Yes, you absolutely cannot trust coverage maps. According to all the major carriers we have 3G/4G here, and we actually don't have any service at all. In the winter when the tourists come, it's like that old "can you hear me now?" commercial outside in the parking lot. I'm actually pleased about this. I have a real dumbphone (not even texting), prepaid, for $100 a year, landline plus internet for $104 a month (I'm jealous of your rate, oakleyok), and then for traveling I have a mifi which costs $5 only in the months when I use it, plus a fairly high per MB charge, but since I only use it occasionally in the car or when I'm in a place where there's no wifi network, that comes to about $50 a year.

I got that email the other day, and I was mildly surprised at how someone could snoop on another person without them knowing it. I knew that they could listen in while you were on a call, but that's all I knew. I didn't know they could listen in when you weren't even on the phone. I know three people who have scanners, who listen for emergency activity (fire/police /ambulance), but a couple of them also listen in on phone calls (portable phones). This is a small community, and sometimes they know the people they are listening to, and sometimes they don't. One of the people (I really don't care for her), found out a policeman was having an affair, and even though she didn't know him, she found out who his wife was, and went to his wife and told her. Btw... she had an affair herself, not too much later.

Tracfone. Have had several different prepaid phones. I had Virgin and when you got reception it was the best of any I've used. But their service is the Sprint PCS and that's not very widespread coverage. Worked well for me for over a year though because when I'd travel I usually used major highways and PCS is on there. But I wanted better coverage so I got Beyond Wireless until they changed to GSM only then I went with Tracfone. Few different phones with them (cheaper than buying cards) and settled on an LG 3280 flip phone that I really like. Excellent coverage and for about $3-$8/mo, it's stupid to not have a cell for traveling and even going out for the mail in the winter! A lot of people would be far better off getting prepaid over contract phones. But there's a snob appeal and people look down their noses at prepaid phones and users. I look at cost. Why should I pay $60-$100 a month for something that a few dollars a month does just as well? But I have different priorities. A phone is not a status symbol for me. I want it to do the job, and this does. I'm very happy with it.

I really was taken aback by the "holier than thou" take on my post. I sure don't feel that way, nor did I intend to come off that way. Hands free is legal in my state, however, the law now prohibits any contact with your cell, even when stopped in traffic. I've never used my cell in the car, I never look at texts and certainly wouldn't text myself. If hands free were illegal, I wouldn't do it. I never used my phone in the car before I had hands free and it is really a rare occasion when I do now - maybe to let someone know I'm stuck in traffic or running late. I have one route I take on a 2 lane country highway to my cabin, with long stretches of open road and sometimes I will talk to a friend for an extended period, but that, too, is rare. I am careful about when and where I talk, not on unfamiliar roads or when traffic seems to be erratic. I do feel like I am a super aware driver, I drive defensively. The same with my GPS...I always put in the address before I start moving and it talks me through maneuvers. I do glance at the dash display to see what the next move is going to be and how far away it is, but like I said above, it's no more of a glance than at my speedometer. I guess you can be livid if you want. I hope you don't ever turn on your car radio, or change the station or listen to the news. For some people that could be a big distraction and time with your eyes off the road. Same with smokers who light up while driving. Or people who drink their lattes, or even sip from water bottles. Only one hand available to control your car. I think it's a spectrum of distractions and abilities.