The Cell Phone Chronicles

Everyone has heard or experienced a different, equally frustrating, variation on the story. One woman, anxious to get home after a particularly tedious business trip, was settling into her seat on the plane. She reached for her cell phone to call home before taking off. After searching her entire bag (three times) an image of her phone on the back seat of the cab crystallized in her brain. Another person recalled being part of a teeming, jostling mass of people trying to get on the subway. Someone bumped him, causing his phone to leap out of his hand and slip under the train, never to be seen or heard from again. Then there are the, well, slightly more embarrassing tales of cell phones slipping out of one's grasp into the toilet. Or being backed over in the driveway after its owner left it on the roof of the car. Or, our favorite, dropped into a pile of fresh manure.

The upshot is that each year, 1 in 4 cell phones will be lost, stolen, or accidentally damaged. Replacing a phone, not to mention the data stored on it, is a frustrating and costly experience. eSecuritel offers Handset Protection Programs that can significantly reduce both the cost to the consumer and the hassle of phone replacement to the carrier. But enough about us. We are dying to hear your stories of love and loss. Or, at least, your funny, maddening, and even sad stories of how your phone was lost, stolen, or damaged. Participants at CTIA Wireless 2008 who stop by our booth (#4208), share their story via a comment on this post, and sign a release allowing us share your story with others will be eligible for a bunch of really cool prizes. So without further ado, settle in for a minute and share your most memorable tale of cell phone woe with us. And we should mention that by posting your story here you give us permission to share it with others.