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The cell phone has become an essential communications tool; a bit of insurance when we need it. Yet there are many who do not carry a cell phone.  Perhaps because cell phones are complex ,  small, easy to lose, a nuisance, too expensive or  too few people to call.

However, the cell phone is a personal safety device, especially if you live alone or a distance from family members. A cell phone may be the most valuable item in your pocket if a sudden need arises.  Public pay phones are not an option, they have all but disappeared from the landscape .

If you or someone you know is reluctant, here are ten good reasons to carry a cell phone. 

1  Weather and Acts of Nature – Many of us live in parts of the country where a sudden earthquake or tornado could happen without warning.  Then there are the other acts of nature that result in evacuation such as hurricanes, fires, blizzards, ice storms, flooding, landslides, or a prolonged power outage.  A cell phone is important to get help or to let someone know your location and your level of safety.

2. Travel Safety – We love to travel; by car, RV, ship, train, plane or bus.  It is a good idea to let a family member or friend know where you are and where you are going next or  when you plan to arrive.  While you are away, a friend or family member can contact you if there is a problem with your home, a pet or with another family member.

3. Traffic Problems – No matter how well we plan we can run into traffic jams that cause us to be late for that doctor’s appointment, dinner reservation, or a party.  A cell phone is handy to alert your destination of a new arrival time. 

4. Accidents Happen – When we least expect it.  Most are minor, but as we age, we are more prone to falling.  A simple fall on a slippery surface may not be just an embarrassment, but a call for help from a cell phone, especially if no one sees you fall.   If you drive, an auto accident ,  empty gas tank or that flat tire always seems to happen in the middle of a rainstorm – a cell phone is invaluable to summon police or a tow truck.

5. Good Samaritan --  We have all been in a situation when we wished the police were nearby  to report a drunk driver, help for a lost child, see smoke or witness an accident.  We can be of aid to another person, as a Good Samaritan, to summon assistance for others.

6.  911 -- This is the most important reason to have a cell phone in an emergency.   Soon all phones will have location-based technology , GPS that will dispatch help to you quickly without you having to know your exact address. 
 
7. Staying in touch with Family – A  cell phone makes you accessible when you are needed. Perhaps  it is a grandchild or a close friend who really needs your help or someone who needs to hear your reassuring voice or a bit of wisdom in a pinch.

 8. Finding your way if you are lost – We are at an intersection without a map; is our destination a left or a right turn?   There is no one around to ask. A quick call will get us on our way.

9  Check a schedule – You have dropped off car for repair and are told to come back in one hour.  We all know that hour can stretch on longer.  A phone is handy to be able to check on the schedule so we can adjust our activities to fill the time productively.

10. ICE  – Don’t forget to program your cell phone with one or two “ICE” numbers ,  these are your “In Case of Emergency” numbers. ICE numbers are a powerful aid to police or emergency personal assisting you in an emergency. In the event that you are carrying your cell phone and you are non-responsive, the emergency personal can locate and dial your ICE contacts.   On your cell phone, just program in ICE-1, and ICE-2  and the phone number,  These ICE contacts may be critical in helping emergency personal access enough medical information about you to save your life.