know other people touch the handles on shopping carts, right? And doorknobs as well?

Also can't count the amount of times people asked me to take a picture of them with their cell phone, or how many times I've asked others. And I've never ran off with a phone, or other people with mine. People on here can be really paranoid.
Click to expand...

Smartphones hold a lot of personal information and passwords, people are right to at least be discerning about who they let use them and when.

And although you're lucky enough to not have been robbed of your phone, several people in here have posted that they or friends/family have had people run away with them.

In the end, everyone should use their best judgement about how to handle their own expensive, personal-information-containing property, and they aren't right or wrong for doing what best suits them.
 
K

kirby_fox

Banned
When it was a flip phone no one was going to steal, didn't care.

When it was a cheap $40 smart phone, didn't care.

Right now, and where I work, and how I know some of the people around there are, and the cost of replacing this phone...nope.
 
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