Stop losing your phone!

Er Audy Zandri   |  Wed, 05/07/2008 11:17 AM  |  Lifestyle

Losing a phone is hell and has become quite a common problem in Jakarta, especially with the growing number of people switching from private cars to public transportation like buses and trains.

If you never lost a phone, take a quiet moment and thank God, for He has granted you the perfect life. But if you have, fear not, there are convenient steps to stop it from happening ever again.

Mentally, keep in mind that your cell phone could just disappear, anywhere, anytime. Such an understanding will keep you in a state of alert, allow you to maintain awareness and make you more conscious of your surroundings.

In practice, there are several precautions you can take, and here are the most important.

One. Be sure not to use your phone prior to and after entering any means of transportation. Turn the silent mode on, and keep it somewhere safe: in your bag - which is the most common place - in an inside pocket of your jacket, or under your shirt hanging on a cord around your neck. Some people hide it in their pants, but going by personal experience, this is not advisable.

If communication is so important, go "wireless" while hiding your phone. Using a phone before entering a vehicle lets thieves see what type of phoneusing and where you keep it. A dangling cable is also proven to be unsafe, as it gives a hint as to where your phone is located.

Two. Avoid crowded areas on a bus or train. Such tight spots include by the doors, the center of the vehicle (including TransJakarta buses), right at the door if you hang outside the city train like most commuters, and any part of the vehicle that's packed with people.

Try to find a place where you can literally "breathe" better. Still, always remember to give your seat to a woman or senior citizen when needed.

Three. Keep your phone-containing bag in front of you, and hold it with both arms. I know some people who put their phones inside a small lunch box or between books and magazines inside their bag. Thieves in trains are unbelievably persistent; slashing a bag open with a homemade cutter is common. Dressing down or pretending there's nothing in your bag so as to look carefree doesn't work; the easiest bag to rip will be ripped.

Four. Avoid suspicious individuals and even groups of people. Most thieves operate in groups, but some are highly skilled individuals, while some are desperate. Expert individual thieves usually wrap a jacket or big cloth around their arm to camouflage the pick-pocketing hand, but off course there are many other methods unknown to us commoners. While it's great to play detective and observe firsthand, it's always best to stay alert and immediately get out of the way when you see someone you suspect could be a thief.

Five. Don't tempt to answer a call, make a call, or play a game with your newest gadget during the trip; this would ensure its disappearance. But under circumstances that you just must use it, be watchful and make sure nobody's paying attention. Stay alert.

Six. In the event that you are not carrying a bag, a jacket, a cord on which to hang your phone around your neck, or anything besides a T-shirt, pants, wallet and phone, then be very careful. If you have to keep it inside the front pocket of your jeans, keep your hand on it and just cope with life as a temporarily single-handed man.

Seven, your last desperate defense is a chain that connects your phone to another part of your apparel. It sounds weird and hopeless, but various people have tried this and it works.

But still, there's no guarantee that you will not lose your phone, but by applying the above precautions, the possibility of having it stolen will be minimized.

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