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Comment by remram | Hacker News Reader

I have a phone number. I never pick up the phone, it doesn't even ring, but I will happily provide it if I have to. I can get SMS verification messages. I don't think I understand why one would feel so strongly about it.

What's the advantage of not having a number, over having a number that doesn't make your phone ring?

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I am basically forced by my bank to own a mobile phone, and to me it's completely useless. I would gladly avoid to carry it with me in my travels. It lies somewhere at home: I don't go out with my phone, as I don't need to use internet banking that often, but it's annoying enough. But when I forget it to carry it with me when i travel, I am kinda screwed. And it's not like SMS verification improved the safety of anything...

Also: getting those stupid SMS codes when you are in another continent, it's basically impossible. So what's the point of all of this?

Author here. I also had this issue and switched banks to fix this, as I also wrote about: https://www.devever.net/~hl/phonebank

A lot of banks are offering photoTan. You get a special device just for generating your photo tan. It's more secure than sms tan and you wouldn't need a mobile phone anymore.

I know you said travels metaphorically but I'll point out that you pretty much can't travel without a phone number right now. It's absolutely required even for the vaccinated for contact tracing purposes on most modes of long distant transport (boat, plane, train) and for hotel stays and at border crossings. It's not at all optional. I'm currently travelling (I figure since I'm vaccinated I'm not being unreasonable by taking a holiday right now). Every flight and hotel has required a number.

The author may as well live in the woods in a faraday cage with a tinfoil hat at this point.

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