Geeks: Not Always As Smart As They Think They Are

Recently, my son's phone screen cracked.  Not a crack that you could feel on the outside; it was the LCD screen inside, rendering the phone impossible to use.  I was sort of irritated with him, as the phone was only four months old.  He claimed that he didn't know how it happened, the phone was in his pocket and when he took it out, it was cracked.

After searching online about how to fix the problem, I found dozens of others who claimed this same phone cracked, out of the blue.  I also found ways to fix the phone, thanks to youtube videos.  And I could get a new screen and the tiny tools to fix it for about $18 on amazon.  Unfortunately, plenty of people also said it took them two hours to complete the job.  I do not have the patience for that sort of intricate task, so I decided to take the phone somewhere to be fixed.

The local Sprint store said since they had the screen in stock for this particular phone, it would only be $35 to repair (which tells me they know the phone they carry sucks).  However, considering the cost of a new phone, that was a deal.  We have never actually purchased any of our cell phones because with our family plan, everyone is entitled to a free phone every two years.  I was sort of shocked by the prices!  The dude behind the repair counter told me he'd have it done in about 40 minutes, so I left to run a few errands.

In an hour, I had returned and there was a new guy at the repair counter.  He told me he still wasn't finished with the phone, and could I give him another 45 minutes?  When I once again returned, the phone was as good as new.  Then he tried to sell me on a warranty plan.  For $8 a month, the phone (not all five of of our phones, just my son's phone) would be covered for damages (not theft or loss and not certain pieces/parts).  I felt like telling the guy that if I'd had the plan on the phone from the beginning, I would have already paid $32 for the $35 repair.  But I just said, "No thanks."

Here's where the story gets amusing.  I went to the front counter to check out and this extreme geek begins showing me accessories for the phone.  I don't have a touch screen phone, so I didn't know you could buy magnetic screen protectors.  It seemed like a good idea to prevent further mishaps for a boy who keeps his phone in his pocket instead of a purse.  And Mr. Salesman portrayed himself as the knowledgeable foil to my apparent clueless mom persona.  For $12, I could get a twin pack of protectors, and he'd put one of them on for me right there!  I recognized it was a rip off, but I just wanted the phone to be fixed and not break again, so I agreed to buy them.  He bragged that he does this all the time for customers and that he was a bit of a neat freak.  I watched as he meticulously cleaned the phone's screen, then peeled the two part backing off of the protector, applied it to the phone, and used some plastic tool to smooth it down.

I arrived home and handed the phone to my son, with the usual mom instructions about being more careful with the phone, not putting anything else in his pocket with the phone, etc., etc.  I then told him that I had a screen protector put on the phone and that I had an extra one, if that one got dirty or whatever.  He immediately said, "It's sticky!"  I said it just feels different than the regular screen, and he'd get used to it.

He comes home from school the following day, all irritated.  "I'm taking this screen thing off.  I can't stand it.  Everything is sticking to it."  I took a look, and sure enough, the screen was covered in fuzz.  WTF?  It didn't take a genius to realize that the screen protector had been put on backwards..........and I'm obviously not a genius when it comes to technology and gadgets, but then again, I don't work in a cell phone store, nor do I claim to know what I'm doing when inside one!  Sheesh!