Why Americans get taken on their cell phone costs

Why do Americans put up with exorbitant cell phone costs? It's because we're addicted to cheap or free phones provided by the phone companies to lock us into expensive long-term contracts.

But in the rest of the world, cell phones may cost more, but cell phone use is much more reasonable.

Here's how it works in Europe and Africa. (I haven't tried other continents yet, like Australia or Asia but I think it's the same there.)

You buy an "unlocked" cell phone for what the phone should actually cost. Then you buy a SIM card and pick your own number. And then you buy cell phone cards with however many minutes you need. You download minutes into your phone.

Simple as that and you only have to pay for your minutes going forward.

There is no nonsense about only one carrier having iPhones, like AT&T does here. You buy an "unlocked" iPhone or Blackberry or whatever, your SIM card and the minutes and you're good to go.

In the U.S., we have "locked" cell phones that are cheap or free that only work with one company like Verizon or T-Mobile or AT&T. But the companies "lock" you into a long-term contract for your minutes.

I'd like to know why our lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission allow us to be ripped off by the cell phone companies. I think if the American public knew how badly we're being ripped off, we would all rise up and protest this fiasco.