Cell Phone Woes
So – we’re back in the states for the last stage of this journey. Hooray – I can go back to using my cell phone for client calls! Right! I specifically picked my cell phone provider by going into the strip mall cell phone shop and saying, "My family travels each summer to the Connecticut shore so I need a service that covers that area". The sales person showed me a map of the covered area clearly showing service all up and down the I95 corridor. Great – that was the phone for me. I bought and off we went.
Indeed there is good service up and down the 95 corridor, but just as you pass under the bridge to our family’s neighborhood (about 1/2 mile east of the corridor) suddenly the phone goes into digital roaming. Not only that, but it switches between digital and analog roaming all day long depending on which way the wind blows, creating irritating beeps, lighting up at night and running down the battery. Most importantly, I don’t want to be spending $3.00 per minute for calls to clients.
So – what’s the fix? Either I can pay to buy a calling card and use my mother in law’s phone in the middle of a busy family living room, or I can get into the car and drive to the highway.
Yesterday you could have found me sitting in the rental car in a parking lot on the side of the highway for several hours. Not exactly luxurious.
Moral of the story? Traveling and working is great but be prepared at times for inconveniences that aren’t always apparent no matter how much planning you do. Flexibility is key! Tomorrow, look for me in the Starbucks parking lot in Old Saybrook! At least I’ll have refreshments close by.
