Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What would you do with no phone or wallet in a strange town?

79 replies

SnuggyBuggy · 19/12/2018 07:02

Kind of inspired by a dream (or nightmare) where I was in a strange town (seemed to be UK based) a managed to lose my phone and have wallet stolen.

What would you do? I can't remember anyone's phone number. I mean this must have happened to someone. Would you have to hitch hike?

Does anyone have any experience?

OP posts:
SushiMonster · 19/12/2018 16:49

EASY

Find a library or some kind of other place where I can access the internet. Or even a strangers mobile phone (being a woman is helpful here)

Log onto natwest online banking and click the 'get cash' logo. Go through that and go to cash machine and get my cash. Travel home. Sorted.

SushiMonster · 19/12/2018 16:50

Or log onto icloud which has all your contacts...

I have a password manager which you can access from any device, so I only ever need to know one password to have access to ALL my information stored online

Toomanybaubles · 19/12/2018 16:53

I can't believe folk wouldn't let someone use their mobile phone.

Depends on where you are I guess but I was in a Yorkshire tourist destination recently when an elderly couple with a New Zealand accent asked me if I could give them directions to the nearest pay phone.

I couldn't as I was a visitor but I told them they were welcome to use my mobile for a UK based phone call. They weren't going to run off with it. I would like to think someone would do the same for my parents or anyone else really.

brizzledrizzle · 19/12/2018 17:04

I'd probably panic and cry and then try and figure something out.

lljkk · 19/12/2018 17:06

It's too hypothetical.... I could imagine asking a stranger if I could use their phone for a single phone call to get help (I imagine no libraries available & police station too far away).

I'm sure that on a few occasions we had to resort to asking to use someone's phone; people have taken pity on my dad & loaned their phone for him to use on train.

lljkk · 19/12/2018 17:08

What could someone far away do if I got hold of them on borrowed phone... what if my contact wired some money to the person whose phone it was, a small amount like £10 or price of rail fare home, and the Good Samaritan gave that to me in cash?

If within 20 miles of home I'd probably try to just walk the whole way if couldn't get hold of anyone to help.

Kikidelivers · 19/12/2018 17:17

I’d go straight to my bank and get cash out.

Security questions. Fine without Id. I have done 2x before

Toooldtocareanymore · 19/12/2018 17:27

my youngest has known three emergency telephone numbers since he was about 8, you don't have to lose a phone to loose the ability to use it- his uncle once dropped one in water when out with him and couldn't ring me as planned for collection after a big rugby match in stadium, he was standing there all helpless and my then 10 yr old walked over to a steward asked him to text his mum to come get him, as his uncle couldn't and a lovely steward called Steve gave me a call, I had to ring my brothers wife for him, he learn her number by heart the next day.

In your scenario i'd find where I was, how did I get home like trains , bus etc and then find someone to help- probably asking them to call someone for me, assuming its not the middle of the night. I assume maybe incorrectly there are people who loose train tickets wallets etc that the transport people are used to dealing with. My local library allows free computer credit for those with no money.

Toooldtocareanymore · 19/12/2018 17:29

I should say Steve offered to call my brothers wife but he didn't know her number- his nephew really showed him up.

Ragwort · 19/12/2018 17:35

The organisation I work for has a branch in most towns so if possible I would go into one and ask for help Grin.

Failing that I would try my bank as I know you can get emergency cash by answering lots of security questions.

I would be happy asking a stranger to make a phone call on my behalf, and I do know various numbers off by heart.

MartaHallard · 19/12/2018 17:40

....in a Yorkshire tourist destination recently when an elderly couple with a New Zealand accent asked me if I could give them directions to the nearest pay phone.

I couldn't as I was a visitor...

In that situation, I'd direct someone to the Tourist Information Centre, which would probably be accustomed to assisting visitors in difficulties, and would know where all the various amenities and facilities were.

Drookit · 19/12/2018 17:40

I have this dream sometimes. In my dream it's usually about 8 in the evening and I've got off the last bus through or something. No shops or libraries open. Everyone at home for the night.
And its usually raining.
Nightmare.

bigbluebus · 19/12/2018 17:48

You'd be lucky to find a Police Station around here - they've closed them all. The Police do have an enquiry counter but they now share premises with other public services eg the cottage hospital or the town council or you go to their HQ which is 3 miles out of the town centre! I suspect if you stopped someone in the street and asked them where the Police station is they would either direct you to the closed building or not know at all - I had to look it up for my 3 local towns!

The only number I know is my home landline - not much use if DH is at work so I'd be stuffed too!

AornisHades · 19/12/2018 18:28

Jessie yes I was surprised too. I had to sign for it and I was asked security questions. It was my branch too which may have helped. I don't live in the town any more so they don't know me and it was a coincidence I was there.

pisspawpatrol · 19/12/2018 18:36

This happened to me in London once, 200 miles from home and I had forgotten my purse and phone. Luckily I didn't need them during the day because my oyster card was fully topped up and I was on business. The only number I could remember was my mum's house phone number, so I reverse charged the call from the train station and asked her to call DH for me and tell him what time I would need to be collected from the station.

BertieBotts · 19/12/2018 18:43

Library would probably let you access internet. Or yes I thought a branch of my own bank.

0800 REVERSE call my mum on the landline.

Go into a branch of a shop I used to work in, ask them to phone my old local store and speak to a colleague?? That's a stretch.

Toomanybaubles · 19/12/2018 18:50

In that situation, I'd direct someone to the Tourist Information Centre, which would probably be accustomed to assisting visitors in difficulties, and would know where all the various amenities and facilities were.

Not open - staffed by volunteers 10am to 1pm.

BlueJava · 19/12/2018 18:53

I actually had my purse and phone stolen at Kings Cross Station and had nothing. I went to a policeman and asked him what to do - he actually lent me £25 of his own money to get home and I paid him back via paypal! I kind of thought there was a "system" for this sort of thing, but he told me there wasn't. He said they just helped people if they thought they could trust them. I often wondered what I would have done if I hadn't made it on to his "probably trustworthy" list!

EthelHornsby · 20/12/2018 00:34

I managed to lock myself out with no phone, key or cash once. I Went to the bank and they let me have money on the basis of being able to log into my account online, so it is possible

tildaMa · 20/12/2018 00:47

Safe way of dealing with a stranger asking to borrow your phone: don't hand them the phone, just make them dictate the number they want to call and then put the call on loudspeaker.

safariboot · 20/12/2018 01:03

If I was sure it was a theft, police to report. Then I know a few people's phone numbers, hopefully I can beg a call from the police station and get someone to Western Union me some money?

I'd probably try a bank if I saw a branch open of mine, but with no ID and not knowing my account number I doubt I'd get anywhere?

More and more stations have barriers now, so free riding a train might not work out.

SilverTray · 20/12/2018 01:42

All the phone numbers I have programmed in to my mobile, I have in my head. I know that's probably unusual but it's likely because i'm advanced in years and knew the numbers well before I had the facility to programme them into my phone. So they are in my head because I've always needed to remember them.

Having said that, my 19 year old daughter was doing a 400 mile drive to see her granny, and the traffic got so bad that she was so far behind schedule that she really had to stop for the night. In one of those motorway Stay-Inns. She just gave them her name and address and they gave her a room no question. She had no bank card, no cash, not nothing. But what she 'did' remember is her parents phone number. They rang us and we covered it immediately.

I suppose I seriously doubt that anybody in that situation wouldn't remember frequent phone numbers. And if they don't, then that's another nail in the coffin of community. If you can only contact your nearest and dearest by punching a pre-progranned button on your cellphone., and you can't remember the actual number, then you've been fucked over by this new ideal that your phones will do every fucking thing for you.

However, I do agree that nasty dreams can totally ruin your day.

FrenchFancie · 20/12/2018 05:08

I had my bag stolen on the bus once in London, stood panicking in a bus stop and a very very kind woman gave me £10 to get home - I asked for her details to pay her back and she wouldn’t give it to me, just asked me to pay it forward. I put £10 in a charity tin and also have done the same for a teenager since, so hope I paid her back, in a way....

sashh · 20/12/2018 06:26

I can't believe folk wouldn't let someone use their mobile phone.

I think it depends on the situation. I was asked by a teenager once, he was standing outside Lidl with a full trolly of groceries (he looked about 14), he had his own phone in his hand which had died and his taxi hadn't turned up.

Not only did I lend him my phone I gave him a lift home, I was actually passing his house so it seemed mean not to.

I figured a teenager doing a family shop could do with a break. He was lovely, polite and offered me the taxi money.

Abra1de · 20/12/2018 10:54

That’s lovely. I would do that too sashh

I just hope his mum wasn’t one of the MNers who would post AIBU to be panicking that a stranger drove my son home posts 🙄