Mobile Darwin Awards: We celebrate the oddest ways to break a phone

By Flora Graham on 5 November 2010, 12:07pm

Read more: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/mobile-darwin-awards-we-celebrate-the-oddest-ways-to-break-a-phone-50001369/#ixzz14XogStxO

We can break a phone just by leaving it on a desk or lending it to Rory Reid, but some idiots have found more creative ways to destroy their expensive handsets. We hate to see a good phone suffer -- although we once shot a Vodafone 540 just to watch it bleed -- so we've created the Mobile Darwin Awards to shame the evildoers.
If you've ever dropped a phone in the toilet -- we're talking to you, poo girl -- and consider that something of a tale, read on to find out how to truly destroy your pocket rocket, and possibly yourself in the process. If you have a story that can beat our contenders, let us know in the comments section below -- you could win next year's coveted Mobile Darwin Award. It's a trophy made out chunks of genuine, smashed iPhone screen, sculpted in the shape of a loo seat.
Allow us to present the five nominees.

French bullet-train toilet trap....

In October 2008, a man on a high-speed French TGV train bravely tried to retrieve his mobile phone after it had fallen into the loo. Not only did the phone not survive its poopy ordeal, but the man's arm got sucked into the TGV's toilet.
Apparently, the train's loo has a suction system just as powerful as its 575kmph engines. We don't want to think about what that could do to your bare bottom, but at least we now know what it does to an arm. It grabs it like Mr Shake Hands Man would, after having consumed ten cans of Red Bull.
The man had to be cut free from the vice-like grip of the plumbing after delaying the train for two hours. He was carted out with the toilet still attached to his arm.

Bugatti Veyron supercar swamp

In 2009, a Texan man driving a £1m Bugatti Veyron supercar broke his phone -- and his car -- after becoming distracted by a low-flying pelican.
Having dropped his phone in surprise at the bird's antics, he unwisely placed the welfare of his handset above that of his Bugatti, or indeed his own life. Diving to the floor to rescue the phone, he caused the car to swerve into a marsh. The car filled with salt water, undoubtedly wrecking the phone. He was fine.
Remember kids: Bugattis can be replaced, but phones are for life. Play safe -- avoid pelicans. Hold on, we're confused.

Nokia doggy bag ....

Read more: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/mobile-darwin-awards-we-celebrate-the-oddest-ways-to-break-a-phone-50001369/#ixzz14XogStxO