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Wednesday, 16 February 2011

On losing my phone

So there I was skiing down Śnieżnica - first morning, I'm doing well, confidently descending at a goodly rate, when suddenly I'm hit from behind by a youth who's lost control of his skis. I tumble over in the snow several times; fortunately I'm not hurt, the fall being cushioned by the artificial snow machine blowing fresh powder over the slope. I get up, check I'm OK, and ski down for another run. At the top of the chair lift I realise - I've lost my mobile phone.

It was - as ever - inside my shirt breast pocket, under a woolly jumper, under my M-65 field jacket (if it's good enough for NATO, it'll do for me). My reading glasses survived, but the phone slipped out. I skied down to where the tumble happened. The snow cannon has produced more powder, so even after two attempts at finding it, I know the search is futile.

Talking to a local ski instructor, I learn that this often happens. When the snows finally recede, locals will go out hunting for things that have fallen out of skiers' pockets - wallets, purses, mobiles etc.

I drove back to Dobra to the most excellent guesthouse, Wolna Chata Agroturystyka Zofia Nowak (tel: +48 18 333 0117) to block the number. My mobile operator Era informs me that no one has used the phone since I lost it. Even when found and the battery charged (assuming that the Ratraks have not crushed it), without a PIN it cannot be activated.

This is the first time I've ever lost a mobile phone. I've had this SIM card and number for 11 years. All my personal and business contacts have it (it's an easy number to remember). And of course I have all my contact numbers in it. As well as photographs (the Noka N82 has a great 5MP camera), music and SMSs.

I feel lost without the phone in my breast pocket. It will take some time queuing in an Era showroom to sort out a duplicate SIM card, buy a new phone, rebuild my contact book... I feel very sad at the loss. In the meantime, if you want to reach me (or are wondering why I'm not phoning or SMSing you), there's always the internet (michaeldembinski@gmail.com).

When mobile phones first appeared, I wondered what all the fuss was about and considered one unnecessary. Being without one for over a day now, I realise I cannot function without my mobile!
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10 comments:

  1. Unknown17 February 2011 at 00:26

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Unknown17 February 2011 at 00:29

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Unknown17 February 2011 at 00:32

    I'm so sorry you lost your phone! I was just blogging about mine tonight and I would also be lost without it. I had survived for many years without a mobile, but here in the city it seems an essential companion.

    I routinely back up my contact list to my memory card, which obviously will do me no good if I lose my phone like you have. This serves as good reminder to back up my data to my computer via cable or bluetooth, or even email my contacts list to myself periodically (is it in a single file?).

    As I'm not a Windows user, I can't recommend backing up contacts with the Nokia software, but I have used a program called Series60-Remote with some success.

    Good luck getting it all sorted out and sorry for your trouble. I had a little trouble with the comment form tonight so sorry for making a mess :)

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  4. Anonymous17 February 2011 at 08:45

    sorry - go back to the location and call your number with another phone - maybe you will hear the ring - if the battery is not dead

    Bob

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  5. Michael Dembinski17 February 2011 at 08:51

    Hi Bob,

    My phone was always set to 'vibrate' mode; and Eddie left his phone at home. The battery would have given out within hours, covered by snow.

    Lesson for next time - keep it even more secure. The do slide out.

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  6. adthelad17 February 2011 at 09:41

    Ooops! Never mind.

    Here's hoping it's found - would be good to get that sim card back.

    And no wonder I couldn't get through to you to let you know you'd accidentally rung me 15 times if you only had it in buzzer mode. Also if I had known you couldn't function without your phone I'd have rung you a lot more times. That might have gone some way in helping to you change your mind LOL.


    Pozdrawiam,
    a

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  7. Anonymous17 February 2011 at 10:14

    Sorry to hear that you've lost all contacts. There's a clever saying about computer users, which apparently also pertains to mobiles' owners. They can be divided into two groups: the ones who do backups and the ones who will.

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  8. student SGH17 February 2011 at 19:12

    Never pleasant things.

    After my hard disk drive packed up last June I do back-ups every week.

    And if you keep all your photos on your hard disk I have to say it is very reckless of you. One crash and all you work is wiped out. Invest in a few DVD discs and archive them on an alternative carrier.

    This is why I keep my contacts on the sim card, not in the phone!

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  9. Unknown18 February 2011 at 15:19

    @student SGH - what difference does it make if you keep your contacts on the sim? card if you lose the phone, including the sim? Maybe I have misunderstood this all along . . .

    Michał - I don't know if you'll get another Nokia or what, but if you don't like backing up your contacts with the Nokia software, you could try a little program I use at home called Series60-Remote. It's free, functional, and improving with each update. Works via bluetooth too.

    Did you hear that Nokia and Mircosoft have partnered up? The days of the Symbian OS on Nokia phones are numbered I guess. I hope my current phone lasts a long time, because the prospects of me liking a Microsoft OS on my phone are slim.

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  10. Anonymous18 February 2011 at 19:53

    Is there any way that a GPS Locator can be used to track the lost phone?

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