Just got up from a nap and reached for my iPhone 6. I knew I placed it on the nightstand next to me. Where was it? Duh. I just remembered. It fell into the pool this morning and broke.
When I went outside for my regular morning swim, my iPhone, placed in a Ziploc bag, went with me. I placed it, as I usually do, on the pool ladder. But today, as I reached for the hand towel, I knocked the Ziploc bag into the water.
My first thought was, “Great, it’s protected – see, it’s floating.” Duh. Water had leaked into the bag, and the phone was soaked. What was I to do?
I was to pick up my son at the airport, and I was to Whatsapp my wife on her trip out of town.
After the mini-panic had subsided, I realized I could call my son on the landline – I never thought I’d thank heaven for our landline – and I could email my wife that she could Whatsapp my daughter when I was there on Sunday.
Google said, “Place the iPhone in a Ziploc bag of raw rice.” I did it. And I carried that Ziploc bag with me to the Apple Store. It was a blessing that the Apple Store was closed for alterations because that helped me to realize that I should be taking my rice-filled baggie to Verizon. Heck, I had insurance on the iPhone.
At Verizon I was offered a choice: Pay $150 for the insurance, and get a replacement iPhone in two days, or pay $650 and get a new iPhone 7 today.
I paid the insurance.
The Verizon guy had an idea: If I could find an old cell phone at home, they could activate it right away. Great. I scrounged through two huge boxes before I found it – at the bottom – my mom’s old flip phone. Great. I could have my wheels – I mean my phone – today!
At Verizon the guy said, “Where’s your charger?” Duh. Back home to scrounge again. This time I was unlucky. Off I went to Fry’s Electronics. They would surely carry the charger. Nope. But I did find it on Amazon. It will arrive next week. Oh, well, I’ll have it for the next time.
But wait, there’s more. There won’t be a next time. I purchased a truly waterproof case. It is waiting for my replacement iPhone to arrive. No more Ziploc baggies at the pool. Hurray!!
As long as I don’t lose my iPhone, or have it crushed by a giant Godzilla, I’ll be covered – and so will my iPhone – always.
The moral of this tale: Either don’t use a baggie to carry your iPhone to the pool. Or test out the baggie with a rock in it first. Wait. What if the rock makes a hole in the baggie? Chuck that moral. How about: Keep cool in a phone emergency, and thank heaven it’s not a health emergency. Good one.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertzebsen@gmail.com