[CocoboloCowboy]

Originally Posted by TexasShooter

It’s more a matter of never using or witnessing the use of a dial phone or paper map.

Gues the Nuckleheads could not good the instruction for a rotary phone, or simple map. I try to figure things out I do not understand, or ask someone in the know to help & coach me.

I was at a sIt down resturant the other night, family of four were at the next table. After they order all fourn nose were back in their phone until their food arrived, was not sure they knew what the were eating. Because their faces only left their phon between bites.

I kil the WI-Fi in my house when people come to visit, like young people.

[jimmyco]

Don't believe I have ever read SMS textspeak that can mutilate the English language as well.

[our_auctionguy]

While the video is hilarious and as some point out it really doesn't matter that she doesn't know how to use a rotary phone dial, use the Yellow pages, or re-fold up a map even though it has creases in it that pretty much should point any moron in the right direction to reverse fold it back. That is an example of not being able to think on your own to logically solve problems.

What I find relevant to today's youth is the inability to do the simplest math in their heads. Ellen could have used a basic cash register that doesn't tell them how much change to give back and watch them go into a serious deer in the headlights moment on stage. That is current and points to the lack of teaching and drilling the basics of arithmetic in schools today. Unplug the computer and watch them wilt.

[CocoboloCowboy]

The Military Aircrews go to Survive, Resist, Evade, and Escape School. A great lesson on life, and how to live it if in a jam. Kids need the equilivant in school, leaving top cope with life.

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by FairladyZ

I still have an old Western Electric rotary phone in use today (out in the shop)....it even works with the advanced telephone network in my office. I like the ringer.

Something I have been curious about is how well the phone companies support rotary phones. The bell in the old phones was electro-mechanical and needed some power to ring (one "ringer equivalent number" (REN) ). I forget what the design spec was for each land line, something like each line could drive 2 RI. Then consider that these lines were run off battery banks, a phone company wire center / central office would have had HUGE battery installations (a room full of batteries). That is why your old phone worked during a power failure.

Today most land lines have electronic handsets with electronic ringers. Their REN is a very small number, they need very little power to ring. Do the phone companies still maintain huge rooms full of batteries to support legacy phones ? I should ask some of my SaskTel friends but we are always busy fixing a data line when we get together

Dave <-- could "dial" using the hook to emulate the make/break action of a rotary phone dial

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringer_equivalence_number

[onepocketron]

They probably cannot use a rotary phone, nor fold a map. That said, there is no reason to use such things anymore. Driving down the road I can ask the car to pull up the map for a destination, it comes up on the screen, and I have instant directions both in map form and by voice. I can do the same with a text or phone call. I just have to verbalize who I want to call or text and then speak. The great things about this is I can be alone in the car and don't need someone to look at the map, nor do I have to pull over to look at the map if alone.

One this is for sure, if you want to know how to use all the features on your smart phone (which I am sorely lacking) give it to a teenager and they can educate the hell out of you in about 15 minutes. A lot of folks talk about the good ole days, I say damn the good ole days, you can have em.

[Sev]

Originally Posted by FairladyZ

That's because it's not taught in school anymore. My daughter can't read or write it. SHe "graduated" in 2015.

Paging Hondo.
Paging Hondo.

[Sev]

The question is.
What sort of survivor skills will they have when the grid goes down for several weeks or months?

When there is nothing left to eat in the urban centers but eat but rats and each other. What will they do?

It may not be necessary to know how to use a rotary phone or read a map.

However.

It is always necessary to know how to survive.

Unfortunately. Generations of individuals have no idea where food comes from or how to hunt and gather for themselves.

When the grocery store shelves go empty. It is the end of the line.

[philly]

Originally Posted by overlord

Conversely, the young whippersnappers can make you feel dumb while they tune up the big screen tv and computers.

You are correct. My, your generation, doesn't know how to use a buggy whip because we never had to and the generation that came before us thought we were useless because we couldn't use that buggy whip.

Same old same old. Our parents couldn't understand why we liked the music that we liked.

[Sev]

Originally Posted by philly

You are correct. My, your generation, doesn't know how to use a buggy whip because we never had to and the generation that came before us thought we were useless because we couldn't use that buggy whip.

Same old same old. Our parents couldn't understand why we liked the music that we liked.

Really?

You dont know how to use a buggy whip?

Kind of like saying you dont know how to use a shovel.

Are you really that simple?

PS.

Buggy whips are still available.
Very good for getting your bondage and S&M on. So... .

[philly]

Originally Posted by Sev

Really?

You dont know how to use a buggy whip?

Kind of like saying you dont know how to use a shovel.

Are you really that simple?

PS.

Buggy whips are still available.
Very good for getting your bondage and S&M on. So... .

Nope.
Don't know how to use a buggy whip.
I know you will find this hard to believe but I don't even own a buggy.....or a rotary phone for that matter.

[Sev]

Originally Posted by philly

Nope.
Don't know how to use a buggy whip.
I know you will find this hard to believe but I don't even own a buggy.....or a rotary phone for that matter.

So you are that simple.

Do you at least know how to turn the dial on an antique TV or manually tune in a radio?

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by onepocketron

They probably cannot use a rotary phone, nor fold a map. That said, there is no reason to use such things anymore. ...

You make good and valid points about screen-based maps. However I find that a paper map is great for getting the big picture quickly and easily. For me the detail resolution of a paper map far exceeds that of a screen showing the same geography. My wife and I recently spent time in Utah (we live in Saskatoon Canada), and one of the first things I did was buy a good map. It is far easier IMO to learn the routes and landmarks (exit numbers, the names of the three exits preceding the one you want, the towns along the way, the relative distances etc.) off a paper map that from a screen. You can see it all together on a paper map rather than scrolling and zooming with the resulting change in information content on a little screen.

And I am no Luddite ... I don't even know how to weave !

On the other point, as you say, knowing how to dial a rotary phone is only a useful skill if you come across a rotary phone connected to a telephone line. I have not come across that situation for decades. Somehow I doubt that todays teenagers come across one very often either.

Dave

[Black-Balled]

Originally Posted by philly

You are correct. My, your generation, doesn't know how to use a buggy whip because we never had to and the generation that came before us thought we were useless because we couldn't use that buggy whip.

Same old same old. Our parents couldn't understand why we liked the music that we liked.

Not sure why it took so long to get to this post. It is only common sense.

Oh wait, think I figured out the delay: cookoobowlo pointing out others' lack uh smarts.

[Black-Balled]

Agreed. Car map is nice, but traditional map is still way better for lots of things.

Originally Posted by DaveK

You make good and valid points about screen-based maps. However I find that a paper map is great for getting the big picture quickly and easily. For me the detail resolution of a paper map far exceeds that of a screen showing the same geography. My wife and I recently spent time in Utah (we live in Saskatoon Canada), and one of the first things I did was buy a good map. It is far easier IMO to learn the routes and landmarks (exit numbers, the names of the three exits preceding the one you want, the towns along the way, the relative distances etc.) off a paper map that from a screen. You can see it all together on a paper map rather than scrolling and zooming with the resulting change in information content on a little screen.

And I am no Luddite ... I don't even know how to weave !

On the other point, as you say, knowing how to dial a rotary phone is only a useful skill if you come across a rotary phone connected to a telephone line. I have not come across that situation for decades. Somehow I doubt that todays teenagers come across one very often either.

Dave