SANDY SPRINGS: Cellphone attachment could cause issues if lost

I never thought about how attached I have become to my mobile phone until last week when a story popped up on the Internet about an Arkansas man suing McDonald’s. He had left his phone at the fast-food haven and naughty pictures of his wife that were on the phone surfaced on the Internet.

To digress a moment, I have no salacious material on my phone, but if I did I’d duct tape the thing to my hand. And if I was going to take such pictures, or pose for same, I don’t think a cellphone camera is the best device.

But naked stupidity aside, you should pardon the expression, it did get me thinking about how bad off I would be if I ever lost my phone. That got me thinking about the wisdom of being that attached to any sort of appliance.

Like a lot of people, I pulled the plug on my home phone because people knew they could reach me faster on the mobile line. So if I’m separated from my cell, I’m unreachable. I know there is a way I can check my messages from another phone, but I don’t know how.

Likewise, I would lose my phonebook, which has taken me years to collect. Not that one would find Angelina Jolie or Usher in my book, but I’m awfully attached to some of those numbers. Like the 24-hour pharmacy two minutes from the house on Roswell Road —- a number that has come in handy several times.

Not to mention the phone numbers of friends, like me, who only use a mobile phone and as such are not listed in any directories.

And I also need my phone to text our college kids who don’t always check their e-mail or voicemail.

For better or worse, if I lose my phone I’m not going to be a happy camper.

Back to the guy who is suing McDonald’s because the nude pics of his spouse ended up on the Web. If I ever do lose my phone and you find it, you will see the following things in my photograph file —- a tiger, our dog Cody and a clipper ship I saw in San Francisco.

Feel free to post them on the Internet. I won’t have my phone, so how would I call my lawyer?

Jim Osterman writes Around Sandy Springs, a blog at ajc.com/metro/northfulton.