Would You Drive 7 Hours One-way by Yourself with No Cell Phone?

can you borrow a cell phone? I would probably get a calling card so I could call home if no cell was available.

In my 20's and 30's I did a lot of solo long distance driving.
I wouldn't let lack of a cell phone stop me now.

I wouldn't want to do it, and I would demand my work provide me with a cellphone, if they needed me to.

Yes, I would do it. I didn't get a cell-phone until 2002 because I lived in a small town in SW Virginia before that and we simply didn't get cell coverage there. What was the point? I've driven from DC to Miami alone without a phone. I drive a reasonably maintained car - drive during daylight hours and on mostly major highways.

Regardless, there are still many places without cell coverage on the I 95 corridor from FL to NY. It doesn't matter how smart your phone is if you don't have a signal! So, would I drive without a cell - definately.

An idea if you want a cell without the expense - keep a charged cell phone with no service with you. You can always call 911 even without service. If you want more than that, get a cheap TrakPhone and buy 30 minutes every 2 months.

Cheers,
C.

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I wouldn't have a problem with it personally. I would just make sure to call home when I got to the hotel room, then once or twice a day from the room to say goodnight and check in and one more time before I left for home.

It's pretty likely in that very rural area that you won't get much signal anyway. Make sure you let someone know when you leave and when you ought to arrive. Call them and let them know you're okay when you arrive.

We lived without cell phones for years. It's not that big of a deal.

I'd do it to keep the job. But the cheap phone from Target/Walmart idea is one I'd look into. I grew up in rural Minnesota, so am pretty familiar with driving on seldom traveled roads. As long as it was mostly daytime driving, not a snowstorm, and I had a map, I would be fine. Besides, if you had car trouble and no phone, how would it help to have another person along?

I would do it. Granted, I'd have my car checked out before-hand to ensure my safest ride. But if it were my husband, he would tell his boss "I'm not driving 7 hours by myself with no cell phone. Period." And leave it up to the boss to either make someone with a cell tag-along or give you his personal cell phone.

Added: Christy P is right - if it's the middle of nowhere, you likely won't have service anyways.

I'd do it but pick up a 9.99 pre paid cell to get me by.

Isn't that funny? We had no phones years ago and did it just fine then!
But no, I wouldnt' do it...
Get a prepaid trac phone. Cheap at Target.

Well, we (well, our parents) did it before cell phones...with kids and adult responsibilities. Lot of places have refurbished/used cell phones - is it the phone or the service that you can't afford?

Well, In Northern MI we get very spotty cell coverage. HAving a phone up there is nice, when and if it works.
And yes I would. I still go without my cell around here. In fact, I have driven home to Chicago from NC without one many times.
Is it a necessity nowadays? I dont know. It's more convenient for other people to get a hold of me.
My hubby, on the other hand, can't go an hour without his Droid. I can't be that attached to a piece of technology.

And really, when you think, about it what is going to happen? You drive up North, have your meeting and come home. It's the middle of the summer, there will be no snow for another two months. You're pretty safe.

If I had a reliable vehicle, then yes. Cars came out in the early 20th century, cell phones got very popular over the last ten years, and plenty of people have taken trips(even cross country) without them for nearly 100 years.
Also, if financial issues are a burden, it may also be wise to complete employment tasks as per your supervisor. There's many people that are out of work, that would take that job and happily drive wherever without a phone, if it meant receiving a paycheck.

Yes, I would. I have taken trips with my family and I did drive 4 hours for work once---each way. I did not use my cell at all until I got to my destination and then again when I was going back home to let my husband know where I was. If you are really concerned, see if someone has an old cell you can carry. Keep it charged. Even if a cell does not have service, it can be used for emergency calls. If you think there might be problems, check your route to see where gas stations are and you can check in with home from there. I see no reason to get a cell just because you have this one trip.

No, phone booths are not common like they used to be. when I see woman whose car broke down on the side of the road I don't worry or ask if they need help I assume they have a cell phone. Insist work supply you with a loaner or a pre paid

I would probably tell your work that they either provide you with a cell phone for the trip, or you won't be able to go. Otherwise, there are plenty of cheap options out there for cell phones and calling plans. My brother has a cell phone that only costs him a dollar a day, and that's only if he makes a call on it or someone calls him. Or maybe you could borrow one from someone else.

can you get a pay as you go one? Can you ask your boss to get you one? At first I thought, sure I'd do it. Then you said where you were gonna be. Hmmmm, not sure I could do it, but us moms do remarkable things so I probably would.

Yes. I'd go cross country without a cell phone and not think twice about it. If I was in MN in February, I'd do it, but I'd call the people I was going to train so they knew when to expect me. That way if something happened they could come look for me.

BTW, 30 years and longer ago, I went every where with out a cell phone and no GPS either.

Good luck to you and yours.

I have done it before when I was younger. So, I say yes because it is for work.

What I would do is locate maybe two small towns along the way and when you stop for gas or a drink call your husband or other check in person. That way you are checking in every two hours and if you did turn up missing they would know where to start looking for you. Like if your car broke down or something. Do the same on the way back.

No.
I would want and need a cell phone.

Try asking your employer, for a cell.
It is for work.
Just ask them, anyway.

And, isn't there ANYone else... to go with you? Another co-worker, since the other one bugged out of it.

I would not feel safe, by myself, on a 7 hour drive, without a cell.
No way.

DO NOT GO W/O A CELL PHONE! Please!
If your work will not buy a cheap Go-Phone from Wal-Mart or if there is
not enough time ask to borrow one of theirs.
Can you borrow a friend's? Or a family member's?
Your safety takes priority. Period!

I probably wouldn't give it much thought. I would do it, and you can ask work for one of those cheap, disposable "go" phones. That shouldn't be a big deal for them.

Sure I would, especially if it was for my job..

You could ask them to pay for a cheap one since it is for their business to be able to contact you.

No I wouldn't. The main reason is pay phones are almost impossible to find, so if you did find yourself in emergency and need to reach someone, it would be difficult.

I would get a cheap prepaid phone.

Well, what did people do 30 years ago?

Anyone can still do what people did in the era of the covered wagon (I kid, I kid!)

We've gotten way too reliant on electronics & technology. You will be fine without a cell phone.

Yup, I'd do it and require work to buy a cheap prepaid cell phone if it's important enough to them that I go.

Oregon has alot of wide open spaces and sparsely populated areas. But along the highways, there is often good cell phone coverage. Problems happen on roads in the mountains where the signal gets blocked every time the road makes a turn. When I did alot of driving for work, I'd always take my cell phone and GPS. Borrow one if you can. At night in some rural areas it's so dark that you can't see the signs and intersections. If you're traveliing after dark, the GPS will give you a warning before your turn comes up so you can be looking for it.

Get a prepaid phone: they are as little as $7 for the phone and $15 every three months to keep it activated. That's what I have, for emergencies only... I occasionally call DH or send a text, barely even use up the money.
But yes, I would also drive without a cellphone - done it many times. I grew up without them and did just fine. If it was the dead of winter... I guess I can see your point... but cellphone or not you should always have an emergency kit in the car anyways.

About 9 years ago I was traveling from AZ to NM by myself at least 3 times a year. That was about 635 miles one way. It took me approx 9 hours one way to get to my destination. I stayed on the main hwy for my travels. No short cuts. The I-10 basically took me most of the way and then I veered off on the 70.
Plan out your drive and your stops. If you have not taken this drive before and are not familiar with the areas, stay on the main hwy and stop at a popular gas stations for fillup. Try not to let your gas get down past 1/4 tank. Depending on what type of car you have and how much it holds, you may last 4 1/2 hours to 5 hours before you need to fill up again. I had a ford escord and a toyota tacoma truck, and both of them took me 5 hours before I needed to fill up.
Get your map, tell your hubby what hwy you will be taking, and get a calling card to call him half way in your trip. This is what I did when I traveled alone. My parents always knew what hwy I was taking and I always called them at my halfway mark. It's a safety precaution when you don't have a cell phone.
Have you looked into borrowing someone's cell phone for your trip? How about a 'pay as you go' phone? I know you said the cost is out of your budget, but perhaps there may be a sale going on.
Have a safe trip. Highlight your way on the map of how you are going to get to your destination. If you have a tire thumper (this is what big rig truckers use to check their air pressure), take it with you and put it under your seat or in your door pocket. I have one of those and it goes everywhere I go.
Hope this helps. Take care and have a safe trip.

Of course, why not? I didn't have a cell phone until a few years ago, and I had kids and drove 2hrs one way up to see family at least once a month.

Kind of crazy how hooked people are on being connected 24/7.

I would go to Wal-Mart, Target or Radio Shack and purchase a one time use phone with minutes on it...then I would make the trip.

If you can't do that - and this is a work expense trip - tell them that you need the cell to do the trip. They can do a minutes card and not a 2 year contract.

If you can't afford to do that - then I don't understand how you can afford the trip..if they are giving you a company card for gas - great - but otherwise - I would have a GPS, printed directions and a pay as you go cell.

GOOD LUCK!!!

We have a TracFone from Target. We only bought a cell because we have 3 young kids and live in AZ where it is very hot in the summer. It was $15 for the phone, $20 for 3 months of service thereafter. We just buy the $20 recharge card every 3 months now. We keep it in our car and recharge every once in awhile. We only use it for emergencies and the minutes rollover, so we have hundreds of minutes on it. We don't and never have had "regular" cell phones.Good luck.

Oh, and it's easy to recharge online. They remind you with emails and you can do it in like 10 seconds. You don't have to deal with customer service at all.

I'd borrow a phone from a friend:)

If you really feel you need one take a prepaid. But I would go either way. I live in Alaska, and many places here you don't get reception even if you have a cell, but I would not let the fear of the unknown keep me from living my life.

Can you borrow a phone from a friend or family member just for the trip?

I wouldn't do it...is there any way that you could do a pre paid phone where there is no contract where you maybe have $20 worth of minutes on it to use for emergencies or in the event you get very lost? You can get these phones at walmart. I am not being insensitive to the comment you made about not having a cell phone...just thought that maybe there might be some way you could save up or borrow $20 to have the sense of security of having the cell with you. Maybe you could even talk to your company about this option as well since it would not be permanent or have a contract of some kind. Or, you may need to tell them that you cannot go..it is a safety issue. What if you get into an accident or have car troubles?

Good luck..I hope they can help or that someone can at least borrow you the money or even let you borrow their phone for the trip.

Borrow a phone or see if work will purchase an "office cell" - one of those pay as you go phones - very cheap - some are $15 plus the minutes. They may go for that.

You need to think about your safety. Seven hours is a long drive and even if you don't have a breakdown, you will definitely have to go to the bathroom at some point. I hate to sound paranoid but it is not safe for a woman to go to a rest stop alone. You need a cell phone. Can you borrow a friend or coworkers? I would also pressure work to have someone else go with you. if there is nothing you can do, please just be as safe as you can. Predators literally stalk the highways.

If you have to go - then I would either tell your boss that you want a pre paid phone for the trip or that you are taking a plane or some other form of public transit. 7 hrs is a lot to drive alone. You said 7 hrs one way, does that mean that you will have to technically driving 14 hrs alone? If so then I would def. tell someone at your company to do something more reasonable than to just spring this on you at the last minute and not offer anything to make you feel more at ease
Good Luck

I would get a cell phone. It isn't really fair (or, as you found out, reliable) to depend on someone else being with you and having a cell phone. My husband is very frugal, and he has a $10 phone from Virgin Mobile and a pay-as-you-go plan. He doesn't use the phone often, and it costs him very little per month.

Part of your adult responsibility is to your job and the job is this training, I am guessing. And if money is that tight, I think you have to do it to keep the job. I can understand alot of ladies responses about getting a cheap trac phone and I agree but I don't think that would be the pivotal question for me-it's do you want to keep the job or not?

I just took a 21 hour road trip with my two children and a Jetta with 238,000 miles on it. We did just fine (although we did have a GPS and a cell) but I didn't use the cell at all. The GPS, however, I would not have done without.

And don't let people like AB scare you. It's not like you are hitting the rest stops at midnight, are you? We stopped at several and they are very busy places (true) but no one kidnapped us or harmed us. Stopping when they are populated is fine. You will be fine-have a little confidence in yourself-like you used to in your 20's.

wow - that's a lot of answers. bottom line is your safety. i'm not as concerned about being accosted or having a run-in with a 'stranger' - rather break downs and being unfamiliar with the country. I concur: get a trac phone or other prepaid for a minimum of minutes. as needed, you can upload additional minutes directly to the phone from whereever you are, provided there is service coverage. turn the receipts in to your employer and request reimbursement. asking beforehand is a courtesy - however i can't imagine an employer who'd deny covering a minor expense in light of your new expectation. borrowing a gps, if you don't have one, is a great sense of security. knowing you're on the right roads or to help manage time are both great reasons to have one with. i also second 'checking in' with your spouse every few hours. lastly - 14-hours round trip is unrealistic for one person. can your direct supervisor attend with you or can you allow another rider to participate (your spouse ?) so you might have a driving partner? and - i'd review the situation with your employer ... if this is a sign of things to come, meaning your being on your own more frequently - you may want to consider your options ... as in being armed with a traveling kit of your own - good luck !

If you must go and buying a prepaid or borrowing a friend's/employer's is out of the question. Is there any chance you have an old one or a friend does? You do not need to have cell phone service to dial 911. I know it is not an ideal situation but it might give you some peace of mind if you must go.

I would take the money to buy a cheap month-to month phone, like Tracphone...to get a phone with a charger, car charger and 20 minutes and 60 days on it was only $14.88, and it would cover you in emergency, then you could decide to get or not get more minutes for it later, as you could afford it.

we use tracphone for our every day cell phones and it has saved us a ton of money off our monthly plan that we had with Verizon...we are not texters or unneccesary callers - we use our cells for necessities or emergencies, not chatting....I just bought the $9.88 LG phone and accessory pack at Walmart the other day, since my original one wasn't holding a charge worth anything after a year. Works great. No problems.

Jessie

Yes I would. We all did things like that before cell phones.

Take a pre paid one which you can get pretty cheap at walmart. You can also take one that doesn't have service but will still call 911 if you have an emergancy and use a phone card to call from a regular phone but a phone card may cost the same as a pre paid phone.

Yes, I would do it.

If you have concerns. I suggest you tell your employer, lend me a cell phone or get a prepaid one, or he can find someone else.