With yesterday’s drama seemingly at an end, here follows a brief description of the events which brought about my sudden initiation into the “broken phone hall of fame”.
Having been gifted ample time for locating the optimal train doors for a speedy getaway, I stood waiting for my train home from work for several minutes. Eventually, the final Amersham stopper of the day arrived and slowed to a standstill. The doors opened as normal and my cane found its way almost automatically aboard the carriage through the centre of the open doorway. Unfortunately, my right foot was not quite so keen on emulating my cane’s bold approach. In fact, it lost height if not forward momentum such that it fell through the gap. I fell forwards onto my right knee and left thigh. I mercifully escaped serious injury, but my left thigh bore much of the impact, particularly the front left pocket of my jeans which contained my phone. Smartphones apparently react distastefully toward being caught between their owner’s unbalanced body and the sharp corner of a metallically reinforced tube trains, so the screen bid an abrupt farewell, shattering into countless tiny shards and taking with it much of the bottom edge, rendering future charging and headphone use impossible.
Some time spent queueing for service and my foresight in buying an inexpensive insurance policy for my phone several months ago lead to a relatively painless restoration. Even so, I would be well advised to start obeying those “mind the gap” announcements!