"A little unique"

Recently at work I was promoted to managing a team of writers. The people we service (our customers) are in various time zones around the world, and members of the team are too, so I need to be contactable at various times.

The standard way to achieve this is with a cell phone.

I've been in an email conversation talking about expensing your personal mobile (where the business reimburses your costs) and the current freeze on company mobile phones due to the end of the tax year. My situation is causing some exceptions to the normal procedures. As one participant put it:

someone who doesn't own a mobile that's a little unique

I get this all the time. People ask for my mobile number. In fact it's routine now, as routine as asking for your telephone number was when I was growing up. I reply that I don't have one (a mobile number). They do a double take, and quite a few ask me: "Really, how do you get by without one? You really don't have a mobile?"

Listen, I spent most of life living in a world where hardly anyone had a mobile phone. It's not necessary. Use the force, Luke.

Even when they do give me one for work, don't bother asking me for my mobile number. I still don't have one. :-)