It’s 4pm London time — and that means it’s breakfast time in Los Angeles.
At whilst I’m excited to be here in the centre of the West Coast, I am REALLY having a problem with the people here: Whilst everyone is perfectly nice — and very welcoming — the vast majority of people at breakfast were sporting horrific mobile handsets.
I mean seriously horrific.
1990s.
Think small rounded Motorola handset with a black and white (“greenyshit”) screen. The kind of handset that was TOTALLY COOL when everyone else was sporting tin cans and string or brick-sized handsets.
It’s SO depressing.
Why? Well, if the folk having breakfast here at the Westin Bonaventure are any sort of rough US sample, you can forget your Trutaps, your ROKTalks and your ShopQwiks. Bury them. The handsets at breakfast can do TWO things well:
1. Store 100 phone numbers and make telephone calls
2. Send and receive text messages
Geez.
I did manage to spot two Treos and the standard ratio of Blackberries.
I took a look on the Sprint and AT&T Wireless websites a few moments ago to see what sorts of handsets they’re dribbling out to their subscribers. It makes sobering reading, it really does. Limited Sony Ericssons, ‘fully featured’ Motorolas that do nothing other than text/call.
HUGELY depressing. Of course, the market here is entirely different from the United Kingdom (where handsets are massively subsidised on 12 month contracts). I know that. I’ve known that. But seeing the reality in ‘living colour’ is quite something. No wonder the country was going nuts over the iPhone when you see the rubbish they’re being hawked by their incumbent operators.
I’m going to go find a ‘cell phone’ store and look closer at the handsets on offer.
AND EVERYONE WEARS THEIR HANDSETS ON THEIR WAISTS LIKE GUNSLINGERS. Save me.
Just in case you were wondering — the lift to my room (“elevator”) was the one that Arnold got in with a horse during the movie, True Lies. Remember that scene?
Try to stay calm, Ewan. You will need to block it out somehow. You’re going to be seeing bricks clipped on to belts ALL the time you are there. Breath deeply and revel in the attention you’re going to attract when you whip out an N95 (assuming you’re packing – to keep up the gunslinger analogy) just to check your diary or film some high quality footage!
Seriously, I nearly choked last time I was there and saw the state of the handsets. And of course you can see what everyone’s got BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL ON FREAKIN’ BELTS. Good grief!
Tell me about it! Same thing here in Canada. Drives me insane. My husband is the worst for it too, he has his personal cell phone on one side, and his work one on the other. I try to tell him how stupid he looks but nooooooooooo, doesn’t listen. “I don’t hear it if it’s in my pocket”
There must be some sort of alternative.
Ewan just think, they States is still ahead of us in the mobile technology 😉
Great news, forget all these flashy mobile apps and push email.
SMS is still the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the wooorrrllld!.
Yes, it’s disturbing. I actually work part-time at a cellphone stand, so I have to confess to partially being responsible.
Just think, if you were in Texas, you’d find them packing with this: http://www.sbearstradingpost.com/Cel-caseChris.jpg , hehe.
Ewan,
Would you have canceled our meeting if I walked up to you with a phone on my hip?
Jeb
I would have called security, Jeb……
😉
Just in case you wanted to see that True Lies scene again (forward to 1:05):
Handsets in the US look and sound like this dudes video camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dSo-egQFV0
Forgive the True Lies re-reference… 🙂