What I had for lunch today

Posted by Greg Laden on February 10, 2009
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… Ah, actually, it was a subway sandwich. The details are not important.

But then my cell phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was my daughter’s cell phone.

That was weird, because the cell phone’s been missing for weeks!!!!!

“Ah, hello?”

“Hi. I found this cell phone.”

“I know, that’s amazing, where are you, who are you?”

I was talking too fast. I think I may have frightened the poor man.

“Ah, you’re listed as ‘Dad’ … so I figured I’d call you..”

And so on and so forth. The cell phone turned up in a melting snow bank in a place that makes sense as to why it might be there. My new friend has a connection at a nearby store, so he’ll leave it there and I’ll pick it up.

Only in Minnesota. Or the Congo. (Or a few other places, but I don’t know where.)

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Comments

  1. #1 Stephanie Z
    February 10, 2009

    The really weird part is that he could call you. Did he have the right cable to charge it?

  2. #2 J-Dog
    February 10, 2009

    Even in Chicago dude!

    My daughter lost her cell while away at school while she was on the El, and the guy at the end of the line called, and we worked out the details of getting it back. Fortunately, this was before Blago put a price on “exchanging favors”, though I did insist my daughter tip the guy – “for a cup of coffee”.

  3. #3 llewelly
    February 10, 2009

    I have returned a total of 3 lost cell phones to their owners. 2 went missing for only a few days. The third, however, was picked up by my older sister, who became afraid to call anyone from the phone (an irrational fear I and all my siblings suffer from to a ridiculous degree), and left it in her room for nearly 2 weeks. When I found out about, I then had to ask around for somebody who had a charger that would charge it. Fortunately somebody did, and once it was charged I was able to place a call and then return it.

  4. #4 Greg Laden
    February 10, 2009

    I did not think to ask how the phone had energy in it. Well, to be honest, I did think but I did not want to complicate the negotiation.

    llewelly: That is a common phobia. That or fear of answering the phone. I have both.

  5. #5 Ana
    February 10, 2009

    It’s funny that, when having to decide on a course of action, even a gentleman will choose to call Daddy. Glad it worked! You and Julia weren’t out hunting for treasure when the phone was lost, were you? And was it this strange phobia of yours that kept you from answering while I was touring the Philips neighborhood???

  6. #6 Stephanie Z
    February 10, 2009

    No, Ana. That was a lack of a non-car charger. We did try to call you back as soon as he had the phone in hand again.

  7. #7 Greg Laden
    February 10, 2009

    I would be impossible for me to not answer your call, Ana. But yea, the phone was in the car charging.

  8. #8 jay
    February 10, 2009

    I want to know what phone withstood sitting in snow for weeks. Most every phone I know dies at the first sign of moisture.

    {i guess that wouldn’t work for me, I keep mine password protected]

  9. #9 Greg Laden
    February 10, 2009

    This phone:

    http://kdfblog.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/pink-razr.jpg

    Right… password protection may not be the best approach….

  10. #10 dean
    February 10, 2009

    I would qualify this as a “feel good” story”, and we need these in the current times.

  11. #11 Ana
    February 10, 2009

    I’ve been trying to not draw the following conclusion, but there it is…TWO good reasons to get the Google Stalker app.

  12. #12 Greg Laden
    February 10, 2009

    Google Stalker?

    Oh nooooo!!! A whole new way in which the internet is being used! I can’t keep up!!1!11!!!

    Don’t tell Bora about this or we’ll all have to do it.

    But wait, what are your two reasons?

  13. #13 Ana
    February 10, 2009

    1. You could have found Julia’s phone immediately (but you would not have experienced a random act of kindness).

    2. I would have been able to track you down on Sunday!

    Here’s some info on the app (actually called ‘Latitude’ – but, come on…):
    http://news.cnet.com/google-latitude-keeps-tabs-on-friends-locations/

  14. #14 Greg Laden
    February 10, 2009

    OK. So this would be you stalking me, rather than me stalking you. OK, that’ll work for a while.

  15. #15 Ana
    February 11, 2009

    Well, yeah, I’m the stalker. In order to be stalked myself, I would have to exist – and that proof is still in the making.

  16. #16 Mike Haubrich, FCD
    February 11, 2009

    Well, however the phone was charged, the person who called the “Daddy” name in the address book certainly had a more professional and mature response than sending a freakin’ ransom note.
    :)

  17. #17 martinDH
    February 11, 2009

    There are melting snow banks in the Congo?

    –
    Martin

  18. #18 Greg Laden
    February 11, 2009

    The link is closer than you think, martin. A key ingredient for making cell phones comes from the Congo. And yes, there are melting glaciers there. But I doubt there are many cell phones in the glaciers.

  19. #19 Edward
    February 11, 2009

    Lucky you didn’t lose it in a store which is what happened to my wife a few months back. She realized it was missing while we were still out, so we started backtracking, going from store to store, borrowing each store’s phone to call the cell as we went in the hope someone would hear it ringing and answer it. But no one ever picked it up. Finally, in a Sport Chalet, no one had turned in a missing cell phone so we borrowed the store phone and called it again. And that’s when we heard it ring. It was under the register of one of the clerks. “Oh,” they said in sudden recognition, “The Bob Marley ringer is your phone. We were wondering who kept calling.” We looked at each other puzzled, “Why didn’t you guys answer it?” “Store policy,” they said, “We’re not allowed.”

    Ugh! You know, some thoughtful store clerk once answered a lost cell phone and the cell phone owner sued the store for invasion of privacy or some such.

  20. #20 CyberLizard
    February 11, 2009

    You mean there are other phone-o-phobics like me? I don’t answer any call where the phone doesn’t recognise the number. And I absolutely refuse to answer a phone without caller id. And don’t even think about asking me to call a stranger.

  21. #21 Greg Laden
    February 11, 2009

    Yea, I just now answered the phone. It was frightening.

  22. #22 khan
    February 11, 2009

    I also didn’t know there were other phone-o-phobics.

  23. #23 Stephanie Z
    February 11, 2009

    Who likes the phone?

  24. #24 Greg Laden
    February 11, 2009

    Some people can’t get enough of the phone.

  25. #25 CyberLizard
    February 11, 2009

    My wife and her sister and father are total phone addicts. You should see the shakes and sweats if they leave their mobile at home.

  26. #26 Wayne Conrad
    February 11, 2009

    I was doing yard work one day when a young man had had a spill on his skateboard. When I got to that part of the yard, I found a cell phone. Calling entries at random finally got us the mom (who was not labeled in any way that one could tell it was the mom). “Oh, that boy is so careless with his things” was her reaction. I assured mom that the spill was such that it’s a surprise his fillings weren’t jarred out onto the sidewalk. I wanted her to know he didn’t just forget it somewhere. In hindsight, perhaps I didn’t do him any favors–maybe I made mom less friendly towards his skateboarding. I hope not.