OMG A TXT MESS (Kid's $1000 cell bill)

NY Post ^ | 3/30/05 | Marsha Kranes

[Dan from Michigan]

"My daughter told me some kids use them when they have tests, they text-message answers."

Dang...all I did was write some notes in pencil on the desk(smeared off afterward) and used the TI-82 calculator memory for storing math formulas......

[henkster]

I got no problem with kids having cell phones; we give one of ours to our son a lot, such as when he's umpiring baseball games. We don't give him one for school, although that's not my beef. Sure, I'd want my kid to have a cell phone to get in touch with me if he needed to. But, I would expect him to not use it in class, and if he did, I would also expect, and want, the school to come down on him.

[Pharmboy]

Well, sine me and the girls had a "Come to Jesus" session about this, and I re-did the contract with T-Mobile, things are under control. But I do feel this guy's pain...

[arawlin2]

How does somebody type that much. The family plan I have typically has hundreds of minutes roll over at the end of the month. I think we've got about 3,000 minutes rolled over, and we've got 4 people with 850 minutes.

[bigfootbob]

You're right. My youngest, 14 thought we owed her a phone because "all her friends" have one. Too damn bad, get a work permit, get a job and buy your own.

I told her older sister the same and it worked out OK. The only problem is driving the little rug-rats to and fro work.

It's very gratifying to see them try and achieve something, that evens it all out.

[sharktrager]

According to the article, they aren't. The teachers just didn't seem to be too alert.

[duck duck goose]

I learned the hardway in junior high, (I am 33 now) My parents moved into a new house and I met new friends at school. I would talk on the phone after school and on weekends to my friends from my old school. Well the phone bill came and it was almost 900 bucks. I didn't realize calling 30 miles away was long distance. I couldn't use the phone until I paid my father back for it and I started a letter writting campaign. Kinda dorky, but it worked for me. To this day, I barely turn on my cell unless it is for business.

[Howlin]

I just don't see how they can miss it.

[Howlin]

When our kids were teenagers, we had a sign on the refridgerator that said

Move out now while you still know everything.

[sharktrager]

My guess is that they don't see enforcing the rules as their responsibility.

[thefactor]

The article addresses that point. The father goes on to say that he wishes people would stop using 9/11 as an excuse. Also that if there is an emergency, there are plenty of phones throughout the school.

[Critter]

I'm with you. I was furious when my ex wife promised my 11 year old daughter a cell phone, if she made honors the entire year, this year.

Three quarters gone, 3 times honor roll, it's looking like she is going to have to put up.

I don't want my kid having a cell phone, but to step in and prohibit it now would be worse I think.

I am a proud papa about the honors, however. :)

[grobdriver]

Cell phone jammers.
They're available - illegal, but available.

[ken5050]

I don't know if that's a valid argument...In my town..every kid has a cell phone..and 99% are picture phones, and while kids abuse it..it's also very easy for parents to maintain contact with the kids...and parents are getting very creative at effetive use of the feature...as in.."OK..you say you're at the library?..right now send me a pic of you standing in front of the library door.."

[thefactor]

Yeah just $1500 bucks. But in the future, schools might have these in some classrooms. Schools are way behind the technology curve when it comes to this kind of stuff. Kids have free reign.

[RobRoy]

In our case, we replaced a stolen phone with an old one that did the same messaging with different technology. They charge for this technology but good luck discovering that before you get your bill. They reversed our first months charges for it and the second month only had a few minutes worth so I am letting it go. If they charge her for even reading incomming messages, there is going to be another problem here...

[Gabz]

I fought tooth and nail against getting a cell phone - but was eventually given one under the auspices it was needed for my job - actually my co-workers were terrified that my old bomb of a car would leave me and my thn 8 month old daughter stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Now I have one because I live in the middle of nowhere........it spends more time being charged than being used. To me it is a useful tool for emergencies. I know for others, like my husband who's job keeps him on the road, it is a necessity.

[thefactor]

That's a good one. I can't imagine where the technology is going to be in the next 10 years or so. The schools better catch up.

[Drew68]

My girlfriend lives in Ukraine and we text message each other daily. $0.15 per message. About 10 messages or so a day. Beats $1.49/minute to call her (which I still do about once a week).

Yep, I've seen a $250 cell phone bill. Hopefully I'll get her over here soon!

[knittnmom]

And BTW - am I the only person that has a cell phone that doesn't text message?

No, I declined text messaging, as there is an extra fee. I figured I could e-mail when I needed to from a computer.