Cell Refuseniks Hail Independent Life

Most of the remaining few Americans who don't have cell phones are elderly or unable to afford one—but a tiny minority within that minority actively refuse to get one. Life without interruptions and being a slave to a tiny screen is preferable, the "refuseniks" tell the New York Times, and is well worth the hassle of having to deal with pay phones and arranging meetings with friends long in advance.

Complaints about the intrusiveness of cell phones are common among users, but few would consider joining the ranks of the unreachable. "Ambivalent networkers bristle at all their gadget-facilitated connectivity, but don’t give it up,” said one analyst  who estimates that refuseniks make up only 5% of the 15% of Americans without cell phones. “The cell refuseniks are making a statement that they control their availability.”
(More cell phones stories.)