One of the main benefits of cell phones is for use in an 
emergency . Here's a trick to get emergency, collect and 
credit-card cell-phone use without having any cellular account or 
subscription --- without having the phone registered in any way. 
A lot of folks already know this simple method, but perhaps more 
do not.

- Buy a used cell phone at Salvation Army or Goodwill store (etc).
  They almost always cost under $5. Although small hand-held 
  cell phones are cute and handy, they can't begin to compare to the
  power and range of older "bag phones". I prefer bag-phones any
  day of the week.
  
- Using this phone as is, without any modification whatsoever, 
  you can access 911 emergency number completely free, with no 
  cellular account. Also, you can make any collect call you 
  desire. Likewise, you can make any call you want and bill it to 
  your credit card. The per minute rates are quite steep, for 
  example a ten minute call cost me about $11, but who cares in 
  the event of an emergency or an important call. Over the past 
  few years that I have been using this "Salvation Army" cell phone 
  trick, the total charges I have amassed only amount to a tiny 
  fraction of what I'd have payed had I had a regular cellular 
  subscription.
  

One disadvantage of this trick is that no incoming calls are
possible.

This scheme is completely legal -- in fact, the FCC mandates that 
911 calls be allowed and completely free to any cell phone, with or
without a subscription.

LATER NOTE: I've discovered that, while most all cell phones work
for this scheme, "Trac-phone" and "Simple Freedom" phones (which
are non-subscription -- where you buy cards to buy time) don't work.