Last Sunday I gave my self a near heart attack in my tender late twenties. I was fiddling around with my Nokia E75, going through the numerous (and sometimes pointless) applications to discover what my phone was capable of. I soon found that women are right in saying that men are stubborn so much so that they refuse to stop and ask for directions when they are lost. I’m no exception – I refused to look up the phone manual to learn how to set up PIN lock to prevent unauthorized use of my phone. Unfortunately, after 3 unsuccessful attempts I successfully managed to prevent MYSELF from using my phone. I think the point my heart stopped was when I read the message, “PIN has been blocked. Please enter PUK code: “.

I went ballistic. My hands were on my head, I was running around the house screaming all manner of blasphemy…you’d think I was being tormented by an exorcist. I had gotten my SIM pack about 8years ago and I didn’t have the foggiest clue where it could be – that was the only source for my PUK code. Alas, I thought per chance the good ol’ customer service team of my network provider could be of some assistance.  I was pessimistic. My options weren’t looking good but I dialled 111 for Zain’s helpdesk and waited…pondering on the potential loss of over 200 contacts, the loss of a phone number which I had gotten accustomed to, reluctantly getting a new phone number, and worst of all…eventually having to explain to friends why you have been ‘ignoring’ their phone calls. I had a few numbers stored in the handset but the SIM was my phone number and therefore 100times more important.

After being connected to an operator and enduring a 2 min interrogation complete with me giving details of the last number I had called and the year I got that phone line, I was told to take my PUK code down! Boy, was I elated! I saved into another handset and vowed never to wander into the Security application on my phone for ANYTHING. My sanity was restored. My apetite returned. I found my mojo. I don’t think I’d ever want to go through that PUKing ordeal ever again. Hope you know your PUK. If you ever lost your phone or locked it by accident then it would come in pretty handy. A word (well actually 383words to be exact) is enough for the wise!