[ Photo ID: A twitter post by Alan Arbeleaz that reads “I’m confused how he’s homeless but has a working cellphone”. Below is a reply by Crystal Jack that says “you’re confused how a home costs more than a phone? is this your first day on earth?” End ID ]
Ppl acting like a cell phone is a luxury instead of a necessity and assume it means you pay for a monthly data and minutes plan like wtf
I mean, if you have no home phone, what else are you going to use, especially when so manny affordable (even if pre-paid) options are available? I’ve been homeless. I had a cell phone. I’m fortunate enough to have a home right now, but while that is a definite comfort, a cell phone is a life line if you are seeking a job.
Yes exactly!!
Look, up until March, I was working as a public defender. I represented parents whose kids were taken by social services (I could give a three hour rant about criminalized poverty but ANYWAYS).
The advent of zoom court hearings WAS HUGELY BENEFICIAL for my clients. Why? Because connecting to a hearing via phone (or video if they could find a private place with free wifi—like parking at a library or McDonald’s) was infinitely easier for homeless parents than finding a way to GET TRANSPORT TO COURT.
People were able to connect via telephone. Or wifi. Suddenly, parental attendance at hearings went way up. These are people who didn’t have regular homes, but who did at least have a device that could be charged and connect to wifi. That’s what a phone is for many ppl. It’s not a data plan, a calling plan, a fancy camera or a monthly expense. It’s one of the cheapest pieces of tech you can buy (prepaid phones can cost as little as $40–used phones can cost less than that on Facebook and Craigslist) keep, and use even after the minutes and data run out. Y’all have privilege showing if you think a phone means an iPhone and an account with Verizon.
You can tell who is really out of touch when they reccomened a poor person to sell their mobile phone. Smart phones are a mini computer, there are job searching apps, you have access to the your email if a potential employer contacts you. Most jobs require you to have a phone because they post your schedule through some sort of work app like square or when I work or tell you through what apps messages.
You can pay bills with your phone and of course most importantly you can call for help
Yesss.
Not to mention…if a phone is like, not a designer phone (not an iPhone or a Samsung thing etc) and is over a year old, TF is the resale value gonna be?
Not worth giving up access to wifi, I’ll tell you that.
Not to mention social programs exist? I get my phone and services thru my Medicaid
ifesbob 