Do you let an stranger borrow you cell phone to text somebody?
By abednego7
@abednego7 (1060)
Philippines
April 27, 2007 9:59am CST
This happened me once, when I went to my friends pad which at 3rd floor of one apartment. Unfortunately I forgot my cell phone which happens very rarely. My friend was with his girl inside the pad and so the front door was locked and even the windows too.
I tried to scream but it seemed that my friend didn't hear it so I had no option but to look for someone's cell phone to borrow and text him. Fortunately I only needed about 15 minutes when a woman passed by to whom I borrowed and she was that polite to let me used her cell phone to text my friend. To think that I was a totally stranger to her, that woman really posses a true Filipino culture of being helpful.
How about you, do you let someone who is totally stranger to you and let him/her use your mobile phone?
3 people like this
24 responses
@lani0529 (1722)
• Philippines
28 Apr 07
Hi abednego!(",)
I think I have to think twice before letting someone borrow my phone and really assess the person and the situation very well. If the person needing help looks decent and in real need of help, then yes. Besides, as a woman, we have this so called gift of intuition. We could feel if the situation is real or we are just being played, most of the time.
I would help because i believe in good karma, and if ever i will be in the same helpless situation, i would like for people to do the same.
1 person likes this
@abednego7 (1060)
• Philippines
28 Apr 07
I think that's the reason why that woman lend her cell phone to me. She even mistaken me as if I were a student. I really admire that gift of a woman.
@Akyu22 (24)
• United States
29 Apr 07
I personally wouldn't. I just don't trust random strangers. There's too much of a risk of them stealing it, or getting numbers of my friends and family and other things like that. Plus, if I am paying for the bill, I'm not going to pay for some random strangers calls/texts.
1 person likes this
@zhizhong07 (674)
• Singapore
28 Apr 07
definetly not as it is a dangerous act to do so. You will never know what will happen next?
1 person likes this
@fredgame (1260)
• China
29 Apr 07
In fact, i have faced a similar problem. In China, i was to meet a friend and when i got to gate i wanted to call him but at that moment my phone was power-off and God being so good i met a lady who gave me her phone to make the call. Think of it, i'm a foreigner to her and that was the first time she ever set her eyes on me.
From there we became friends.
I have also given my phone to a stranger before. The chinese espcially the ladies are very friendily and generous.
1 person likes this
@Xiaomaojuanjuan (2)
• China
29 Apr 07
I will not lend my cell phone to a stranger,firstly,I don't know him or her.Maybe he or she is a bad guy!I don't want to be invole in trouble.On the other hand,I don't know how long he or she take the call,If it's too long,it will cost me a lot!
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
28 Apr 07
If it was an emergency then yes, I would - in your case it sorta was LOL. I was at a store once and a lady asked a young man if she could make one phone call on his cell phone and he said yes and gave it to her. I think 10-12 calls later she returned his phone and said thanks and then left. I thought that was rude of her to make more than just the one call (since thats all she asked for) and did not compensate the young man for the use of his credits and phone. He was not a happy chappy after that LOL
@Abbyey (760)
• Philippines
28 Apr 07
True that filipino has the culture of being helpful. If i see that the person in genuinely in need, i would let a stranger use my phone. However if not, maybe i would think twice. Because a friend of mine did experience lending his phone and he ended up losing his phone. i guess if i would lend it, i would see to it that she/he use it in front of me and not somewhere else. Just to be sure im not lending it to a snatcher. :P its good to be hospitable but of course we need to be careful too.
1 person likes this
@stefan_diego (556)
• Canada
28 Apr 07
Well you have to be keen in understanding situations where you may allow someone to borrow your cellphone but under circumstances that there are no payphones in the area. If you see some, no need to lend your cellphone. Maybe a few coins will do.
1 person likes this
@haedescanes (592)
• Philippines
28 Apr 07
I think not all instances. If i am in the street and suddenly a stranger borrows my cellphone. I think i will not lend him or her. they might ran with my cellphone. Well it al depends upon the situation. If you are in an apartment or building, probably i will lend you, but outdoors? that is too dangerous. Sorry to say this but i am just being reasonable and safe. Goodlcuk!
@aciddrop (798)
•
28 Apr 07
strangers borrowing cell phone has been widely considered as a trick in china.so if you tried to borrow phone from a pass-by here,i bet nobody would say yes to you.its not that chinese ppl are cool or mean,but that nowadays security of society in the country is really bad.we just have no way but be cautious towards strangers.
1 person likes this
@di1indilin (802)
• India
28 Apr 07
No, of course not, that would be a very risky thing to do. A better thing would be saying that u don't have any balance or something like that.
@meljessxena (2315)
• Australia
28 Apr 07
well i guess depending on the mood and if i was in a rush etc, but yeah unless this person looked like they were going to steal the phone or something, or if i felt like something wasnt right then i would say no, but as my phone is prepaid well i would just say sorry i dont have any credit on my phone.
1 person likes this
@sadgirl_1958 (1088)
• United States
28 Apr 07
For an emergency, I would allow someone to use it - but if someone just asked me to use it for no reason - I would have to decline.
1 person likes this
@ajaleelp (131)
• India
28 Apr 07
It is a very common practice in our country to lend and borrow cellphones from strangers. The main purpose of this is to give someone a miss call so that they would call back.Mostly people dont mind lending their phones if they are not busy.This happens in bus waiting stops and railway stations mostly.Some more concerned ones as the needy to dictate the number he wants to give a miss call to and dials it themselves.Others just pass the phone and keep and eye on him.
But people rarely ask strangers their phone for text messaging or making calls.Mobile calls are pretty expensive in our part of the world.
