Can I borrow your phone?!

[sbcman]

I'm glad everything worked out for the OP, but I got a good laugh at what would have happened if it was me in his shoes. I don't carry my cell-phone, it's usually in the truck and the battery is usually dead.

Girl: "What! I'm scared and need your phone!"
Me: "You really don't want my phone."
Girl: "Please, I'll take anything."
Me: "OK, here ya go."

Girl (later): "What! A dead tracphone with 20 minutes on it!!"

 

[GuyRelford]

LMAO!! Stop it! I'm trying not to choke on my lunch. A guy "falls" out of a limo? I have a cousin who could do that about 3 times a week. The whole visualizing is a riot.

You are so right!! And he said it so matter-of-fact, like he was saying "I missed the bus." And even funnier is the idea that apparently no one else in the limo noticed!



Guy

 

[mrortega]

You are so right!! And he said it so matter-of-fact, like he was saying "I missed the bus." And even funnier is the idea that apparently no one else in the limo noticed!



Guy

This same cousin was with a group of 4 of us couples many years ago when we drove from Evansville to a Purdue home game. After the game he was wandering down the street between cars backed up trying to leave, offering everybody a drink out of his bottle. His wife tearfully begged me to go get him before he got run over but I had trouble because I was laughing so hard. Those were the old days when public intoxication didn't seem too bad.

 

[jgreiner]

Similar to the scan run on my brother in Missouri, gal came to door, looking like she had been roughed up. she needed a ride into town to library where her friend worked. My brother took her, meanwhile her boyfriend broke into my brothers house, got away with of $5K in money and jewelry.

 

[femurphy77]

O.k. you're all WRONG on this situation. What SHOULD have happened is when the young lady pointed "over there" in response to "where is this happening" was that the OP SHOULD have pulled out his Annihilator 600 in .950 caliber with the 600 round clip and the shoulder thingy that goes up and hose the crowd in the general direction of her "boyfriend". Upon completion of said hosing ask the young lady if you got him!!


This is assuming of course that there are no 5 year old girls nearby that take the 600 away from you and shove into the dark smelly "holster" in the back of your britches!!!!

 

[jgreiner]

This same cousin was with a group of 4 of us couples many years ago when we drove from Evansville to a Purdue home game. After the game he was wandering down the street between cars backed up trying to leave, offering everybody a drink out of his bottle. His wife tearfully begged me to go get him before he got run over but I had trouble because I was laughing so hard. Those were the old days when public intoxication didn't seem too bad.

Those days at Purdue are over...though the Purdue police will let drunk students go IF they have someone sober walking them home. Designated walkers are now acceptable.

 

[CADuke]

What crime was committed? Someone asked to borrow his phone. Cops have better things to do than to deal with calls like that and by the time they get out there, she'll be long gone.

That's the sad truth. Even if they did make a report, they would bury any prior knowledge if there is a future victim and no apprehension is made.

 

[Cheapdiesel]

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

I just tried this with my info and all I could get was what is in the phone book

 

[remman]

Both hands in her sweatshirt pocket? I wouldn't sweat not calling 911 then. At least, not immediately. She could have had her hands on a gun, and having caught you off guard, even if you were armed, she would have had you in her sights before you even had a chance to get your hand on your weapon. And that would have ended terribly for you. Sure, you could have called the cops after you got back in your car and given them her description and the story, but I really can't blame you for that not being your first reaction. When something weird like that happens, people tend to just sit there in a daze, trying to figure it out. I'd say you did ok considering the possibilities...

 

[GuyRelford]

the shoulder thingy

Never, ever use the word "thingy."

 

[DustyDawg48]

I hate to be the first to go there, but you committed Bad Idea #1... you lost situational awareness and had your head down checking your email while walking to your car. Head's up no matter where you go, check your stuff when you get into the car and it's locked behind you. I read something about parking lot stalkers and they specifically target people who walk out doing exactly that because they can usually be taken by surprise. Easiest way to get somebody to make a bad decision is to get them to make it quickly.

 

[zibby43]

I had a similar experience about a year ago. I was driving a young lady home early on a Sunday morning (about 4:00 am). I was in Carmel where Illinois Street curves around and becomes Carmel Drive. There was nothing but businesses in the area. There was a guy standing in the middle of the street, waving me down frantically. He was in his 20s, very dissheveled and very drunk. I stopped and rolled my window down about 4 inches and put my right hand on the Glock 30 that resides in the console. He told me he had "fallen out of a limo" (I kid you not) and he asked to use my phone because he was trying to reach his girlfriend so she could come get him. I then noticed that he was wearing the remains of a tuxedo - although the jacket and tie were missing and the knees were ripped.

I told him I'd be glad to help and asked him his girlfriend's number so I could call her for him. (Even though I thought his story was probably legit, I also had a problem with just handing a stranger my phone.) It took him three tries to get the number right, but I eventually got ahold of her and gave her directions to come get him. She was actually right around the corner looking for him and it only took her about 5 minutes to get there.

While driving the rest of the way to my date's place, she asked me why I even stopped. I said it's really not in me to just ignore someone in distress - even at 4:00 am. I'd rather take a manageable risk and try to do the right thing. I might need similar help someday (although I haven't fallen out of a limo lately).

I'm a big believer in Karma.

Guy

That's a pretty wild one! He must've had one hell of a night. You had some clues that his story was likely legit. For example, he was wearing the tattered tux. Good ending to the story, for sure.

You did the right thing. In situations like this you have to trust your instincts and that is what you did. Something did not seem right to you and so you made a quick decision... more then likely the correct one. If this was in your church parking lot and it was some old grandma lady then you probably would have gave her your phone . . .

Thanks my friend. You make some great points.

I'm glad everything worked out for the OP, but I got a good laugh at what would have happened if it was me in his shoes. I don't carry my cell-phone, it's usually in the truck and the battery is usually dead.

Girl: "What! I'm scared and need your phone!"
Me: "You really don't want my phone."
Girl: "Please, I'll take anything."
Me: "OK, here ya go."

Girl (later): "What! A dead tracphone with 20 minutes on it!!"

Haha!

Similar to the scan run on my brother in Missouri, gal came to door, looking like she had been roughed up. she needed a ride into town to library where her friend worked. My brother took her, meanwhile her boyfriend broke into my brothers house, got away with of $5K in money and jewelry.

Yikes.

O.k. you're all WRONG on this situation. What SHOULD have happened is when the young lady pointed "over there" in response to "where is this happening" was that the OP SHOULD have pulled out his Annihilator 600 in .950 caliber with the 600 round clip and the shoulder thingy that goes up and hose the crowd in the general direction of her "boyfriend". Upon completion of said hosing ask the young lady if you got him!!


This is assuming of course that there are no 5 year old girls nearby that take the 600 away from you and shove into the dark smelly "holster" in the back of your britches!!!!

Both hands in her sweatshirt pocket? I wouldn't sweat not calling 911 then. At least, not immediately. She could have had her hands on a gun, and having caught you off guard, even if you were armed, she would have had you in her sights before you even had a chance to get your hand on your weapon. And that would have ended terribly for you. Sure, you could have called the cops after you got back in your car and given them her description and the story, but I really can't blame you for that not being your first reaction. When something weird like that happens, people tend to just sit there in a daze, trying to figure it out. I'd say you did ok considering the possibilities...

Thanks. I was definitely keeping an eye on her hands. Her hand positioning coupled with the fact that she never produced the alleged smashed phone made me awfully suspicious.

I hate to be the first to go there, but you committed Bad Idea #1... you lost situational awareness and had your head down checking your email while walking to your car. Head's up no matter where you go, check your stuff when you get into the car and it's locked behind you. I read something about parking lot stalkers and they specifically target people who walk out doing exactly that because they can usually be taken by surprise. Easiest way to get somebody to make a bad decision is to get them to make it quickly.

I welcome the constructive criticism. You're absolutely right. Phones can turn us into walking zombies.

 

[random_eyes]

I was at Circle Center Mall in early January, sitting on a bench with some shopping bags while my wife shopped nearby. A kid around 14 or so sat down next to me. I was playing a game on my iPhone. He asked "Can I play?" and so I handed it to him. I was a little nervous that he might run with it, but it turned out he was just a bored kid who wasn't afraid of breaking social norms. He played for a while, we chatted about basketball, then he left just a quick as he came.

 

[seamus]

I had some twerp ask if he could "borrow" my phone when I was stopped at a light while on my motorcycle?! I told him you gotta be ******* kidding me. It's just a new form of panhandling.

 

[boileralum]

Any way to get your information. They call someone and now on their ID shows your name and number. Google that and that will get and address and a date of birth.

Cell phone numbers are not listed in directory services, and many people no longer have landlines at all.

 

[Dirtebiker]

I had a similar experience about a year ago. I was driving a young lady home early on a Sunday morning (about 4:00 am). I was in Carmel where Illinois Street curves around and becomes Carmel Drive. There was nothing but businesses in the area. There was a guy standing in the middle of the street, waving me down frantically. He was in his 20s, very dissheveled and very drunk. I stopped and rolled my window down about 4 inches and put my right hand on the Glock 30 that resides in the console. He told me he had "fallen out of a limo" (I kid you not) and he asked to use my phone because he was trying to reach his girlfriend so she could come get him. I then noticed that he was wearing the remains of a tuxedo - although the jacket and tie were missing and the knees were ripped.

I told him I'd be glad to help and asked him his girlfriend's number so I could call her for him. (Even though I thought his story was probably legit, I also had a problem with just handing a stranger my phone.) It took him three tries to get the number right, but I eventually got ahold of her and gave her directions to come get him. She was actually right around the corner looking for him and it only took her about 5 minutes to get there.

While driving the rest of the way to my date's place, she asked me why I even stopped. I said it's really not in me to just ignore someone in distress - even at 4:00 am. I'd rather take a manageable risk and try to do the right thing. I might need similar help someday (although I haven't fallen out of a limo lately).

I'm a big believer in Karma.

Guy

Good for you Guy, I also believe in karma! And I am not like many here that are so scared that they wouldn't stop and help someone on the side of the road. (or in the middle of he road)


Fell out of a limo?! that's a great one! I believe he probably really did!

 

[evsnova74]

I once let someone use my phone. She'd just gotten off the bus and needed to call the friend she was visiting, made her call, gave it back and thanked me. Now it was a crappy old phone and there was no way she would have been able to outrun me otherwise I'd have just said it was inside charging and I'm too busy or something. Nowadays I just say I don't have any minutes left and all I can do is call 911, I like that one the most.

 

[mrortega]

I once let someone use my phone. She'd just gotten off the bus and needed to call the friend she was visiting, made her call, gave it back and thanked me. Now it was a crappy old phone and there was no way she would have been able to outrun me otherwise I'd have just said it was inside charging and I'm too busy or something. Nowadays I just say I don't have any minutes left and all I can do is call 911, I like that one the most.

You don't owe anybody an excuse. "Just say NO."

 

[TR1032]

I wonder if it would be possible to get into someone's bank account or get personal information by stealing their smartphone?

 

[evsnova74]

I wonder if it would be possible to get into someone's bank account or get personal information by stealing their smartphone?

That depends on a couple things, is the smartphone setup to require a code of some sort to unlock it, and how tech savvy is the theif... With my epic I can shut it off and boot into a recovery mode and wipe it clean, taking the security code with it. But even though I can gain access that way all personal info would be wiped too.