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Hanging Up on a Cellphone Bully

It's so rare to have a success in the gadget world that I want to brag up LG, the cellphone manufacturer, and Verizon, the service provider. I managed to lose my old LG cellphone, after a run of six years. It had even survived one trip through a washing machine. I'll probably find it under a heap of something someday. But I couldn't call the lost cellphone with somebody else's phone, because the prepaid minutes had expired.

It was a pleasant surprise to learn that I could keep the old service plan (which no longer exists for new people) and the old phone number. And all of this was explained by a nice young man who spoke English as his first language.

I had another cellphone success, of a different type. Unaccustomed as I am to finishing a nice mountain bike ride with a coffee and cookie at a local coffee shop, I did so today. It was so pleasant just sitting there, thinking about the perfect ride and weather.

Just then a woman had the effrontery to intrude on this sanctuary. She was wearing one of those phone headset thingees, and held forth in a loud, stentorian voice, as they usually do. I didn't want her conversation imposed on my personal space. Why are we so passive in front of every new assault on our lives by gadgets and noisy engines?!

There were plenty of places to sit a few steps away. With all the brusqueness my body language could muster, I stood up and carried my goodies away from the interloper, and then found a spot to finish. That felt so good, and I think she noticed!

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