I was talking on my phone when I got in the cab, and I hung up after a few minutes. I could have sworn that I handed the phone to freesok afterward. When we got to our destination, I realized I didn’t have the phone. freesok didn’t either, so we yelled at the cabbie to wait up for a minute. When we got to the car, we explained the situation and asked if we could look in there for it. He agreed, and he let us look for about 30 seconds. He said sort of sharply, “I have to go do my next fare. Look in your pack (my backpack) for the phone.” He basically kicked us out of his car before we found the phone. We decided to go to a payphone and call our number to see if it was at home. I checked and it wasn’t. I guess the cabbie’s next fare found the phone and the cabbie finally answered it. freesok says that the cabbie said he’d bring it back, but that he was going to try to work it so he’d be in this area. It might be a few hours. He added that he’d appreciate some extra money. I don’t know if we should give him any when he gets here. He was rather rude about the lost phone, and he should have waited at least two minutes before taking off like that. I don’t know; maybe I’m overreacting. What do you think?
At least he was fast. We gave him three bucks. He said, about the money, “You don’t have to do this.” What? He suggested it! Anyways, I’d still like to hear opinions if you have any. Thanks.
It was kinda rude to ask you for money, IMO. Three dollars isn’t a lot, and I realize the guy’s on the job and it’s a job where time does mean money, but I don’t blame you for being a little offended by that.
At least you got your phone back safely that night.
When I lost my phone, I had only a vague idea of where I could have lost it-- perhaps in a store, or a restaurant I’d been to that night. Or in KKBattousai’s car. Fortunately, I apparently dropped it in my complex’s parking lot, where a neighbor found it and took it inside. When I called my phone the next day, she answered, and within 2 minutes I had my phone back.
Later, as a way of saying thanks, I put an envelope with two movie tickets on her stairs. So my phone recovery wasn’t free, either, but it was still nice-- and well worth the tickets-- to have it back.
Theoretically he could have had a fare instead of bringing you the phone. I think the money was deserved.
I’m with Audrey- yeah it was rude of him to ask you for money, but at least you got the phone back (I’d call your carrier to make sure the latest charges were accurate and all made by you… ya never know).
If it makes you feel any better, I’ll tell you what happened to me and my phone only a week and a half ago.
I was coming home from a friends house, about forty-five minutes away (Sucks, big-time), and as I’m driving along I spot a Taco Bell (For some reason, I really have a thing for Taco bell. Maybe it reminds me of the carefree fun days of college, I dunno, all I know is that I dig the Bell). At any rate, I spot the Bell and decide, screw it, bad food isn’t so bad once and a while, I’m gonna stop and pick up some dinner.
Whip on in and pick up a couple of soft-shell regular taco’s and one chicken soft taco (Mmmmmm!). I’m set, but I’m still about twenty minutes from home and the idea of scarfing down the tacos in a hot moving car doesn’t appeal to me- I’ll wait.
Finally get home and gather up my shit and head upstairs. Get inside and start unloading the crappola that’s accumulated in the car and proceed to spread it around the apartment. I also toss the bag of taco’s in the microwave since their now probably cold.
I go and check my messages, head off to the biffy and do a number one (Yepper, washed my hands too!) and gather up a pop to have with my now hot taco’s.
*Keep in mind that while I’m unloading the accumulated crap from the car and scattering it around the apartment, I haven’t noticed my cell. It’s not a biggie, because it happens all the time. Sometimes it’s in a pocket, other times I simply forget it in the car. If it gets so bad, I call the number and wait for the rings so that I can hunt it down- kind of like a miniature treasure hunt. But all in all, it wasn’t anything I worried about at the time, I had simply noticed its absence.
I head back into the kitchen, snag a Mountain Dew (Mmmmm-Mmmmm!) and pop open the microwave to grab my dinner. I’m only seconds away from bliss. As I’m reaching in to find the handles to the bag, however, I happen to notice something black in the bag. “Hmmmm, that’s not right” I think, but it happens so quickly that my thought is immediately replaced with simply eating.
With a bag 'o tacos in one hand, a dew in the other, I manage to swing over to the dinner table and grab my remote on the way to the couch. MMmmmMMM!!
Things don’t get better, or work out, like that often, I tell ya.
As I sit down to eat and watch the tube, I’m struck again with the blackness within that bag. Now that I’m content, it’s time to focus on what the hell that is. An exploded taco? A weirdo new Taco Bell packaging design, that makes no sense whatsoever? Hmmmm. Maybe, just maybe, I got someone else’s order and instead of my three dinky little taco’s, I got a mystery bag of someone else’s order. Cool!! I always liked that, that’s what made Taco Bell cool- the mystery grab-bag of unexpected, and unordered, food.
As you might have already expected, it wasn’t anything fun like a mystery bag 'o food, or even something trivial like an exploded taco, it was my handy and trusty little Nextel cell… my phone, which had seen me through break-ups, job offers, sex talk, all of it. There it was…hotter than hell.
NO, No, no!! My phone? My link to the outside world when I’m away!?! No, no, no, tell me it’s not true. Tell me I’m not that fucking stupid. Tell me the funky little microwaves stayed away from my phone. Tell me anything.
Alas, as I said above, the phone was hotter than hell (Apparently at the expense of the still inexplicably cold tacos) and rendered practically useless. Practically in that it sorta worked, with a back-up battery I had, but when I called a friend to evaluate the damage, and see if it worked, he sounded less like the friend I remembered and more like one of the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz.
It was hosed.
Seeing as it was early evening on a Friday, and my appetite had pretty much subsided, I thought it wise to call Nextel and get the ball rolling immediately on a new phone.
The Nextel lady, who proudly told me at the start of the conversation that they held the number one ranking in a recent customer service poll, put me on hold when I told her what happened. When she came back to me, about a minute later, I had the sinking feeling that she’d been actually been laughing at my predicament, and not waiting for my account to come up on her screen, as she said. “I’m sorry to hear that sir”.
You and me both. The way I figure it, it cost me about seventy-five bucks a taco that night, and the jaunt down memory lane wasn’t anywhere near worth it.
:o
That was a pretty long post for a pretty boring story/hijack.
One the one hand, taking a quick gander at your posting history, it’s painfully obvious that all you do around here is try and instigate and antagonize people. What’s sad, and almost pathetic about it, actually, is that you’re so horribly bad at it. A novice could do better, and you’ve been here nearly two years. It must pain you that others haven’t taken notice of you and your attempts because they’re so focussed on people who are genuinely good at it.
But on the other hand, I have to admit that you’re right- I could, and should, have narrowed that post down and cleaned it up a bit, because the point that I was trying to make- that people do stupid stuff everyday with their phones and it cost far more than three bucks- was essentially lost.
In that sense, I appreciate the constructive criticism. I know I can do better than that and it’s something I should work on.
In the other sense, point number one I guess, there really isn’t much I can say. If you haven’t learned anything in the two years you’ve been here, and learned how to really get a reaction you’re after, there’s really no hope for you. You’ll sadly go unnoticed by the majority of the people here, like you have up till now.
Yeah, but he did it with one line.
One must admire the ability to annoy others so efficiently.
Well-written, Chris! 
I wanted to add that the reason many cell phones probably don’t make it back to their owners is because they’re sold as a “black market” item to shifty-eyed guys who need to communicate but wanna leave a false trail for the authorities. The OP was lucky that his cabbie returned it. It mighta fetched a bit more than 3 bucks from Vito and Company.
I’m reminded of a crime novel wherein one of the characters visited a police station property room and listend to the veritable cacaphony of cell phones and pagers which had been confiscated from drug dealers. Ostensibly their clients were trying to get a hold of them, not realizing they were in the pokey. 
Thanks
Quasi
Sorry, Chris, but you’re wasting your time. I don’t really care about what people think of me on this board. I only do this when I’m bored with my summer internships. I was just making an observation, though. This stuff must mean more to you than it does to me, so I’ll pretend I’m hurt by what you said, and you can pretend that you are right.
BTW, the cabby should not have asked for any money or been that upset. It’s his fault that the phone was not found in the first place.
I like the microwaved cell phone post. 
I recently upgraded to a tiny LG phone & hope I don’t lose it.
About rude cabbies: I guess that’s generally their reputation. I suppose the cabbie would argue that it’s not his fault that you misplaced your personal property. And time is money to those workers. I find that those van shuttle drivers (to & from the airport) are usually much nicer. They never rush me.
Well, the Taco Bell cell phone story was a little long.
While we’re at it, the OP could’ve used a few paragraphs.
Your poor phone!
But I’m glad to hear you wash your hands after doing number one, Cnote dear.
Thank you, Lola, for the idea for my new sig.
Yer welcome.
I was jus’ teasin’
CnoteChris, I enjoyed your story, and I didn’t think it was too long. Nevertheless, have you ever thought about working in Product Placement/advertising? I think you would be good at that.
As for the OP, I think that it was very rude that the cabbie asked you for money. I don’t know what the rules are, but it is your phone, and you did notice it was missing before he left. I guess it is more a matter of personality than law or regulation, but he does sound like a jackass to me.
Ill Logik, do you care what the Moderators think? Posts like that belong in the BBQ Pit, not IMHO.
I dunno, if he keeps placing the products in the microwave, I’m thinking he won’t last long…
FWIW, I liked that story. Not exactly a Fight Club twist ending, but well told nonetheless.
Personally, I lose sunglasses. I leave 'em at restaurants, coffee shops, work (when I have it), libraries, you name it. OTOH, I feel like a stud when I leave a place and my waitress (or whomever) comes rushing after me.
hmmmm.
i drowned mine on a canoe trip.
we had it wrapped in plastic bags and everything. guess it wasn’t enough, considering the backpack was in the water for just about half the trip.
and don’t ask me what compelled me to take my phone on the trip. i have no answer.
I lost my last phone when punting - I carefully took it out of my pocket when I got up to punt,and put it on the floor in a dry place so as not to damage it if I fell in. Unfortunately I put it down on someone’s jacket, so when he picked it up the phone went straight over the side. Oopsie. I don’t have a very good record with keeping my mobile phones intact.
And, so as not to be completely off-topic, I can understand the cabbie asking for money, butI think he should have let you search for a bit longer in the first place - 2 minutes isn’t going to make that much of a difference to how much money he earns.