Question

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Question :
Which is more fun? From which do you get the greater return on your "investment":

*the latest thousand dollar phone .

*a thousand dollar scale, brass steam locomotive.

????????????????????

[Roy]

I've never had a cell phone of any type, and don't want one. On the other hand, a thousand dollars to build a brass loco model of my choosing sounds pretty good!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Question :
Which is more fun? From which do you get the greater return on your "investment":

*the latest thousand dollar phone .

*a thousand dollar scale, brass steam locomotive.

????????????????????

Ok, a few things here that you are discounting. A lot of these folks spending $1k for the 10 also do not have any other phone, a TV, and maybe not even a computer anymore, and they use it for everything that we use a dozen other things for in its place. For a very large number of people that iPhone 10 is a multipurpose life tool.

A $1k locomotive......very few that I can think of that I would want or could even use. Maybe another SMR PRR 4-4-0.......

So, now look at the line of people for the 2 items respectively and decide for yourself. It's not about fun and I think you are trying to compare apples to aardvarks.

I have an old flip phone that does all that I want it to do - it's a phone, and it's useful for emergencies which is the #1 reason I reason I have it at all. Also useful when traveling. I also have a Kindle Fire that I use for travel to check e-mail, etc. Anything smaller and my eyes just glaze over.

[robert.]

So then people buying $1000 locomotive use that one for every event? Christmas, club runs house layout and whatever. Both situations are for the must have type. That iPhone x will go to tech geeks that have the latest everything. Your loco needs accessories and so does your phone. As I think about that loco needs less. Place it on a be mantle and it's done. That iPhone needs $80 a month to work.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

So then people buying $1000 locomotive use that one for every event?

Goodness, no! Stored away in the box in the closet still sealed in the box!

That iPhone needs $80 a month to work.

So does any other cell phone and then factor in the cost of your TV, that cable or whatever bill, your landline phone, your camera, etc.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

So far you three have each made really good points, of course. It's so very interesting to get viewpoints and perspectives that were not on the tip of my own tongue.
Times do be a-changin', dats fo sure.
Murph (not Murphy's 5&10) (though that - see photo - was my actual namesake )

[HONDO74]

So then people buying $1000 locomotive use that one for every event?

Goodness, no! Stored away in the box in the closet still sealed in the box!

That iPhone needs $80 a month to work.

So does any other cell phone and then factor in the cost of your TV, that cable or whatever bill, your landline phone, your camera, etc.

My flip phone that I started with Alltel and is now with Verizon since Verizon bought them out, cost me all of $5.40 per month. Only used when I travel or are away from the house for a day. The Verizon place is a half mile from my house. On the first of each month I give them $5 dollars plus tax. They keep trying to get me to upgrade to a new phone. Yep. $80 dollars per month.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

So then people buying $1000 locomotive use that one for every event?

Goodness, no! Stored away in the box in the closet still sealed in the box!

That iPhone needs $80 a month to work.

So does any other cell phone and then factor in the cost of your TV, that cable or whatever bill, your landline phone, your camera, etc.

My flip phone that I started with Alltel and is now with Verizon since Verizon bought them out, cost me all of $5.40 per month. Only used when I travel or are away from the house for a day. The Verizon place is a half mile from my house. On the first of each month I give them $5 dollars plus tax. They keep trying to get me to upgrade to a new phone. Yep. $80 dollars per month.

Oh, there are or were good deals out there - I have a similar deal through my better 1/2's contract - extra phone and line for pennies. And also Verizon....who continues to try to get he out of that deal. Used to be she would play them off against the competition, but those days are gone.

But that's all under a Fios deal so we get the TV, ISP, landline, and 3 cell phones and that's more than $80 a month.

$80 per month for a single hand held device that serves as all of the above is cheaper, but it's for a different generation like my kids or maybe the next younger one. I can't see that small - it's like asking me to be an N scale modeler.

[robert.]

$80 a month wont get you movie channels on your cell phone or any premium channel. I will concede that a $1000 spent on a phone is more use to me then a $1000 on a locomotive. But i will say i can get Them both for a lot less and have the same enjoyment. A smartphone has gone a long way in helping me deal with customers. I don't need the latest greatest technology in either one.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I don't need the latest greatest technology in either one.

I'm perfectly fine with a dumb old flip phone - when I need a phone, it's a phone and not a bunch of other rubbish.

I will however note the extreme usefulness of a smartphone in the navigator's seat when I'm driving distance or in unknown territory and need to navigate on the fly to get around a major accident or something similar.

And, since I run my trains on straight DC, I'm just emulating a dinosaur there....

[robert.]

My flip phone stopped taking a charge. Turned out i had a bad battery and no where to get a replacement. When i went to Verizon they told me i could get a free phone. Their salesman wanted me to take a samsung phone. This was about 5 years ago. Phone looked nice. I just did no like it. Way to large for your front pocket. So i want home with another flip phone. A week later wife says "She's pregnant and would like to get a camcorder". I told her "the time to make a movie was". well never mind you get the idea. I went back and talked about my up grades left for phones. Now Verizon wants money to change to a smartphone. One customer in their store tells me " Order it right from Verizon online". It will be free. No monthly fee added to you bill". When you go online they don't offer up the newest models for free. That did not bother me one bit. I got an Iphone 5 free with free shipping.I had to renew my contract for 2 years. This phone is a better camera the my wife's dslr and the video recordings are amazing. She was about to spend $350 for a camcorder. My iphone does a better job then a $350 camcorder. If you like making videos a smartphone is the way to go. Plus you can use it to play music in the car. It's a wallet. People wave them over a device at a checkout and it pays your bill. They do so many things. Plus help dumb us down. But pay a $1000 for one NO WAY.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Sexual abuse storm arising...
With all the complaints about sexual abuse beginning to be filed and addressed in the News, nowadays, like against Kevin Spacey and Louie CK (ww?), will Trump be next? Remember his talking to Billy Bush aboard that bus and Trump trumpeting about his being able to just reach right out and touch **** whenever he wanted?

Question #2: WHEN does he get that hair cut?

[rogruth]

Trump will be soon. But this is about all men.
This is similar to African-Americans (I don't know what word to use anymore) wanting retribution
for slavery from and for people who did not exist at the same time.
Now that should get me in some trouble.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Trump will be soon. But this is about all men.
This is similar to African-Americans (I don't know what word to use anymore) wanting retribution
for slavery from and for people who did not exist at the same time.
....

Some say it is indicative of "the triumph of tribalism over truth," which is something some folks value most.

[rogruth]

Trump will be soon. But this is about all men.
This is similar to African-Americans (I don't know what word to use anymore) wanting retribution
for slavery from and for people who did not exist at the same time.
....

Some say it is indicative of "the triumph of tribalism over truth," which is something some folks value most.

Murph,
I had not heard that phrase but it seems to be making large waves in the U.S.