Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Mobile in Water

I found a bodaboda driver that I liked, and I thought I would get his number in case I needed a ride and couldn’t find one. He couldn’t give it to me, though:
“I don’t have one. It fell in the water. I have to buy a new one.”
Alas.
Then after I bought the Mate, I took it to a mechanic, and I asked him for his mobile number.
“It fell in the water.”

It seems to be a theme here.
I’m not sure if it’s just code for not having a mobile phone (can’t afford?), or maybe there’s just lots of dangerous water around where people are using mobile phones.

It reminds me of the time my Chief resident and I conspired to get a new Gyn pager. We hated it because was big and bulky, and had no case or belt clip, so it was really annoying to carry around (and also because it went off constantly with calls that always started “So I have this lady…”). We knew there were newer, smaller ones available but of course we weren’t allowed to exchange.
“OK,” she said “I’m going to telecommunications. I’m going to tell them the pager fell in the toilet. They might want me to prove it, though, so if the phone rings twice and stops, then run to the bathroom and throw the pager in the toilet.”
A nervous intern, I sat in the call room by the phone, grasping the pager and ready to jump up and run to the toilet at the first hint of a ring. The phone never rang. My Chief came back with a new pager - still big, bulky and without a case or belt clip.

No comments: