Helsinki residents flushing a lot of cellphones

Residents of Helsinki, a Finnish city of less than a million centrally, apparently have a little problem with flushing things down the toilet. Namely, their cellphones. In fact, Helsinki Water has made note that this is an increasing problem that their sewage collection facilities are facing — but think about it, what is one to do when your handset goes kerplop after you've done your duty? Considering how cheap they are these days, probably just flush the damn thing and go buy another, that's what. Any American waste disposal experts in the house who want to weigh in on this one?

[Keith @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Poor little kitty. Little does it know that it's owners are letting micro-radiation from a cell phone go into it's tiny brain, when all it wants is a little fresh spring water. :)

[Einhanderkiller @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Whua....

Flush your cellphone?

[tuan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

several years ago we would have never had the option of flushing our cellies. technology has made them smaller, therefore flushable. pretty soon people will be losing them in drains much like the beloved wedding ring. love the google ads for this entry.

[almostinfamous @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

hey, its better than finding cocaine in the thames and rhine.

[Tobias @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Ads? what ads?



(css++;)

[crysalis @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

i was sitting on the crapper one day, with my nokia 6220 in my hoodie pocket. im reading TIME, and suddenly... PLOOP. what? i didn't feel that one at all... OH SH)T my phone! i quickly snatched it out, took off the cover and battery, aired it out by blowing through the phone where the motherboard was exposed, and waited. now it works as if it never dropped. i would have never thought to just flush it.. how could i?

of course, i have no moved on to a ericsson w800... and if that fell in, i'd probably flush myself down the toilet along with it

[tulio @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I would let it flush down the loo. Most phone are ruined after the dive anyway.

When are they going to come oout with waterproof cell phones?

I bet more people would be willing to go toilet diving if they knew their phones were not damaged and could be cleaned.

Anyone know about waterproof cell phones???

[Michael @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Maybe they should outlaw the use of mobiles while in the loo. Or require that you attach a wrist strap to your phone.

[Diahann @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

This is very humorous . . . 'til it's your cell that gets flushed! A couple of years ago, after I was finished taking care of business, I stood up and turned around to push the handle and flushed more than I expected when my phone fell out of my pocket. You can't believe how fast that cute little thing was gone. I've been the "butt" of many family jokes ever since.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

It's happened to the best of us.

Finished up...leaned over to flush, phone fell out of the hooded sweatshirt pocket and I should have flushed. Instead I hoped it would be fine, grabbed a plastic bag and fished it out, rinsed it and hoped to dry it out....no such luck...like the previous commentor "Diahann",

"I've been the 'butt' of many family jokes ever since."

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

"...Considering how cheap they are these days"

you've got to be kidding. replacing a cellphone is NOT cheap. Maybe if you were lucky and your contract was up for renewal at the time but otherwise you'd be screwed.

[rizali @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

very funny, strength..be careful

[Johnt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Well, this happened to me. It was a nokia 6230. I had just gotten home from downtown and was a little drunk and was leaning over the toilet taking a leak and talking on the phone. Tried to flush and blooop. There went my phone and it to my disbelife it went down the pipe.

[Tom Robinson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Maybe they should outlaw people calling toilets silly names like "the loo"

[foobles @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Maybe some people should realize there are other English dialects on this planet.

[Vince @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

#6...your wish for a waterproof cellphone (actually water resistant, but who's counting) has already been granted:

http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/lineup/gzone/index.html

[linco @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

i bet they're all just talking on their phones while they are on the john. Carless... :D

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I live by one simple rule: anything that lands in the toilet gets flushed. Some of you people actually put your hands in poo to get your phone back? Are you insane? A phone can be replaced, but poop on your hands is forever.

[LiveSquid @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Dont most European phones use sim cards now? So the sewerage workers can get to the contents of the flushed phone... Silly Fins.

[oldkenobi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I actually flushed my old V60 down the toilet. As I reached for the flush handle it fell out of my pocket. I didn�t even have a chance to think about grabbing it, it was gone instantly.

[TB @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Hyv?uomi!

[Mr. E @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Palm should use this in their marketing campaigns. I mean no way is a Treo gonna fit down my toilet. -e.

[chris this @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I once walked in on a roommate as he fished his hand into a soiled bowl in an attempt to retrieve his prized celly. It smelled like the ocean. His name is rick. He lives in hong kong. And he touches the taxi's door handles. BEWARE!

[pipit @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Hem, they should collect it and export it to my country. In here, Ericsson r520m is still used.
And many people buy re-furbish handphone.

[Justin T @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

If it really is a large number, I would guess it has to do with some of the new environmental laws going into effect with regards to electronics devices. E-waste laws in some places require disposers to pay fees to cover the cost of recycling the used/defective devices - this could just be a way of dodging that charge.

[Farter @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

yay i live in helsinki :D

[kneedropper @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Being a Finn myself, I can well imagine the situation when a drunken male bends over to throw up in the can and the phone slips from his chest pocket in it, too. Even if he would notice this happening, it's unlikely he'd put his hand through the "debris" to try get it back. He can't even see it, can he... And Tim, phones aren't included in contracts in Finland, they're all sold separately, starting at around $80. Just ordered myself a W550i (W600 in the US) for around 300 (excl. tax). Cheap? Depends on your income, doesn't it.

[hastings @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Haha, reminds me of the time I dropped my brand new Palm Tungsten T5 in the toilet.

**NOTICE EVERY COMMENT IN THIS THREAD REGARDING DROPPING ELECTRONICS IN THE TOILET INVOLVE PEOPLE WEARING HOODED SWEATERSHIRTS**

It happened to me the same way. I was wearing the obligatory University sweater and had my T5 in the front pocket, stand up to flush, WHOOPS! Hand in, hand out so fast I don't even know if I got anything on my hands. Result? Dead battery. Would only run on a direct charge.

Lesson learned? Hooded sweatshirts have lousy front pockets.

[weaszel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Tom Robbins, I second that motion.

[Tommymang @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

"Considering how cheap they are these days..." ??!!!

I'll give you my address so you can send me a few... ;-)

[Tommymang @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

"Considering how cheap they are these days..." ??!!!

I'll give you my address so you can send me a few... ;-)

[Finn @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

This article isn't exactly true. The original article about garbage in Finnish sewage systems said that only a few cellphones have been seen in the sewage-system.

I wonder where did you get your information from?

[krang @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I work for a local authority in the UK, and among the things we manage are car parks. We got a letter recently from an angry woman who had dropped her cellphone down a grate whilst getting out of her car. She was complaining that the grate was "too wide" and her cellphone dropped straight through into the sewer below, and she wanted compensation towards the cost of a new cellphone...

[passerby @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Toxic meterials in electronics causes sewere dwelings insects and animals to mutate to giant sized human flesh craving red bug eyed predators. Action hero needed urgently!! (Babes will be provided for your bialogical needs)

[supersewercellphoneman @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Supersewercellphoneman here, I'd be glad to battle giant sized human flesh craving red bug eyed predators, can't be worse than fighting Baltimore traffic whilst badmouthing bush on my toilet-stained nokia 3588i. And here I thought my phone was crappy!

[tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I dropped my Treo 650 into my cats' water dish (honest!) once. I removed the battery, let it dry overnight, and it works perfectly. Don't think I would try that if I dropped it down the toilet though.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Maybe cheap isn't the word for cellphones just yet. But in Finland where I have cousins, when I visited and needed to receive a call from North America they just handed me ONE of their extra phones. They had a collection.

Everyone in the family, grandmothers down to teens have cellphones and regularily replace them. So an extended family of 10 people could have 20 to 30 phones just lying around.

All Nokia ones of course too.

[Paulo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

This will work up the cat lovers I'm sure (I am a cat lover so it's just a joke folks); but how'bout training the cat to retrieve the phone, plus you have somthing soft and furry to wipe the phone off with. hehehe.

P.s. my cats forever falling in the bog, so his nickname is now "bog-brush".

[Robotjustin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

I flushed my cellphone once, but only because I had eaten it first.

[Gavin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Hey Paulo... maybe the next time your cat falls in, you can flush him down to teach him a lesson!

[greg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

just make cell phones a little cheaper and more biodegradable. hell while you're at it mold them from a baby ruth bar, paint them brown and stick some corn in them so that they blend in better.

[greg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

just make cell phones a little cheaper and more biodegradable. hell while you're at it mold them from a baby ruth bar, paint them brown and stick some corn in them so that they blend in better.

[genius @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

1. I wouldn't say a hoodie has pockets, more like Kangaroo's pouches
2. why aren't cell fones water-resistant like most timex watches, maybe it encourages new purchases?
3. this thread reminds of when i worked for a law firm which demanded lots of billable hours from its attorneys. I remember standing at the urinal in the bathroom, and listening to associates dictating into their pocket recorders while they sat on the toilets "letter to Mr. Smith, receipt and reply 15 mins; 'dear Mr. Smith, thank you for your inquiry of ..." I would wonder how those machines never ended up in the bowl.

[Yenuh @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM]

Heh. I'm sure the Japanese don't have as big of a problem as the rest of us do, considering that big chunky cellphones are fashionably "in". But, I don't think anybody that keeps thier home squeeky clean and takes off thier shoes before walking around in thier homes would go fishing in the crapper for cellphones (then again, it's surprising who would actually go cellphone-poo diving). Kinda makes me wonder if the plumbing systems are quite attended or the restrooms have one hell of a flush.

"WOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!"