It goes where...?

[crazylegs]

Many moons ago I used to work at <The Chemists>, one of these large chains that not only has a pharmacy, but beauty halls, baby and child, phtography, fragrance etc etc etc.

At this point in my working life I was working in the photo lab, and getting more miserable at seeing rubbish photos of random blurs and under/over exposed faces.

Finally the company realised that digital was happening and Kodak installed some of those blue and yellow kiosks in the branch, the ones where you plug your memory card into the clearly marked slot, select the number of images you want then print them at an extortionate price.

One day, towards the end of my shift I see someone getting more and more confused, randomly pressing the screen (it was touchscreen). As I toddle over I can see that there are no messages other than the 'insert card' on the screen.

I ask the lady what is wrong and find out that she's put the wrong card into the wrong slot, no biggie it happens, normally you can pull them straight back out again.

If you think this is the case this time I wouldn't be writing this!

I take a look and can't see where the card, and ask here where it is, she responds that she's shoved it all the way in...

Glorious.

Personally the grating sound and the intense difficulty in actually pushing the card all the way in would have served some sort of warning that maybe that the course of action wouldn't have been advised but the hero in our story thought otherwise!

It took me, a screwdriver from opticians and an hour and a half to retrieve her card, but only on the understanding from her that any damage caused would not have been the responsibility of the company, she whined until I told her that if we sent the kit off to Kodak she would never see her card again.

I've never seen such a mangled card in my life, however to my eternal suprise it worked and all images were retrieved.

To this day whenever I see a kiosk that accepts multiple cards I'm reminded of this woman!

[Apathy]

Yeah, I heard stories like that all the time from my photo lab friends. Something about the machine confuses people, and you're right, difficulty be damned, they'll shove that card into anything they think it might fit in. Especially things that do not, in any fashion, look like a slot in which to insert things.

[morgana]

Yeah, I heard stories like that all the time from my photo lab friends. Something about the machine confuses people, and you're right, difficulty be damned, they'll shove that card into anything they think it might fit in. Especially things that do not, in any fashion, look like a slot in which to insert things.

Oh, I went *such* bad places when I read that . . .

[fireheart]

Must. Refrain. From. Going. Into. Gutter.

Dammit, too late!

[PepperElf]

It took me, a screwdriver from opticians and an hour and a half to retrieve her card,

this is why I love using a Gerber! Screwdriver & pliers! (and the one-hand open)


but yeah her card's probably hosed. her own fault...

i just hope she didn't break the machine! and i think if she did... well um... gee i wonder what it would cost her to repair it. yeah i said "her" cos hell if she didn't know what she was doing she should have freakin asked for help before just jamming her card in anywhere. YEESH!

[crazylegs]

this is why I love using a Gerber! Screwdriver & pliers! (and the one-hand open)

I had to use the glasses screwdriver as they are considerably smaller than any other type. I'd have loved to use pliers but it was just too small and cramped in there.

[bainsidhe]

Oh yeah, I wouldn't have left it at telling the woman how sending the machine in would mean no card back. I might've let slip that sending the machine in would also involve a repair and shipping charge for improper handling. Then look at the customer intently.

[wagegoth]

I want to know the brand of that card, since it still worked after such abuse.

[BethB]

We have a trick to getting out the cards on our machines. We use a bit of the tape used to grab film from the canister. Works wonders. But I still hate Hate HATE those stupid machines. People need babysat when they use it and I'm not fond of the quality

[ladyklack]

Reminds me of a time a customer in my store shoved her Li-ion battery into the CF slot and got upset that the machine couldn't read her images.

[crazylegs]

I want to know the brand of that card, since it still worked after such abuse.

Alas, this was 3 1/2 years ago so the brand name has long disappeared from my memory.

I do however recall reading in a computer magazine how they tested memory cards of various types to destruction indeed this webpage shows that you can do a lot of damage and the card will still work...

[PepperElf]

eyeglass screwdriver, yeah that is cramped. i mean i have the needle-nose pliers, not the blunt-nosed ones but... hmmm only other thing i can think of are tweezers. but obviously the screwdriver worked for you

[wagegoth]

Alas, this was 3 1/2 years ago so the brand name has long disappeared from my memory.

I do however recall reading in a computer magazine how they tested memory cards of various types to destruction indeed this webpage shows that you can do a lot of damage and the card will still work...

Thanks for the link. I have kids. My older one had a Firefly phone that went through the wash (my husband did the laundry and never checks pockets). It worked intermittently after that.