Why I Reward Phone Losers

Kalypso lost her phone at Voodoo Fest. So this afternoon I went to the AT&T store on St. Charles Ave. There, after two hours, I left with a new phone for Kalypso, one that cost $109 (allegedly $59 after rebate) and has many fancy features including internet access, and now we have a new data plan that will cost an extra $10 per month. I didn't plan on this, essentially rewarding her for losing her phone. Instead I thought I would tell them she lost it and then because we've been paying for phone insurance, we'd get the phone replaced for a minor cost. Instead, there was such a large deductible and other fees, the cheapest option was for me to upgrade her phone and include the data plan. I was not shocked to learn new levels about how these phone companies and their plans are a modern day version of indentured servitude. If I quit using all of my AT&T phones I would still be paying bills for two years. If that is not incentive to live I don't know what is.

And by the way, while I waited to sort all of this out, there is a hotel across the street from the AT&T on St Charles, and on a 2nd floor balcony, a hotel guest with an inordinate amount of hair covering all of his body except his head, well, he was doing to a girl on the balcony what AT&T was doing to me. I'll bet he was a Steeler's fan.