I read a study recently that said 98% of college students have a cell phone. Of that 98% the majority of students either had an iPhone, Blackberry or other windows mobile device. This is just another example of how America is placing its trust in mobile technology. And why not? You can plan your day, search for information, watch TV, communicate in a variety of ways with other people; it is easy to rely on your iPhone, Blackberry or smart phone to help you navigate through the busyness of life. Last week, however, I had an experience that caused me to stop and question the degree that I am willing to trust my beloved iPhone.
I woke up last Friday morning with the idea that it would be fun to go fishing. I called a couple of buddies of mine and we decided that we would do a little night fishing since the temperatures during the day were hovering around 90 degrees. I could not wait for the work day to end so we could pick up my boat and get out on a lake.
As we were driving over to Geist, we all commented on how sunny it was. I proudly proclaimed to my friends that the weather app on my iPhone said that there was only a remote possibility of rain. There was no doubt in our minds that we would get a lot of quality fishing in before midnight.
Once at the reservoir we drove to the boat ramp and put the boat in the water. We left the motors on shore opting instead to paddle around the lake. Soon we were out in the middle of Geist catching a lot of seaweed instead of fish. It was very enjoyable just hanging out drinking a few beers and hoping that the fish would soon start biting.
About 45 minutes into our fishing expedition one of my friends made the comment that it looked like it was going to rain.
“Probably storm,” my other buddy chimed in.
“That’s ridiculous! The sun is still out,” I replied. “Besides, the iPhone doesn’t lie!”
“Dude I’m telling you—”
“Whatever,” I interrupted.
We continued bantering back and forth about the weather. I could still feel the sunshine on my face while they claimed a huge storm would be blowing in.
Finally, I asked my friend what his Blackberry said about the weather. He looked up the weather and told us that we were under a severe thunder storm watch. I laughed and told him once again that he was wrong. Suddenly the sun disappeared behind a huge cloud, the temperature dropped and I heard the unmistakable rumble of thunder.
As my companions began gloating we heard the unmistakable sound of the emergency siren. A severe thunder storm was bearing down on Geist Reservoir! We debated whether we could make it back to shore before the wind and rain caught up with us. This isn’t good, I thought to myself as we started feverishly paddling toward the boat ramp.
We paused briefly under a bridge where my friend began wondering out loud if we should stay under the shelter of the bridge instead of making a final push to shore. As the boat began pitching wildly with the ever increasing size of the waves I told my friend that while riding out the storm on the lake would be interesting and entertaining, it seemed like the smart thing to do was to dock the boat and take cover in the truck.
The storm began growing in intensity as we resumed paddling into a persistent and stiff wind. The sky began spitting rain and it seemed like the thunder was mocking us angrily proclaiming that the storm would overtake us before we would be able to dock the boat.
After what seemed like an eternity we finally reached the dock. We quickly tied the boat off, grabbed our beer and sprinted for the truck. Small-sized hail began pelting us as we ran. Wet and out of breath we finally reached the truck which seemed to be our best option for shelter to ride out the storm.
An hour later the storm subsided and we went back to the lake to retrieve the boat and our fishing gear. Hungry and looking quite disheveled, we made our way to a nearby restaurant for food and the chance to dry off.
As I sat there eating an order of wings it occurred to me that it is better to put your trust in people as opposed to technology. I then started wondering since my friend’s Blackberry seemed to do a better job of predicting the weather; maybe it is time for me to trade in my iPhone?
