Technology wins a round

I finally gave in and got a smartphone. Above, a recently purchased iPhone 13 mini. After holding firm against peer/societal pressure for years, not being able to use Uber in Toronto proved the tipping point.

Let me provide context. Mr. Fluffster and I are going to Toronto in December to visit his 85-year-old mom, who has discontinued her yearly visits to BC (2020 was the first year she missed since the late 90s). For many of those years, she travelled to Vancouver at Christmas, partly to escape Toronto's winter (yes, another sensible member of the Fluffster clan).

We haven’t been back to Ontario for Christmas since we fled, er, left the province where we grew up, in 1989. We have visited, but usually either in spring or fall, when the temperature is generally moderate and the airport less than jam-packed. Rare exceptions were a couple of trips for funerals. Those winter trips didn’t leave us gasping to repeat the experience.

We're staying at a hotel this time rather than with relatives. Hey, if we’re going to Toronto in mid-winter, we’re entitled to some pampering. However, that means we had to consider how to get around the city and to/from relatives’ homes.

On past trips, we took the TTC or Go trains and buses to most places, and sometimes relied on relatives for rides. But to contend with snow and cold while wearing our Vancouver-style boots and winter gear (not made for Toronto weather), door-to-door transport becomes a necessity.

I thought we could access Uber on my iPad using either Wi-Fi or temporary cellular access. However, when I tried to register, I found I'd need a phone that can receive and send text messages in the city where I'm using Uber. Our flip phone works here in Vancouver. But take it to Toronto and it refuses to cooperate without eating up more money. So, since we have to spend money anyway…

I might have been able to find a clever way around all of this, but I kept running into brick walls (and out of patience). Further discussion with Mr. Fluffster left us both convinced that the time for a smartphone had finally arrived.

So off I went to our local Apple reseller to buy an iPhone 13 mini.

The young man who spent over an hour helping me (for free!) was marvellous. Although he started out trying to convince me (unsuccessfully) of my need for AirPods, he adjusted his approach based on what I had to say. That’s rare in a tech sales person.

He recommended a better monthly service provider, advised on a case and screen protector, set up the service provider, and taught me the basics of my new phone while starting it up. All in all, a pleasant, painless, and enlightening experience.

The Fluffster tech resistance still limps along in that I bought only one phone. When we drop our landline in a few months, one of us will have to rely on our old flip phone or iPad with Wi-Fi to talk to the other on the rare occasions that's needed. A few times a year I go out for an evening without Mr. Fluffster, but when that happens, I’d better have a darn good reason for phoning home and waking him up.

On my way home from buying the phone, I tried out the camera. It was getting dark and I didn’t expect much, but the photos surprised me.

Pictures taken with my iPad this late in the day wouldn't show much of anything, except maybe the glow of the streetlights surrounded by utter darkness.

You can look forward to better photos in this blog. Bonus.