Trey Smith
During our tiring sojourn to the Columbia Gorge, we ran into a serious problem. We had 8 appointments set up to view room shares for Della and, since we don't have a cell phone, we found it next too impossible to contact people when we found ourselves ahead or behind schedule.
Ten years ago this wouldn't have been a problem at all because ten years ago we could have made the various calls we needed to make from...a pay phone. But it seems that pay phones have gone the way of the dinosaurs!! We had a hard time finding any.
Oh, we did find signs that indicated that a pay phone was present at several locations -- only they weren't there!! The booth was there, but the phone itself had been removed!!
Yesterday, we searched and searched and searched. We finally found one that worked. Of course, the one we found was in Cascade Locks, Oregon -- about 20 miles west of the White Salmon-Hood River area. We were already on the road headed back home. We had to call two different individuals to apologize for missing scheduled appointments.
We DID find Della a place to call home for the next few months. It's located in White Salmon about one block south of the downtown area and a little less than 1.5 miles from where she will be serving.
Still, we found it quite irritating that we couldn't find a pay phone when we needed one! We decided that -- despite our Luddite tendencies -- we're going to have to join the 21st century. Yes, before Della leaves for her AmeriCorps assignment, we're going to have to get her a damn cell phone!!
My first/favorite cell phone was with a prepaid account from T-Mobile. I had it for years, the average cost for me was $10/month. I highly recommend a similar plan for a first timer. I have to admit I've been encouraged by my son to switch to an iPhone on his family plan. Now I don't know how I made it without a 'smart phone' for so long! :))
ReplyDeleteWhile I personally have never had a cell phone, Della did for a brief time when she had a job that required a bit of travel. She had an AT&T Go Phone. We will probably go that way again.
DeleteSome states offer free basic cell phones to certain qualifying residents. You should check to see if Washington has one.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea at all, but it won't work in this instance. I investigated this option (though I certainly will check out the link you provide below). It seems that I qualify for such a phone since I'm on SSI, but for Della to get or use one, we must live together at the same residence and, in the short term, we will be maintaining separate households.
DeleteHere it is:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.safelinkwireless.com/Safelink/program_info