After replacing the cordless phone lost in a previous incident, I was very careful not to bring the handset anywhere near a place that it could try to escape. This new phone would spend it’s entire life in captivity. I never thought it would resort to suicide.
This time I was on the phone with a friend. She was having some sort of problem, and for some reason, I was the therapist (although I was not being paid). I had been on the phone for quite some time at this point, and I really had to go to the bathroom (#1). There didn’t seem to be any natural rhythm to the conversation where I could break in with my natural urges, so to save time, I got up from the sofa in the living room and walked into the bathroom before cutting her off in mid-sentence to explain my problem. I explained that I had to take a quick bathroom break that I would call her back. She said not to bother, and that I could put her on hold.
As I pulled down my shorts with right hand, I used my left hand to hit the hold button and place the phone on the sink, directly to the left of the toilet. Since I really had to go, nature started flowing the moment my shorts were clear of the “faucet”. Being that it takes brainpower to aim, I was not concentrating as hard as I could on placing the phone down on the sink—and you guessed it—the handset took the plunge.
“Crap!” was the rather ironic exclamation that escaped my lips as I stared at the handset, now fully immersed, in the toilet.
After finishing my business (I told you, I really had to go), I had to fish around in a closet to find my backup corded phone, which is there for just such an emergency. I called my friend back, explained the situation and asked for advice (the tables were now turned!).
She said that I should take the phone out, wash it off and if it was working, use it.
If the phone from Oops #1, which was surrounded by coffee grinds, tuna cans, etc., in plastic bags, was not going anywhere near me, then this phone could only be used if I was wearing a Level A Bio-hazard suit.
A new cordless phone was procured a few days later. This new phone will not be used in the bathroom.
I have never had a cell phone or cordless phone commit suicide, or make a break for freedom. I did have a spendy pair of sunglasses take a dive off my face, as I was retrieving my paddle after a collision with a submerged rock (I’m a flatwater kayaker). I have also sat on my sundglasses (they were never the same even after carefully bending them back into a semblence of normal geometry).
But nothing comes close to the debacle of losing not one, but two remote car door openers. One got trod on while I was unloading bikes off of a trailer on a cross country move (requiring an addition 6 hrs to find a replacement on the fly).
Number two also fell into the toilet (chain link holding it on my keys gave way while I was preparing to sit down for business. I did the “eeuuwee” thing, retrieved it, rinsed it, dried it, and yaayy, it worked! It got lost, along with my keys, when I was climbing on the face of Grand Coulee Dam, to help repair a remote water quality monitoring site. There I was, in a dress and sandals (it was an emergency call situation, and I had been in a meeting), climbing down a long ladder suspended on the face of the dam, with keys/remote clipped onto my belt. Very large and hairy spiders also like to use this inset ladder as home. While gingerly avoiding several hand sized larger specimens and preparing to step off the bottom (about 4 feet from the platform on which the equipment sits), dangling keys caught on the support attaching ladder to wall. Belt, keys and remote all came flying off as I lept down. I heard a plop. Its 90 ft straight down below water line and into the turbine intakes. I never did find them, I really didn’t expect to, either.
You do not want to loose these things, they cost a fortune. I’m glad I don’t have to carry my cordless phone around with me much – heaven knows what might happen to it.
I had the similar deal happen to me, but with my cell phone and the toilet. I was talking on the phone and takeing a leak(i’m a guy, i typically stand). My phone slipped as your did and went into the toilet(yes, i retreived it and quickly washed my hands up to my elbows <img src="http://joshmadison.com/images/smileys/wink.gif" width="19" height="19" alt="wink" style="border:0;" />) The next day I took the phone to AT&T and told them I was pushed into the swimming pool, but I had to buy a new phone anyway.