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Things can get crazy at Coachella: Not only do dead rap superstars get resurrected as holograms for a performance, but a helluva lot of people lose their cellphones. "A new study from mobile security company Lookout said there was a 37% spike in the number of people who were searching for a lost phone on the festival grounds and in nearby neighborhoods," reports the LA Times, adding what we would say, too: "What a surprise."
How they figured this out is probably more math than the average Coachella attendee wants to decipher:
A spokeswoman for Lookout said the increase was calculated based on phone locates from Lookout's users in the area surrounding the Coachella venue during last weekend's festival. The company mapped its anonymized data with Foursquare's API and compared the findings with the number of locates happening in the area when Coachella isn't in town.
Chances are if you lost your phone it's because you were jostled or absentminded (hmmm, we wonder why?) while hanging out in the hot hot heat with a few thousand of your closest strangers checking out a pretty broad array of bands. The odds are mighty you and your phone will unwillingly part ways.
Just look at the Tweets:
sorry guys!!! lost my phone at coachella and deactivated my account so no one got one it
— Bass Bitch (@wompwomp420) April 18, 2012
lost my Iphone at Coachella :( no phone for a while #saddesttweet
— AR (@rich_smooth) April 18, 2012
Lost my phone at #coachella :( but it was still worth it!!! Best time everrrrrr
— Bianca Nash (@biancainash) April 18, 2012
Lost my cellphone. Taking this hippie thing to new heights. #coachella...psh
— Gabrielle Pedriani (@looksharpWI) April 17, 2012
Just got my replacement phone. It was kinda nice that I didn't have one for a few days. But still bummed I lost it at Coachella
— jenn m. (@jenni_pear) April 18, 2012
Thank you, @Coachella gods, for an epic weekend. Not only did you return my lost phone, you brought 2Pac back to life (holographically). <3
— Tova (@OhTova) April 17, 2012
It's day one of Coachella weekend two, and since we know you want your phone handy to check in to Foursquare that you're at the portapotties, text your friends to say you'll meet them back at the hotel since you've just met a cute guy/girl, take photos of your favorite band (that turn out to be much smaller and blurrier when you check the morning after), and Tweet about how long the food lines are, there are a few ways to make sure you don't lose your phone. Stay sober, wear something with deep pockets, or perhaps pick up a snazzy neck strap.
...Or just have fun and, well, if you lose it, you lose it. Stuff happens.