Teaching your mother to use a mobile phone.

I wrote an instruction manual with diagrams. I talked her through it. At the weekend: "How do i tell if it's on or not?"

Just put it down and run away. It can't be done. Seriously.

No, the Mac and the digital camera were plenty for me.

"I don't like this one, I liked the last one I had! It was easy, all I had to do was push a couple buttons."
Mum, you can't use that other plan's phone with this plan. This phone is remarkably similar and very easy to use.
"Well, I want to use my old phone."
Well, you can't.
"Well, I want to." etc.

Ha ha, I do that too.

So glad this'll never happen.

A technician on a service call at a home is arrested after a woman is taped while in the shower.
By Ashley Surdin
Times Staff Writer

April 12, 2007

A woman and her mother sued Best Buy and its "Geek Squad" computer repair team Wednesday, claiming they were legally responsible for dispatching a technician who allegedly videotaped the daughter taking a shower.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Sarah Vasquez, 22, and her mother, Natalie Fornaciari, 46, both from city of Industry, alleges that Geek Squad technician Hao Kuo Chi, 26, placed his cellphone in Vasquez's bathroom during a computer service call March 4 and recorded her showering.

Chi was arrested the same day on suspicion of using a camera to view a person without their consent and of annoying or molesting a child under 18, both misdemeanors, said Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Skudlarski.

The family said that they relied on the national chain to screen and train agents before sending them into people's homes.

They also relied on the Geek Squad's brochure, which promised to provide "agents you can trust."

"Businesses need to do a better job of screening the employees whom they send to their customers' homes," said attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the family.

A Best Buy spokeswoman said she learned of the lawsuit shortly after it was filed Wednesday.

"Best Buy was not informed of this action prior to being contacted by the media today," the company said in a statement. "Obviously, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation into this matter."

According to the suit, Chi came to the family's home last month for a scheduled computer service appointment. After starting to work, he asked to use the bathroom and was shown to one shared by Vasquez and her 13-year-old sister, Kelly Rocha, the lawsuit said.

Vasquez later showered in the same bathroom. When she stepped out of the stall, she noticed a cellphone propped up on her cluttered sink, the suit said. The phone was covered in a leather case; a small camera with a red, blinking light was sticking out, she said.

Suspicious, Vasquez left the bathroom to tell her sister Kelly and when she returned, the phone was gone. Kelly then found the phone in her bedroom. Believing the phone was programmed to record her as well, she removed its memory chip and she and Vasquez took it to a Verizon store to see what was on it.

"You could see him on the video setting it up," Vasquez said. "I was shocked."

The sisters called their stepfather, who reported Chi to police, and he was arrested at their house.

The family is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for alleged fraud, negligent misrepresentation and hiring, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of warrant.

Thanks danbunny, i can't wait to email that article to my mother. She has had the "Geek Patrol" (her words) over twice to get her set up with DSL.
She tends to think anyone in a uniform must be an official - despite me telling her that the Geek (Squad) Patrol is a bunch of hirelings that happpen to wear button down shirts and ties.
She also is classic with the nice digital camera we gave her for Christmas.
It made her cry, because she couldn't understand it.
I offered to return it and just...give her the store credit? But she decided to keep it. And complain about it. it's too complicated!
She rocks the cell phone! Um - well - it saves her money, so she uses it to call long distance. She might be scared of it.

http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Sisyphus-L.jpg

HI I AM SISYPHUS, FEEL FOR YA BRO.

It wd prolly be less exasperating than teaching me.

My mom only knows how to set up personalized ringtones, but boy howdy can she sure do the shit out of that.

I just taught my mom-in-law to do that. After she picked a different ringtone for every single number, she went and changed them all back to "Stars and Stripes Forever" becuase she wasn't picking up the phone on the other tones.

My dad figured out texting before I did.