Forget GPS - my phone has ESP

I use Verizon as my cell phone carrier.  Overall, I've had great experiences with them.  They have a plan (like other companies) that allows you to replace your cell phone every couple of years at a discount.  I think I bought my current phone two years ago in October, so yesterday - September 30 - what does my phone do?  The screen goes dark and refuses to reappear no matter how much I beg, cajole, threaten, or even offer chocolates.

I was in a neighboring town when this happened, but they also have a Verizon store.  It should be easy enough to walk in there, buy a replacement phone, and go on my merry way for the rest of the evening, right?   So I walk in - sign in (and I still don't understand why that's necessary) - and wait for a sales associate to become available. 

After about ten minutes, a gentleman calls my name.  Yes, that's me.  I smile and show him my phone, explaining that it died - sniff, show some sympathy here - and that I need a new one right away.  He asks if I already know what I want, and I say no - I had not planned to go phone shopping just then.    I tell him that I know I'm looking for something with a QWERTY keyboard.  I was expecting to be pulled over to look at a Blackberry, but no - he takes me to look at some tiny phone whose keyboard isn't anything like what I just described.  So I point that out to him and ask about the display, and he tells me that the only thing he can recommend is an LG phone.  He's had one for years, and they've never failed him.

That's great, but I've never had a positive experience with an LG phone.  So I ask what else is available, and mention several that I looked at while I was browsing.  I ask what's the difference between model A and model B.  He goes - they're all the same, and did I want to browse some more?  Then he heads over to the other side of the store and talks on the phone for twenty minutes.

I know, you're asking why I waited around that long.  Well - part of me just wanted to see what in the world the guy was doing, right?  And the other part of me was still playing with the phones, trying to figure out which model I really did want when I went to a different Verizon store.  

Anyway, long story short - I didn't buy a new phone tonight.  I'm leaning toward a Blackberry for the moment, but we'll see.   I'll get one this weekend.  My old phone - may it rest in peace - knew that it's time was almost up anyway...if only it could have known that closer to a store with someone who wanted to make a sale.