Have we lost the ability to communicate - from our roving reporter

Ian Wooler sends this story in by Blackberry!

"I was on a train and the lady next to me was busy tapping into her Blackberry.  At the next station, this lady realised a friend of hers had joined the train and was now sitting opposite. 

• Fellow traveller, very loudly - 'where have you been?'
• Her friend - 'at work'
• Fellow traveller [louder] - 'no, where have you been for the last two weeks?'
• Her friend - 'at home and work - just the normal stuff'
• Fellow traveller - 'so why did you not respond to my text message?'
• Her friend - 'But I did'
• Fellow traveller [almost screaming] - 'but I did not receive it!'

There followed a bizarre game of 'technology investigation and blaming'.  Respective outboxes, addresses, archives and numbers were checked and service providers and hand-held devices were blamed.  After 20 minutes the friend was victorious, able to prove time, date and content of the message she had sent.  Fellow traveller acknowledged she may have deleted the reply in error. 

At last, Fellow Traveller and her friend dispensed with their hand-held devices and began a conversation.  'How are you?' 'Fine, but I have to get off here so can't talk now.  We must keep in touch - I'll text you'.

And with that, she got off the train and Fellow Traveller returned to her Blackberry."