Are we really that inept?

I wanted to make a short note about technology...

I just purchased a new phone. You see, my 2-year old cell phone is past its prime. I could wait until it stops working all together - that would be the risky, adventurous thing to do. Part of me wanted to hang on to the phone even longer just to beat the cell phone creators system. But, I broke down. You see, my current phone only works intermittently. So, I decided to stop the madness and purchase a new phone. *gasp*

Its a process I dislike. Contracts, rate plans, upgrades, fees, rebates, models, etc. After much research and chatting it up for almost my whole lunch hour withe the ATT retail guy, I made a choice. It seems like a nice basic phone (after my rebate, it will be $50 - perhaps the most inexpensive reliable phone available) and I like the way it looks. I think I could drop it a couple times and it will hold up. I am not naive enough to think I could go without dropping my phone. Additionally, it is nice, new and stable. Hopefully it wont freeze randomly or just decide to stop and turn off. (I didn't even have voice activation set with my old phone and yet, it would just follow these type of commands from an unknown source.)

Tonight, while charging my new phone and I decided to take a little gander at the instruction book which came along in the package. Note that the book weighs more than my old and new cell phone put together. A small tree was sacrificed so I could have my little instruction book. 

And what happened next is what spawned this whole blog entry. Remember that my phone is blue tooth enabled and you can listen to mp3 sound files on it as well.

I couldn't really believe that our society has come to this level of need and stupidity. Really. 

Are you ready?

This is a direct quote from my little manuel:

"If you are listening to music whilst out and about, please ensure that the volume is at a reasonable level so that you are aware of your surroundings.  This is particularly imperative when attempting to cross the street."

Yes, stupid. Take your earplugs out of your head to avoid becoming road kill. That would be the smart thing to do. 

This daily "DUH!" moment was co-sponsored by LG & at&t. 

Seriously though, who writes those manuals? And better yet, who was the idiot that filed the lawsuit which made it necessary to include that little suggestion. You know it happened somewhere.

(Pretty soon the editor will write "avoid placing phone in mouth to eat to avoid destroying your digestive system" and "to avoid cauliflower ear do not talk on the phone for more than 10 hours a day")

That quote alone almost motivates me to read the rest of the 100 pages to find more quality, life saving tips and instructions. And, for those of us with short term memories, dont worry. There is a section at the very end of the book to take notes. Yes. You can take notes about how to save your life whilst crossing the street.