Dell have released a new high tech pedestrian safety device. They are calling it the “Dell Inspiron 6000”. It features a hard outer casing and a protective LCD screen to take the brunt of any impacts pedestrians may face due to vehicular collisions.
I tested out this new device this morning. I placed it in my backpack and headed off to work, then whilst crossing the road a crazy women crashed into me from behind, sending me tumbling across her bonnet. I landed splat on my back on the road. My trusty Dell took the brunt of the impact and I was able to stand up unscathed 🙂 The only injury I have is a sprained ankle which wasn’t protected by my computer. And guess what! The computer is still working and I’m posting this message on it right now 🙂
Apparently the little green man was indeed flashing when I crossed and the lady who hit me is in a whole lot of trouble. She will probably be charged with careless driving or careless driving causing injury. My computer will live for another day – and thankfully so will I!
EDIT: Thanks to my cousin Alison Petrie for the following photos (she saw it happen).
There were two ambulances, a fire truck and two police cars. Kinda overkill for an itty bitty test of a new safety device, but anyhows …
The woman on the right is the one who drove into me.
EDIT: It also turned out that I was badly bruised behind my knee. The woman who hit me lost her drivers license for six months and was fined for $250 for her failed efforts to remove me from the gene pool.
EDIT 2: It happened again! Lightning strikes twice.
Your ability to get injured performing relatively harmless activities is a wonder to us all Ryan.
I think I’ve done something to anger the gods.
The annoying thing is, this wasn’t even my fault this time. At least each time it’s happened in the past I can just promise to myself to be more careful in future. But I’m not sure there’s much I could do to prevent this one. Wrong place, wrong time and an idiot behind the wheel.
Oh and Kyle, this doesn’t really count as an injury, I should be fine in a day or so.
Ryan:
I’m glad to hear that you weren’t seriously injured in this accident.
However it does sound like your trusty Dell computer “Had your Back” so to speak. =)
I’ll have to update marketing and let them know there is another practical use for the system “Pedestrian Safety Device”, we may have to highlight this feature with our new lineups. 😉
That said, I would love to touch base with you and make sure that the system is indeed still functioning correctly. Not to mention after saving your live, we might also need to replace any parts that may have been scratched up or dented.
Regardless of the service contract, it’s the least we can do for such a faithful companion.
Send me an email and we can discuss further. =)
Chris Byrd
Dell Digital Life Liaison
I’m sorry to hear of your unfortunate accident and thankful that you are ok. Thank you for the great story. While we don’t recommend that our customer use their Inspiron laptops as body armor :), I’m glad your situation turned out well.
twitter: Bruceericatdell
Thank Bruce.
What about the XPS models? Are they suitable for body armour?
Or perhaps I should go get a MacBook? Everyone says that those things “just work!”, which when it comes to body armour is a rather important feature for me.
Incidentally, Saitek mice do not survive car crashes at all. My trusty old mouse is a tad worse for wear after the incident.
That is so terrible! Although, in most countries if you flew across a woman’s bonnet it would mean something else entirely…
So interesting that a Dell rep posted here! I’m definitely using that as an example of a company engaging with bloggers in my upcoming course. Good for them!
Feel better, and may you never fly across anyone’s bonnet again.
Yeah, I was surprised to see them posting here. I was intending to send the link to them eventually but it seems I didn’t need to!
I did some googling and Dell is apparently embracing social media to improve their public relations. It seems to be working well as lots of people have been commenting on how nice it is that they got in touch so quick since I posted a link to this post on Twitter/FaceBook.
Erm, what exactly does ‘flying across a woman’s bonnet’ mean in other countries?
Howdy, Ryan. Glad you’re OK & that the body armor is still doing it’s part for you in helping you write blogs. I partook of a bonnet-denting incident of my own several years ago on my bicycle. No injury to me, but had to buy a new bike wheel.
Allow me to translate as I have a Mini Cooper S now and am familiar with the British usage of the word bonnet. In the states a bonnet is a type of hat or cap that is pretty dated. Don’t see anyone wearing these anymore:
http://www.simplicity.com/jump/homePageEraBonnet/bonnet.jpg
Take care!
@ggroovin
Thanks ggroovin,
Yeah, I know what a bonnet the hat is. I kept thinking of the American word trunk, but that of course means boot. But now that I rethink it, the American word for a car bonnet is a hood.
I wonder where the names came from? A boot is nothing like the thing you put on a foot, but it isn’t much like a tree either. And a bonnet is nothing like a hat or a thing you put on your head …
… perhaps American AND British English are totally munted. I’ll stick with good old kiwi English for the time being. I’ll go hang out at our family crib out in the wop wops whilst drinking fizzie, eating pottles of spud salad and pondering the peculiarities of the English language(s).
Again thanks to the ingenuity of the good folks at Dell an innocent pedestrian walks away with only minor scratches. As far as the XPS models goes, the only way to truly know is to test it out. Beware, the sarcasm of this message may destroy your dell laptop.
Wooow… is so amazing, but it can not be separated from God’s help too 🙂
If the gods were being helpful, they’d have stopped the damned car! So I’m sticking with my assumption that my Dell laptop saved my bacon 🙂
woow … this is really amazing 😀 , new advanced high technology.