Out of Touch

When Annika took over my old phone a few months ago, we had a deal - only "kontantkort" (a pay-as-you-go plan), and I would load up the phone with 100 SEK every month (about $14). Anything else she would have to fund herself. It went pretty well - though the 100 turned into 150 because that's what's easier to do on the website, and things sailed along over the summer. Then September came, school stared, friends came back...

On the 1st of September, I put the usual 150 SEK on her phone. By the 4th, it was gone. It has been hard to wait for a new payment, and we still have 2 weeks to go. And it hasn't just been hard on Annika... Of course, since she has no money on her phone, she doesn't take it with her as she comes home from school and bikes to her various activities. I can't call her to find out where she is, and I have been worried a few times. On the flip side, she can't call me either - 5 times within 5 minutes - to badger me into becoming her personal taxi service. So far it has been a somewhat healthy couple of weeks, and just a couple more to go.

By the way, all the phone companies would like our business. I have tried to tell them that if the came up with a kids' plan that allows unlimited calls to parents, yet operates with a cut-off system like the cash card system, they will get our business. Unfortunately, nobody has figured it out yet...