Jan 23 2009
The Good Samaritan
Stress makes you do stupid things, like leaving your brand new cellphone in the back of a cab while rushing to the airport multitasking all the way. If you’ve been unfortunate enough to do such a thing you’re certainly not alone. In Chicago a few years ago it was reported that over 85,000 phones were left in the back of taxis, with a little more than half getting returned to their owner. Do it once and you’ll probably learn your lesson…
…unless you’re a big dumb monkey…
For the second time in as many months I pulled this trick with my brand new Samsung Omnia. You know, the one I’m in the process of field testing. The cab company was of little help (thanks a lot Victory Taxi), claiming they were unable to reach their driver when I immediately called from my work cellphone curbside (I knew carrying two phones would come in handy one day). After a few fruitless calls to my wandering phone I gave up and made my way through security when suddenly hope sprang eternal.
As it turned out a good guy on his way back to the city had picked up my phone and was willing to get it back to me. By this time I was boarding my plane for Vegas and it was a comical juggling act making arrangements to retrieve the phone, but it was worth every minute, and when asked how I liked the phone, I happily obliged with a recitation of my critical review (stay tuned, the published version is on its way).
So I tip my hat to the honest benefactor who made sure my field testing can continue, and I’m reminded once more to pay attention as I travel. Next time I might not be so lucky…