Would you Rather Give up Your Car or Your Phone?

It was a question posed by Trendwatching six years ago [YouTube link. 1:24 minutes].

Would you rather give up your car or your phone?

Are you working on your mobile strategy?

Comments

[Jeff Esposito]

This is very interesting Valeria. It would be interesting to see what people would say today. My guess is that car would trump the phone this go-round.

[Carolyn Ann]

I'd give up the phone, any day.

It's quite simple: I'd rather go for a ride on one of my motorcycles than sit and chat on the phone! I also like my really big V8-powered Chevy truck; get rolling in that, and you can just keep on going, all the way to Texas. :-)

So my mobile strategy includes pollution, dependence upon foreign oil and Italian and Indian bike manufacturers (the truck was built in Mexico) and large maintenance bills - Ducati's really are expensive to maintain! And riding large distances in all sorts of weather.

(But I am paying very close attention to the mobile user for a project I'm working on. I rely on the sage wisdom you put in this blog to help me with such things. :-) )

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Jeff - it depends. Could you give up your mobile phone? Especially with smart phones, you have more options to connect with a phone, than you have with a car. You could always use a bicycle/trains. We do that a lot in Europe ;)

@Carolyn Ann -- well done! There is always another option. Mobility goes well with utility and communications, when handled properly, of course. And I'm talking about phones.

[Zoey Jordan]

Personally, I would ditch my phone any day. But I have a BlackBerry, not an iPhone...I understand iPhone users are nearly inseparable from their gadget. On the other hand, wanting to be green and eco-friendly, wouldn't it be great to give up the car? Interesting to see people's reactions!

[Peggy Warren (Grandmapeg)]

Can a cell phone get us to a hospital or a doctor appointment? I pick face to face contact and communication and real hugs, and for that I need a car.

Whether I'm living in suburbia or a rural area, I often have to travel 3 to 5 miles or more to get where I want or need to go: church, cafes, park, concerts, plays, doctor or dentist appointments,library, museum, grocery store, shopping mall, home improvement center or a family member's home.

Walking or bicycling that distance takes time and can be hazardous, uncomfortable, or impossible, especially in windy, cold,or rainy weather. Bus lines may not even run except at rush hour and don't take you where you want to go. Taxis charge $20 for a 5 mile trip,each way, in our area. Rapid transit is great if you have a car or friend who is going near a station.

Do I want to give up my cell phone? No, but it is cheaper to replace than a car. It's a great way to keep in contact when we can't be there in person.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Zoey - I could do without ever seeing a Blackberry again. They're actually annoying devices that cannot do what the iPhone can do :) Coming from Europe, which admittedly is set up much better for public transport, I could do without car... there.

@Peggy - yes, it can. In fact, it's much better if you don't drive yourself to the ER when you're not feeling well, like I did. If you lived in Europe you would hardly miss it for months. US cities and suburbs are just not set up well... and that may have to change. I agree the choices are just not there now.