Would you lend your mobile phone to a stranger at the bus stop?

nigel_wilson

You're at the bus stop or on the bus and someone asks to borrow your phone and call their friend or mother cause they don't credit. Do you willingly lend it, hesitate, decline politely, or give a firm no?

Most say the answer depends on who it is. I suppose some junkies or young people pissed on alcohol would be ruled out but is there anybody else you'd rule out? If they were a man and you're a woman, you probably don't want them to get your number and harass you with calls.

I myself would probably just lie and say I don't have credit or better yet tell them the honest truth though rude it may come across. My friend in Dun Laoghaire a few days ago lost his phone through this 'borrowing trick'. He was suspicious why two young 14yr old guys needed a phone considering they seemed to have sweets and other candies but put that at the back of his mind and now thanks to his naivety, he's phoneless.

Ursus Horribilis

No.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

big b

Most people would rather hand over their first born than their phone

robinph

No.

Was asked recently and said no straight away. If the opening line were could you call this number for me then they might get a different response, but certainly not handing over the phone to anyone else. Id probably still say no though.

jamesbere

Depends on the person and the situation, some young fella who's wearing a tracksuit and runners would be a no no. If it's someone who seems genuine then fair enough I might lend it

nigel_wilson

jamesbere wrote: »

Depends on the person and the situation, some young fella who's wearing a tracksuit and runners would be a no no. If it's someone who seems genuine then fair enough I might lend it

If it was a good looking gal but in a tracksuit, would your response be the same?

nigel_wilson

robinph wrote: »

No.

Was asked recently and said no straight away. If the opening line were could you call this number for me then they might get a different response, but certainly not handing over the phone to anyone else. Id probably still say no though.

So to you, it wouldn't matter how the person looked (genuine or sketchy)?

RobertKK

I was asked by this woman on O'Connell St if I would give her my phone so she could make a call, I said no, wouldn't risk losing my phone.

robinph

nigel_wilson wrote: »

robinph wrote: »

No.

Was asked recently and said no straight away. If the opening line were could you call this number for me then they might get a different response, but certainly not handing over the phone to anyone else. Id probably still say no though.

So to you, it wouldn't matter how the person looked (genuine or sketchy)?

Nope.

Are you sure that you can spot someone who is about to steal from you just by the clothes they are wearing? The clothes probably just identify the less competent baddies.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

No and I wouldn't offer any reason or explanation either, just no

frag420

I only lend my phone to naked people...

Them- Can I borrow your phone to make a call?

Me- Take your clothes off first!

Them- Forget it ya weirdo

robinph wrote: »

Nope.

Are you sure that you can spot someone who is about to steal from you just by the clothes they are wearing? The clothes probably just identify the less competent baddies.

Badly Drunk Boy

I might, depending on the situation. However, nobody would want to rob my phone. My brother calls it 'The Calculator'.

vicwatson

nigel_wilson wrote: »

You're at the bus stop or on the bus and someone asks to borrow your phone and call their friend or mother cause they don't credit. Do you willingly lend it, hesitate, decline politely, or give a firm no?

Most say the answer depends on who it is. I suppose some junkies or young people pissed on alcohol would be ruled out but is there anybody else you'd rule out? If they were a man and you're a woman, you probably don't want them to get your number and harass you with calls.

I myself would probably just lie and say I don't have credit or better yet tell them the honest truth though rude it may come across. My friend in Dun Laoghaire a few days ago lost his phone through this 'borrowing trick'. He was suspicious why two young 14yr old guys needed a phone considering they seemed to have sweets and other candies but put that at the back of his mind and now thanks to his naivety, he's phoneless.

Candies??

Roger Hassenforder

nigel_wilson wrote: »

You're at the bus stop or on the bus and someone asks to borrow your phone and call their friend or mother cause they don't credit. Do you willingly lend it, hesitate, decline politely, or give a firm no?

Most say the answer depends on who it is. I suppose some junkies or young people pissed on alcohol would be ruled out but is there anybody else you'd rule out? If they were a man and you're a woman, you probably don't want them to get your number and harass you with calls.

I myself would probably just lie and say I don't have credit or better yet tell them the honest truth though rude it may come across. My friend in Dun Laoghaire a few days ago lost his phone through this 'borrowing trick'. He was suspicious why two young 14yr old guys needed a phone considering they seemed to have sweets and other candies but put that at the back of his mind and now thanks to his naivety, he's phoneless.

He's not just phoneless

Similar thing happened to be one day, a really good looking blonde girl, about 22 asked could she have my mobile phone number.
Yea right I thought, I'm no fool. Told her "no way".

neonsofa

I have done once (not at a bus stop though) to the most sketchy looking fella in a tracksuit with gold rings- all the stereotypes you can imagine,that was him. I spent the whole time thinking why the **** did I do that,he's taking the piss,he's gonna run off in a sec; but he gave it back and paid for my kfc (we were in kfc) to say thanks. Then I felt bad for expecting the worst but also knew to never lend it again cause my heart can't take that stress lol

Badly Drunk Boy

vicwatson wrote: »

Candies??

Sweets and candies...

Snotty

My phone is my wallet, so I don't care who you are, you're not touching it.

wonderfullife

Pre-smart-phones most people would have said yes I reckon.

I would have often handed someone stuck my Nokia 3310 and even waltzed off while they made the call to give them privacy. With smartphones there's the added anxiety of all the content on it, all the d1ck pics and what not, there's an instinctive uneasiness about anyone having it. Screenshot culture, bluetooth, all sorts can go wrong.

I think that's a bigger factor in more people saying no. More expensive phones with even more personal content on them.

Poor Uncle Tom

Snotty wrote: »

My phone is my wallet, so I don't care who you are, you're not touching it.

Wallet inspector, hand it over......

Witchie

I have done. A few times. Still have my phone.

Wanderer78

Rarely use my phone, rarely have it out in public, rarely in populated places, rarely get asked, rarely is a problem

big b

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Rarely use my phone, rarely have it out in public, rarely in populated places, rarely get asked, rarely is a problem

How do you like your steak?

Wanderer78

big b wrote:

How do you like your steak?

Rarely eat it, of course!

fmpisces

In this day and age, no. But depending on the situation and who it was, I might offer to make the call for them. Sad really what the world has come to, back in the 80's if mobile phones were a thing I probably wouldn't have to think twice about it.

Poor Uncle Tom

fmpisces wrote: »

In this day and age, no. But depending on the situation and who it was, I might offer to make the call for them. Sad really what the world has come to, back in the 80's if mobile phones were a thing I probably wouldn't have to think twice about it.

You wouldn't get very far running with any phone considered mobile in the 1980's.

Boom_Bap

Pffft, wouldn't be seen dead at a bus stop.

robinph

fmpisces wrote: »

In this day and age, no. But depending on the situation and who it was, I might offer to make the call for them. Sad really what the world has come to, back in the 80's if mobile phones were a thing I probably wouldn't have to think twice about it.

Mobile phones were a thing in the 80's, but you wouldn't have handed it over to someone else then either. Not that they would be able to run off with it as it would most likely have been wired directly into your car or have a massive breeze block sized battery attached.

fmpisces

robinph wrote: »

Mobile phones were a thing in the 80's, but you wouldn't have handed it over to someone else then either. Not that they would be able to run off with it as it would most likely have been wired directly into your car or have a massive breeze block sized battery attached.

I'm clueless sure we didn't even have a house phone but then me mudder had a great set of lungs on her :D

mad muffin

That would be a nyet. And after I get my 256GB iPhone X. That would be a double nyet.

Beta Ray Bill

Depends on what I'd be getting in return?

Burrito?
Drugs?
Booze?
Sexy Time?
A better phone?
Her Number?

Etc.

But mostly no.....

Karangue

Not when my phone is worth more than what they are worth.

endacl

mad muffin wrote: »

That would be a nyet. And after I get my 256GB iPhone X. That would be a double nyet.

How do you milk a sheep?
Release a new iPhone!

Cina

Of course, i'd only be delighted for that beautiful woman to put her number in my phone.

Aaaany day now...

whoopsadoodles

I've offered my phone to loads or people to use. Mostly at gigs or festivals or people who look vulnerable in town at night.

If someone walked up and asked me for my phone at a bus stop though I'd still probably be a bit iffy tbh.

Would depend on the situation I guess.

Hammer89

The new iPhone causes full-body paralysis of the person holding it if Siri doesn't recognise their finger prints. They completely freeze up, and if they try walk their leg breaks off like your man in Terminator 2, so it's safe enough.

razorblunt

Depends on where it was, if it was in the middle of a city/shopping center I'd tell them to go into the nearest shop and ask them to use their landline. If it somewhere else more remote it would depend on them.

Sam Kade

RobertKK wrote: »

I was asked by this woman on O'Connell St if I would give her my phone so she could make a call, I said no, wouldn't risk losing my phone.

You should have asked her for a quickie around the corner first and then say you changed your mind about the phone. Some cheeky cnuts out there.

Snotty

There was a scam in a Galway shopping car park, an attractive girl would ask to use your phone in exchange for a blow job, scam was, at the end of the BJ she would run off with your phone.
I lost 5 phones in that car park.

Permabear

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robinph

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

But what kind of emergency?

If it's an actual emergency then you can phone 999 yourself for them.

If they need to phone someone for a lift back home that is not an emergency and you can point them in the direction of the nearest taxi rank. If they want to phone someone to tell them they are running late or to find out where someone is then that isn't an emergency either and they should have planned their day a bit better.

DavyD_83

Hammer89 wrote: »

The new iPhone causes full-body paralysis of the person holding it if Siri doesn't recognise their finger prints. They completely freeze up, and if they try walk their leg breaks off like your man in Terminator 2, so it's safe enough.

You need to put in the microwave for 30 seconds to fully charge the capacitor and activate this feature.
Normal charging doesn't give the phone enough power, which is why it isn't widely known about and you'll get people on the internet saying its BS

Permabear

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NoviGlitzko

Depends on the situation and their appearance.

JollyBustard

I hesitate but usually common sense doesn't prevail and I let them use the phone. I do however loom over them for the entirety of the call ready to catch them if they try to leg it.

Note that I've only ever been asked on the bus itself, not at the stop. I feel better knowing there's more stopping them able to get off the bus with my phone if I raise a hullaballoo...

Paddy Cow

wonderfullife wrote: »

Pre-smart-phones most people would have said yes I reckon.

I would have often handed someone stuck my Nokia 3310 and even waltzed off while they made the call to give them privacy. With smartphones there's the added anxiety of all the content on it, all the d1ck pics and what not, there's an instinctive uneasiness about anyone having it. Screenshot culture, bluetooth, all sorts can go wrong.

I think that's a bigger factor in more people saying no. More expensive phones with even more personal content on them.

Pre smartphones people were still dicks and scammers. There was a scam where they'd ask to use your phone and then ring a premium number, netting themselves a tidy profit.

_Roz_

I'd probably tell them I don't have any credit either, and it would likely be the truth, because I never do.

A woman on the bus recently asked if I'd call a number for her. I happened to have credit so I did. She was elderly, and we were on a moving bus, so I figured it was okay. Dialled the number, and when it was ringing handed her the phone. She had her conversation, gave me back the phone and thanked me very much for helping her.

I'd probably lend anyone who didn't look dodgy my phone on a moving bus, and stay close to them, but not anywhere they could run.

whoopsadoodles

Permabear wrote: »

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Many people?

Janey mackers I would hope that very close to all people would hand it over in those situations.

osarusan

I will do it but only if they allow themselves to be handcuffed to me while using it.

They laugh, but when I actually produce the handcuffs, they tend to move away.

AllGunsBlazing

My phone is ancient and not even of the smart variety so it's hard to imagine anyone being bothered to make off with it. But I still wouldn't hand it over. Mostly because I'm a bit of a cvnt.

lertsnim

Hell no.