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steve JoBs
What are the best stories about
people randomly meeting Steve
Jobs?
Tim Smith, Principal, Applied Design Group
I dated for years a young woman whose father was Steve
Jobs's neighbor in Palo Alto. I thus found myself in the neighborhood
often, at dinners, or parties, etc. We would see the
Jobs come and go – they have a “normal” house, no gates,
no guards, no high fences, not even a big lot. often, leaving
a party at my girlfriend’s house late at night, I would drive
past their house and you would actually see Steve sometimes,
working on a Mac.
one afternoon I attended a party, driving an old Sunbeam
Alpine sports car I had the misfortune to own at the time. After
the party, I started the Alpine, pulled away from the curb,
and – as classic British sports cars will oft do – the electrical
system blinked out and I coasted gracefully to a stop, directly
in front of the Jobs’ driveway.
Their cars weren’t there, which was a relief to me, because
I was sure they would consider me some weird stalker. So I
got out, popped the hood and tried to quick-fix the electrical
to at least move further away – and call AAA.
Within about fifteen minutes, of course, I heard two cars
pull in behind me, and into the Jobs’ driveway – the Jobs were
home. I huddled under the hood of the Alpine and hoped they
wouldn’t notice – although I was the only other car on the
street. They went inside, with kids, thankfully, without saying
anything. So I closed the hood and prepared to walk back
next door to my girlfriend’s parents house to call AAA.
As I was putting my jacket on, I heard a call from across
the street behind me – the Jobs’ driveway – “British or Italian?”
It was Jobs’s lovely wife Laurene. “British,” I said, “and
acting like it.” “You want a beer?” she said. I tried to decline
(shocked I guess at first), but she insisted, said, “You’re not
going anywhere,” and walked back in the house – only to re-
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