Tuesday 31 August 2010

Today's Non-Story



Let today's story be a warning to all who use mobile phones in toilets.

The photograph was taken in Xi'an, China and the young woman - who looks as if she's resting - is anything but. After dropping her mobile phone down the pan - or should I say hole - she decided to recover it, only to find her arm firmly stuck. At first she was too embarrassed to cry for help but after eight hours trying to get free she began to scream. It looks, from the photograph, that it was a squat toilet she was using.

Rescuers had to remove the entire cubicle and demolish concrete surrounding the toilet.

She had been texting a pal when her mobile slipped out of her hand. How anyone manages to text while squatting beats me. Be warned!

16 comments:

Demetrius said...

I always like to advise people not to get bogged down in the detail.

Anonymous said...

I think really what surprises me more is that she really couldn't wait, in order to do her business, to be in contact with another.
Mobile phones are hideous gadgets. They're worse than drug or video game addiction. I've seen friends break down in tears who have lost their phones because it's got all their friend's numbers on.

I've always hated mobile phones but of course used the tired old phrase "I need it for my work." Mobile phones give people the excuse to cancel arrangements thus not being responsible for their actions. More so, mobile phones are responsible for the decline of the honey bee (telecommunication masts that play havoc with their lives) and so I realised that I'd rather live in a society of honey bees than one of desperate people who have to constantly be in touch with one another. Talk about insecurity.

I no longer own a mobile. I never will again. I'm 39 and have no use for one and if people say how on earth do people get in touch with you? I reply; "they can either call me on my landline and arrange an appointment to meet or do it the old fashioned way of chance which always adds an element of surprise."

And as for squatting and texting, it's a skill, that is squatting and being able to do things while squatting. It's very much a Asian thing, woven into martial arts and yoga - balance Subrosa. You should try it sometime!

Anonymous said...

P.S. Subrosa,

I think today's real non story was the cricket match fixing scandal. While in Witherspoons, eating my steak, I happened to espy the TV (which I never watch nor possess) and saw the usual Sky non stop broadcast of the match fixing scandal. Of course there were images back to Hansie Cronje of South Africa and of recent the 'bloodgate' Harlequins rugby blood capsule scandal.
The non story is a simple one - Cricket, Rugby, Football or any other sporting corruption do not affect people's lives. Political corruption does immeasurably and I'd rather the media be reporting on that instead of smoke screening us with useless sport's information, which may lose people money down the bookies, but not ruin their lives unlike ongoing political corruption. Anyway, that was my 10 pence worth of ranting....

subrosa said...

Excellent Demetrius!

subrosa said...

Harbinger, I have a mobile phone and have had for some years. Part of the reason was for personal security when away from home.

My mobile, with camera, saved me from a much higher car insurance premium when someone hit me yet said it was my fault - a few years ago now.

Luckily I was quick thinking that day and took a few photographs of the incident. The police didn't bother.

When my insurance company viewed the photographs it was obvious I was in the right. I'm not always I admit, but I was so incensed that day with the other party insisting it was my fault. If she hadn't have been so aggressive then I may not have thought about my phone's camera.

subrosa said...

Do you really think the Pakistani cricket story is a non-story? Well perhaps because, according to what's been said around here in the past 48 hours, corruption has been rife for years with the Pakistan cricket administration.

I can't comment because I know nothing about cricket but I do see your point. Yet these sports do affect people's lives; the lives of those who support them.

Anonymous said...

Subrosa,

Still think mobile phones are a waste of space and killing the bees. But again your prerogative to have one... A camera's a camera and although you enjoy the convenience of it on your phone, what's more important bees or mobile phones? I'll leave it up to you to decide that one.

As for cricket and sports, there used to be a part of the news when I was younger that dealt with everything to do with sport and that was after the NEWS!

Those who follow sports will surely be affected by it. Yet those who do not won't. The same cannot be said for politics. Those who follow and those who don't will always be affected by politics, whether they like it or not. Therefore it's best to know what's going on with politics that it is sport as sport will ultimately effect those who play it. Politics will always affect those who not only make the rules but those who do not.

Anonymous said...

And yes I do think the Pakistan cricket story is a non story. Like I said, it's cricket, nice to watch but will never effect my life regardless, even if I put £10 on the bookies for them to win.
How on earth can scandal within cricket be a story? I couldn't care less about it, however scandal in politics, there you go, that will affect my life and such as the Iraq and Afghanistan illegal war scandals haven't only resulted in the deaths of innocent Iraqis and Afghans, but also British troops who've died needlessly and in vain. Then there's Dr David Kelly murdered; there's teh assassination of de Menenez on the underground, the deaths of thousands in 9/11 and those in 7/7. The resulting rise of Islamic radicalism in the UK and around the world...everything is connected to scandal in politics but not cricket.

Joe Public said...

SR were you really gullible enough to fall for the story that she was trying to retrieve her phone?

Weren't you aware that the latest cottage industry to spring up in parts of China was the dredging & recycling of cooking oil from sewers.

"....a series of safety scares, including the disclosure that one in 10 meals is cooked using oil dredged from the sewer."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7971983/China-goes-organic-after-scandal-of-cooking-oil-from-sewers.html

From the article "Night soil collectors typically visit the drains behind restaurants late at night to scoop up dregs of oil, which they filter and resell."

'Night soil collectors' - oh what an innocent euphemism!

Joe Public said...

The above might add extra flavour to that infamous Scots delicacy, the Deep Fried Mars Bar!!

RMcGeddon said...

I wonder if she shook hands with her rescuers ?

subrosa said...

Harbinger, I've never heard about mobile phones and bees but I've emailed a friend who is a bee keeper and specialist to ask his opinion.

As for cricket it's not a sport in which I have any interest.

subrosa said...

I obviously was that gullible Joe.

Night soil collectors could sound like some form of beastie which digs away during the dark hours, then you spoil it by speaking about deep fried Mars Bars. I've never tried one have you?

subrosa said...

Oh RM!

Anonymous said...

Subrosa,

You'll find this very interesting. Believable? Who knows. One thing's for sure though, since the advent of the mobile phone, bee numbers have been continually decreasing and it's nothing to do with the weather either.

subrosa said...

Harbinger, I haven't had a reply yet from my south of England beekeeper but I was at my local honey producer today and asked him. He doesn't think it's mobile phones but disease and chemical spraying. Loss of habitat doesn't apply here as he moves his hundreds of hives up into the hills where the bees can collect the pollen from the heather at this time of year.

I'll let you know the reply I receive from England.

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