I stopped carrying my cell phone to theaters because I kept forgetting to put in on vibrate.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to business meetings because I didn't want to be distracted by the vibrating.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to restaurants because I wanted the people I was with to think that no one was more important than them while we were together.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to my mother's because she outranks anyone who could possibly call.
Except for travel, I stopped carrying my cell phone altogether.
I'm not sure I would go the the extreme of no cellphone like some of OP's examples, but I'm getting closer.
Now, the only reason I have a cell phone instead of a land line is for travel and emergencies.
[Aside: I love the idea of a voice mail greeting that asks the caller to email me instead. But I won't do it. It just seems like a rude way to treat someone who bothered to call. I'll keep checking voice mail (sigh).]
A year and a half ago, I had voice mail and kept missing things, since I didn't check it zealously enough. People would leave messages with the assumption that I'd listen to them. This assumption was incorrect.
I then switched to a voice mail message that asked the caller to email me, but I still kept missing things - perhaps your contacts would be more polite, but 80% of the people who called me would still leave messages on my voice mail.
I finally got rid of voice mail altogether about a year ago - if I don't pick up, people get the standard 'this voice mail inbox has not been set up' message. I no longer miss things, since people can't leave a message and therefore don't assume I'm on it - they go and find another way to get in touch with me instead.
There were complaints at first - from my girlfriend, from a couple of business associates. It took a couple of months for them to adapt to my new behavior. Now they text me.
There are a couple of voicemail transcription services available, or you can use Twilio. I suggest language like "For quickest response, please spell me your email address."
I've experienced some hilarious misses when receiving a non-english voicemail and having Google try to make sense of it. It's not so good with fast talkers either.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to business meetings because I didn't want to be distracted by the vibrating.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to restaurants because I wanted the people I was with to think that no one was more important than them while we were together.
I stopped carrying my cell phone to my mother's because she outranks anyone who could possibly call.
Except for travel, I stopped carrying my cell phone altogether.
I'm not sure I would go the the extreme of no cellphone like some of OP's examples, but I'm getting closer.
Now, the only reason I have a cell phone instead of a land line is for travel and emergencies.
[Aside: I love the idea of a voice mail greeting that asks the caller to email me instead. But I won't do it. It just seems like a rude way to treat someone who bothered to call. I'll keep checking voice mail (sigh).]