Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!utah-gr!uplherc!sp7040!sbc
From: sbc@sp7040.UUCP (Stephen Carroll)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: computer follies
Summary: i have a similar story
Message-ID: <501@sp7040.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 88 17:54:29 GMT
References: <1109@idec.stc.co.uk>
Organization: Unisys, Salt Lake City, UT
Lines: 64

In article <1109@idec.stc.co.uk>, rob@idec.stc.co.uk (P.Robinson) writes:
> > (various disc-disaster stories)
> > ...
> 
> That reminds me of the time , a few years ago when I left home with my 5" 
> master floppy in my pocket.  Suddenly a gust of wind blew it into the road
> where it was run over by a passing millitary parade and it ended up in a 
> patch of quick-drying cement.
> 
> [ Lot's of incredible stuff deleted... ]
>
> Imagine my surprise when it worked!  all my files were readable, except for 
> the  ones stored in the bits I cut off to make it fit the drive.
> 
> This really happened.  I concluded that it only went to show.
> 
> Has this happened to anyone else?

Well, not exactly with disk drives, but

I was once travelling to middle Florida to demonstrate a new portable
computer system to a large company there.  As our plane was descending for
landing at the local airport, the door blew off the luggage compartment at
the bottom of the plane, and several pieces of luggage fell out, my computer
system included.  Well, imagine my chagrin, when upon landing, we are informed
of the unfortunate incident.

Because billions of dollars depended on my presentation, now just 45 minutes
away, I quickly set about retrieving the remains of my system.  I quickly
gained hope of finding it in one piece when I found out that the land 
surrounding the airport was all swamp land, with lots of marshy bogs to
cushion the landing of my equipment.  Well, needless to say, I quickly
chartered an airboat and set out in the general direction of the planes
heading into the airport.

Fortunately, my company had built some good equipment, not the least of
which included a little miniature black box on the motherboard which
emitted a strong homing signal when dropped from heights.  After only
15 minutes, we located the machine, only to find an alligator using it
for a teething ring.  Well my guide was well experienced with this sort of
thing and quickly seduced the alligator into dropping the computer for
something better.  He was a Scottsman who had raised sheep in a previous
lifetime.  (That's another story though.)

Well, to make a short story longer, I rushed to my appointment.  I plopped
my mud stained, water logged machine on the desk set up for me and quickly
plugged it in.  I was hoping that the internal fan would quickly dry out
the master cpu in the 22 seconds before my demonstration was to start.
Well, after a few sparks and a couple whisps of smoke, the machine actually
powered up.  Can you believe it?!?!  Then reaching into my back pocket
for the boot floppy, I almost lost my shorts!  That darn alligator had
lifted it while I had my back turned!!!  Well, now used to thinking on my
feet, I borrowed a floppy from someone there, and using my handy-dandy
spy decoder ring and pocket power magnet, quickly magnetized the floppy
to contain the proper boot sequence for my machine.  I then demonstrated
the internetworking and interoffice capabilities of my machine, and you 
know what, these guys actually applauded.  It was great!  Not only did
they buy billions of dollars worth of equipment from me, but they didn't
even bill me for bumping the company presidents Ferrari with my double
parked airboat!!  

Has this ever happened to anyone else?  Please email, as I try not to
use my computer unless absolutely necessary.  I'll post any responses
if there is enough interest.....