Just curious what you other gents think. Is it worth the hassle to get a phone, keep adding minutes, and keep hidden from the SO? Or do you just use your "civie" phone?

I wrote something about this a while ago... It is much easier to explain an extra cell phone in your car, than numbers on your cell phone bill that google to escorts!

AND, we (providers) REALLY don't like getting that occasional wife calling asking who we are...

I linked the blog entry below...

Hugs,
Serene

This might be a good question to ask Tiger.  lots less trouble than explaining numbers on your phone or explaining "Who is the lady that just called you".

I have been called by a wife. Its really not a fun experience. Its much better for you, and much better for us too.

plus I have an excuse if SO finds it...its in a drawer with about 4 others that belonged to her Mother.

Understand though, this works for me because I am (probably ) atypical.

I get to play only two or three times per year, as I ONLY see ladies when  I am out of town on business.

When I start making plans I will purchase and activate a prepaid.  This give me my contact number.  I have to keep it somewhere for the 3 or 4 weeks of the planning phase, but it never comes home, so I can minimise that risk.

Before and during my trip I use the phone for all contact with ladies.  Then as I head for the airport to come home it goes under the tire.

Admittedly I'm not politically correct or "green", but the damned things only cost $30.  WHY would I risk keeping it around?

do they ever expire? are there any prepaid phones where i can buy once until i use up all the minutes

ERASE the calls. it doesn't take that long (unless you are hobbying everyday)  but if a few times a month, it's easy to erase those calls, text messages one by one or erase the entire inbox, call list (it would take a few minutes at the most)

3 month history of all incoming and outgoing calls.  To easy to find!  LOL

a Virgin Mobile phone for about $30 and add minutes for $20 every 3 months--all with cash;  no paper trail, no bills, etc.

If you have an SO, emphatically yes, get a hobby phone.  I'm single with no SO, so I have no need for it.  My cell is my cell.

Do a search for hobby phone, and you will get lots of ideas on which is the best to get.  I have no idea myself since I don't have one.

To keep it hidden, leave it at the office, if you can.

Swim

Yes, a hobby phone is worth the trouble.  I use a tracfone, bought at WM with cash.  I buy 3 month refills although it's possible to do a year.  I erase all calls on the way home & do not keep an address book in the phone.  
I keep it shut off & put away when not in use.  

If you are going to play, promise that you will not do anything dumb or sloppy.  Sloppy gets folks caught.

Use a private free e-mail account.  Do not check it when anyone is in your house.  If I'm home alone, I leave the TV off so I can hear anyone arriving.
Do not access adult sites from a work computer or wireless connection...  guys have been fired for this.
Do not use your regular cell...  calls made can be retrieved even if not expanded on your bill.
Delete your GPS "previous destinations" on your way home.
Do not use a credit card outside your normal travel area (I gas up the day before).  
Be aware the EasyPass records tolls, so don't use anywhere you should not be.  Admittedly, if someone is digging this deep you're already suspected.

The main thing is to leave no obivious tracks...  which trigger suspicions...  which trigger more checking.  

A hobby phone is very inexpensive...  
skb

OK, let me start by saying that I am a computer geek and this may be a bit more advance than most non technical folks.  I use cover my tracks on sites like this by using a Virtual Machine where I mask the IP and MAC addresses.  The Virtual Machine is stored on an encrypted removable drive and not on my local hard drive.  When I shut down the virtual machine I discard all changes so the there so any changes (like browsing history, cookies, etc) are flushed.  Every couple of days I run DoD wipe to over write the free space on the external drive.  Might be as bit excessive but ya never know

and I hope a hobby phone is worth it as I finally just got one

I use a bootable thumb drive running Knoppix and with the user partition encrypted.

How about using a neighbor's unsecured wireless access to carry out hobby-related activites? There are at least three nodes in my neighborhood that are wide open...

You may be interested in a thread I posted a little while ago...

I'll disagree here - I think it is worth it even if you are single.

This is illegal, if a lady or agency is busted and they do a search, your number will come up.  Now you probably won't get arrested, but a couple of cops coming to your home might be unnerving.

Additionally, you won't ALWAYS be single.  You probably don't want to run the risk of a future wife someday finding out about your pre maritial activities, even if they were only before you were married.

It's 30 up front, and then $80 a year to keep it going.  Well worth it.