Where was the last place you dropped your phone?

With as much money as we spend on our phones, it’s no surprise that we’re perfectly okay with spending a bit more to put some protective gear on it. Thankfully there are all sorts of different options for people who want to protect their device, ranging from screen protectors to cases. They all offer some level of protection, and depending on how much money you’re willing to spend, can really save the day in a pinch.

Despite knowing so many people who use screen protectors and cases, all of which swear by them, I’ve never been much of a fan of them. I’ve used screen protectors more than cases in the past, but they’ve never found a permanent place on any one of my devices. And a case? I’ve only purchased a couple over the years, simply because I know that I’m not going to keep it on my phone longer than twenty minutes.

With as much effort that goes into designing these phones, and as “sexy” as some of them are, why on earth would I want to hide it in a case?

Of course, each situation is different. For some people, putting their phone in a case and adding a screen protector is just something they feel is necessary, simply because of their job. I’ve got a friend who’s a firefighter, and despite owning a DROID RAZR, he immediately purchased a hard-shell case to wrap his phone in, and made sure that a screen protector was installed just minutes after the initial purchase.

I don’t think anyone would say that’s a bad move on his part. He carries his phone with him even when he’s on a fire, so it makes sense that he add a little bit more protection to the device. But obviously cases and screen protectors are purchased by other people not in those situations. Business people with hard-cover cases on their phones, for instance. It may look silly, and make you scratch your head a little bit, but maybe a past experience has taught them that having a case at all times is better than not having one when it’s important.

And let’s face it, we’ve all dropped our phone at least once. I think that’s one reason why we’re starting to see a real push in the “drop test” category these days, especially in reviews. It wasn’t too long ago that a drop test was just something to do for fun, especially when it came to those rugged devices that launch every once in a while. Now, though, as the focus in design has changed, the drop test has become a bigger part of the whole picture.

I’m obsessed with my phone (but in a good way!), and the device is rarely not by my side. More to the point, if the situation calls for it, the phone is usually playing music, so it’s easy to understand that I’m usually always aware of the phone’s position, so dropping it doesn’t happen all that often. It has happened, though. If there’s ever a recurring time that it does, it’s right when I get out of a car. I put the phone on my lap when I’m driving around, and there are times when I forget that it’s there. So, as I’m getting out of the car, my phone is the first to escape, as it flies out and lands on the ground.

Or, one time, I was holding my phone, not really paying attention. I was having a conversation with a friend standing in front of me, so when my phone vibrated suddenly, it took me by surprise. It slipped out of my hand and bounced across the concrete. (Why do they always have to bounce!?) And, as usually happens after a phone gets dropped onto a hard surface, there’s that moment where your breath gets held, and you find yourself hoping that it doesn’t just explode into a million pieces.

Still, while those instances have happened (I dropped my phone off my lap just a few days ago, in fact), I’ve come out lucky. The Lumia 900 doesn’t have a scuff mark on it, thankfully. And, honestly, only my white iPhone 4S has ever bore the marks of being dropped. That’s pretty impressive, considering how many different phones have found their way to hard surfaces under the wrong circumstances. But I know there are plenty of people who don’t get so lucky, and that’s why they’ve decided to wrap up their phones in as much protective gear as they can.

So where’s the last place you dropped your phone, and how did your favorite device fare? Did it survive without a scratch? Or did you have to find a new one? Do you use a case or a screen protector on your phone? Why or why not? Where’s the highest place you’ve ever dropped your phone from?