As we were driving into JFK, my driver and I were amazed at how much chaos was going on at 5:30 am. There were throngs of cars entering the airport. They were being corralled by police vehicles with flashing lights and bullhorns yelling at the drivers to move. This scene was quite disturbing, all before sunrise.
When we reached the terminal, there were more police rushing me out of the car. The terminal was packed with passengers, not moving. The airline ticket agents don’t start their shifts until 6:00 am, and so we just stood and waited. I was hot, and I put my jacket in the suitcase I was checking. As aggravating as this all sounds, I was soon to learn that more aggravation was coming.
After making my way through security, I headed to the lounge. (This amenity comes from my Amex card.). After getting some breakfast and sitting down, I went to check my emails on my phone. The phone was no longer in my pants pocket, so I searched through both my tote bag and my backpack. The phone was not in either. I wasn’t in panic mode yet because there was hope that I left it in the pocket of my jacket that I placed in my checked suitcase.
I was sitting next to an amiable woman when I got on the plane. While talking, I told her about my missing phone. She gave me her phone to send a text to my friend who was picking me up in Phoenix.I could only do this, because for some reason I memorized my friend’s phone number. Unfortunately, the text did not go through. My original instruction with my friend was to call her to let her know what door at baggage claim we would meet. I opened my suitcase, took out my jacket and there was no phone. Short of a smoke signal, this plan was no longer in play.
Fortunately, I pride myself as a good problem solver, and it was time to come up with Plan B. I saw a police officer and explained what happened with my phone. He lent me his phone and again, because I knew my friend’s phone number, I could call her. Not only did I meet with my friend, she informed me where my phone was. In my rush to get out of the car at JFK, my phone had fallen out of my pants pocket. The driver, who I use for all my travel, called my husband to tell him he found my phone. In turn, my husband called my friend to let her know my circumstances. Due to this communication, my friend had way more anxiety than I did.
Now I’m thinking, how fast can I get my phone sent to me. The driver had a busy day and finally brought the elusive phone to my husband late that night. In the interim, I was realizing how much I relied on my phone. That night, I wished to treat my friend to some Chinese fare. No phone, no food ordering. I wanted to share some photos, nope. No navigation, no Google and no one could get me and, of course, I couldn’t reach them. I felt like an appendage of my body was missing. I was going through phone withdrawal.
My husband, who is very kind, got up early to mail my phone to me. He went to UPS and sent the phone by mail one day. The cost was $118. Probably not the cheapest way, but he lacked the packing supplies that UPS would have to assure that the phone wouldn’t get damaged. By the time they would deliver the phone, it would be three days later.
I intended this story as a cautionary tale. Lessons to be learned, check when you’re leaving a car or plane to make sure you still have your phone. Do not put your phone in your rear pocket. If you travel a lot, have someone you often use to drive you to the airport.. If I had taken an Uber I doubt I would have gotten my phone back. Keep a written list of numbers or addresses you might need during your trip. If possible, visit a great companion, who recognizes your jonsing without your phone and lends you theirs. Lastly, have a spouse, partner, child, or friend that you can rely on, and are willing to help out even in the most annoying situations. I hope losing your phone while you are traveling doesn’t happen to you. If you follow my suggestions, at least you have a good chance of getting your phone back. What the hell!
1 thought on “Phone Alone”
I too have a “lost” cell phone story. I stopped at a local filling station for gas. My charge card and cell phone were both in my shirt pocket. From my shirt pocket I first removed my cell phone and laid it on the roof of my car, and then removed my charge card and inserted it in the gas pump and filled my car’s tank. I then got back in my car and drove the 15 minutes home, forgetting that my cell phone was on my car’s roof. I live in South Carolina and it was a country road, albeit a busy road, I took home. Once at the house, I realized my phone was missing and only then remembered putting it on my car’s roof. I called the filling station’s phone number (it was a 7/11 type place) and asked if anyone had turned in a cell phone or if not, could they check the gas pump area for a possible cell phone lying on the ground. No one had turned in a cell phone and a search of the gas pump area turned up nothing. It was then that my wife remembered she and I could each track the other’s phone with an app we had each loaded. Sure enough, my wife’s phone identified where my phone was and it was lying on the country road I had traversed. We got into our car, drove to and along the country road and sure enough we spotted to phone lying in the middle of the road. As I mentioned, the road is somewhat busy, yet the phone was lying on the road untouched. I guess driver’s must have intentionally avoided going over what they must have thought was an obstruction. We pulled over to the side of the road, I ran onto the road, and then retrieved the phone. Not a scratch on it and it worked perfectly. Talk about luck.