'So there I was, locked in the ladies loo... texting my wife for help'

And other 'thank God I had my mobile' moments...

Last week we asked you to tell us about sticky situations in which you've found yourself where a mobile phone became invaluable. We've not been disappointed by the response. Here is just a pick of the bunch: "It was almost comical the two of us running in circles, him with a machete, me with a phone..."
From Kieran Walsh Back in 1997 in Melbourne, Australia walking home from a night out my girlfriend and I were approached by a thug with a two foot long machete wanting our wallets. I backed away from him, blocked his path to my girlfriend and sent her running, whilst I called the police on my mobile. He chased me around the street with the machete while I told the police where I was and what was going on. It was almost comical the two of us running in circles, him with a machete, me with a phone. He then started chasing after my girlfriend down the street, and it was then a case of me chasing him. In the space of a few minutes from when he approached us, and my contacting the police on my mobile, we had a police helicopter overhead, and several police cars en route. Having this support, a bystander and myself then turned the tables on him, chasing him down a road, with a helicopter supporting us. We lost him, but the police caught him later. My mobile phone quite literally saved our lives! "I did wonder about the lack of urinals when I went in..."
From David White I accidentally went into a cubicle in the women's toilet of a busy cinema and had to text my girlfriend to come and tell me when the coast was clear so I could sneak out? I did wonder about the lack of urinals when I went in... "I was a bit chuffed I had my phone with me that day, I can tell you!"
From Alex Rawson In your story you mention knowing the answer to a question on a radio phone in. This is exactly what happened to me, I was driving to work one morning when the presenter posed a question about Formula 1. Luckily I had my phone with me and decided to have a go at getting through. Surprise, surprise I was on the air within 5 minutes and after 20 minutes sitting at the side of the road (honest) I had won an all expenses paid trip for two to see the Monza Grand Prix and a day driving Ferraris round the Ferrari test track at Maranelo (total prize value £5000) I was a bit chuffed I had my phone with me that day, I can tell you! "Who ya gonna call? The helpdesk..."
From Peter Young I was working on our North American Helpdesk and one of my co-workers was enjoying a day off. He had rented a motorboat from a local marina for a day on the water....a few miles later the craft broke down and he found himself drifting in the shipping channel of the St Laurence river near Montreal Quebec, a rather busy place to be in a boat with no oars and a non-functioning motor. Who ya gonna call? The helpdesk of course. The mobile was low on battery but he was able to give me enough details that I was able to contact a local marina and have them send out their "crash boat" to his rescue. "I was saved hours of discomfort"
From Chris Hession I think I was saved hours of discomfort when halfway across Dartmoor my car broke down, and having my mobile meant I could contact the AA immediately. Within an hour the problem was fixed. It's ironic really that just a mile from where I live (in heavily populated Surrey) I wouldn't be able to make the same call, as there's no signal... "My immediate surroundings made me feel it might be wiser to lock myself in my car..."
From Cora Hackwith I had a flat tyre one late and murky winter afternoon in a nearly deserted road in the middle of an industrial estate in Bristol. I might have attempted to change the wheel myself but my immediate surroundings made me feel it might be wiser to lock myself in my (hired) car and phone the AA. We want to hear more of your tales of life saving mobile phones. Email editorial@silicon.com. We will publish the best.