Testing a Nokia's Durability

Ok…so prepare yourself, because this is a great story.

So, I’m headed to meet Jill for a dance class, and I’m in the metro station switching metro lines. I’m standing there writing Jill a text message as the metro pulls up. I push the keypad too hard, and my phone goes flying out of my hand, bounces twice, hits the side of the metro that has just arrived, and falls down INTO the metro tunnel (i.e. under the metro). For approximately 2 seconds I am paralyzed with shock, because I can’t believe that this has just happened to me. I turn around, and this 15-year-old guy is looking at me, because he totally saw everything happen. He shrugs, and looks sympathetic, but moves on by to get onto the metro. So my first instinct is to immediately find someone who works in the metro station. So I go up 2 escalator flights to the information desk, but of course, it’s only open Monday through Friday (and this was Sunday). So I make my way back down to the line I was trying to catch to at least see where my cell phone has even fallen, because I hadn’t looked initially. As I’m running back down the escalators, I’m searching for anyone who might possibly work in transportation. I didn’t see a security guard or anyone else.

So I get back down to the bottom, and I go back to where I dropped it. I’m peering over the edge, and I see it sitting on a little cement ledge that is right by the wall of the tunnel. Now to understand where it was, picture the metro tunnel (about 5 feet deep, maybe 10 feet wide), two metal rails in the middle elevated over the bottom of the tunnel where there is a lot of standing water, and then the 6 inch protruding cement ledges on both of the outer edges. So this is a good spot for my phone to be…it’s not in the puddle of water in the middle of the tunnel, or on the tracks, or smashed into a million pieces. So I turn around to the people standing there, and start trying to find someone who speaks English. Eventually, I find these Irish people, and I’m explaining what has happened, thinking they might be able to help. So of course, everyone then proceeds to go to the edge of the tunnel and stare down at my cell phone. So I’m talking to this Irish women and ask her to hold my stuff, because I’m going to jump down into the tunnel and get my cell phone. Her husband is like “No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea because I think there might be live electrical current down there.” They suggest at least waiting for the next metro to come and go. So I appease them, and wait for the next metro to pass—of course they hopped on it all cheery-like saying “hope you get your cell phone, etc.”

So you have to understand that I am a poor college student, and the main thought in my mind at that moment was “Must get cell phone. I’m not paying another $100 for a cell phone, and I can’t survive the next 2 months without one.” So, you guessed it…I hopped into the tunnel and grabbed my cell phone (which was completely unharmed…props to Nokia for awesome durability). The top of the tunnel came up to about my eye level, and as I was getting ready to get out, I had the split second panic of “oh crap…I’m not getting out of here.” The situation was definitely complicated even more by the fact that I was not going to touch any part of the metal tracks…I wasn’t about to get electrocuted. But I pushed myself up enough to get my leg up (it’s a good thing I’m a dancer, and flexible), and literally rolled out of the tunnel. I stood up, and brushed myself off. I don’t think anyone saw me because everyone else had just gotten on the metro that left, and no one else was standing around. However, it was one of those moments that I wished I had had a friend there who could laugh at the ordeal with me (though there was plenty of laughter afterwards).

So in retrospect, it probably was not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. But I literally could find no one that was working in the station, and my adrenaline high and poor college student mentality got the best of me…and I jumped into a freakin metro tunnel!!! So that’s my crazy story for the week…and probably month…and hopefully for the rest of the time I’m here :D

P.S. And after all of this, I still made it to dance class on time :D