Maze runners? With used phones!
We are in a foreign country. We need our google maps to navigate in the city of Brussels. We have charged our batteries to fullest and started a journey to the city centre. It was a beautiful day, brightened up with sunlight. M and I were excited to meet and catch up on stories. We stopped by a thrift shop. M bought a t-shirt and a lovely pair of leather gloves which are perfect for cycling in the winter. Very swiftly, we reached the city centre and met with another colleague M2. As time passed we visited a grand cathedral with church bells ringing. It was a perfect day...... well almost!
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| Samsung Phone by https://www.facebook.com/mike.kavanagh.79 |
We carried old refurbished phones…
M never bought a new phone. Like me, He grew up and went to university in a world without mobile phones. He started his reduce/reuse/repair journey about 30 years ago, so he never bought a new phone. Always pre-loved phones from friends who had bought new ones or second-hand reconditioned phones
My story is similar. I stopped buying new phones 5 years ago. Eyeing on old phones with relatives or friends, to be gifted to me. My first used-phone was inherited when a relative passed away. Unfortunately, after 2 years I had to stop using it. WhatsApp stopped their services on windows phones (!) Later, I bought a second hand android phone, LG G5. It was an iconic model but it did not work due to a weak battery and discharge issues. Now I carry 2 old phones, one is always on hold if the first fails! I was going strong and hearty with them that lovely day in Brussels…
For many years M survived without a smart-phone. He still has and uses his old analog Nokia phone. In the end, five years ago, he got an old Samsung smart-phone from a friend who wasn't using it anymore because it was too slow for him. He lost that phone 3 years ago while backpacking around Argentina. Now he has a reconditioned Samsung Galaxy S5 mini which he bought for less than €50. He uses it to manage two Repair-Cafe email accounts, two Repair Cafe FB pages and the FB page for the reuse centre where he works as a volunteer.
My story is similar. I stopped buying new phones 5 years ago. Eyeing on old phones with relatives or friends, to be gifted to me. My first used-phone was inherited when a relative passed away. Unfortunately, after 2 years I had to stop using it. WhatsApp stopped their services on windows phones (!) Later, I bought a second hand android phone, LG G5. It was an iconic model but it did not work due to a weak battery and discharge issues. Now I carry 2 old phones, one is always on hold if the first fails! I was going strong and hearty with them that lovely day in Brussels…
For many years M survived without a smart-phone. He still has and uses his old analog Nokia phone. In the end, five years ago, he got an old Samsung smart-phone from a friend who wasn't using it anymore because it was too slow for him. He lost that phone 3 years ago while backpacking around Argentina. Now he has a reconditioned Samsung Galaxy S5 mini which he bought for less than €50. He uses it to manage two Repair-Cafe email accounts, two Repair Cafe FB pages and the FB page for the reuse centre where he works as a volunteer.
Friends and colleagues just left the hotel. I was sulking in my hotel room, it was the day after the last day of #Fixfest. I was wondering, how I could navigate with my old phone to the city centre and back? The old phone gets discharged too quickly! I spoke to U and J. They suggested a paper map. I could get one with places to go marked on it. It was a relief for my stressed mind.
Soon, I met with M again. He had to wait half a day, before catching a train to his hometown. So we decided to go visit the centre of the city!
The journey to the centre of the city, and back (!!)
As I mentioned, it was a bright day and we were navigating with our old phones. I started with my google maps while cross-checking with the paper map! So it was working easy!
Soon, I met with M again. He had to wait half a day, before catching a train to his hometown. So we decided to go visit the centre of the city!
The journey to the centre of the city, and back (!!)
As I mentioned, it was a bright day and we were navigating with our old phones. I started with my google maps while cross-checking with the paper map! So it was working easy!
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| Lenove Phone by https://in.linkedin.com/in/purnasarkar |
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| Group Selfie by @markaphill |
After a few streets, we reached a construction site. We had to manoeuvre a few times to get back on the route. Now the phones started losing power. There were warnings like a 'switch-off' sign. I switched-off my google maps to save the battery. M continued using his old phone. But we are lost (!!). We are moving in a maze of streets. The streets which looked so easy and beautiful earlier, now look like they are never ending. The battery is running out. I am stressed and the walk doesn't seem to get over. We knew that we were a couple of streets away from the hotel. But the maze is getting more complicated. Then all of a sudden we are home! We came out and stood right opposite to our hotel…
Hurray!! We said to ourselves“After all, life doesn't suck with a used phone (!!)”
-by Purna Sarkar, Mike Kavanagh and Himadri Das
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