Were you aware that you don't need to know the local 911 # if you have a cell?

[Locut0s]

I guess I was vaguely aware of this but never having needed to dial 911 overseas it's never really occurred to me. If you are calling from a land line you need to know the local emergency number, be it 112 in Europe, 911 in North America, 000 in Australia etc etc. But GSM cell phones have a preprogrammed list of emergency numbers and when you use any of these the phone will instead dial whatever the local emergency number is depending on the country you are in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E..._and_mobile_telephones

Sucks to be in the countries that don't allow free emergency calls though

 

[sandorski]

Interesting. Don't have or want a Cellphone though, so I'll file that under Trivia. :laugh:

 

[Flammable]

i swear i've seen a post like this before...

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: Flammable
i swear i've seen a post like this before...

glitch in the matrix

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Here in NZ the emergency number is 111. When I was a kid I remember a big news story about how 911 was being automatically rerouted to 111 because so many people were dialing 911 due to watching too much American TV.

 

[Blackjack200]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Here in NZ the emergency number is 111. When I was a kid I remember a big news story about how 911 was being automatically rerouted to 111 because so many people were dialing 911 due to watching too much American TV.

That's pretty funny.

I love the way 911 works on mobile phones here (USA). I've used it a few times to report obstructed highways.

*911
Operator: What's the location of the emergency?
Me: Union
Operator: What's your emergency sir?
Me: There's a large piece of debris on Rt. 78 Westbound"
Operator: What Mile?
Me: 49
Operator: Ok thanks, we'll send someone out

The whole call takes 30 seconds.

I used to drive past that stuff and try to remember to phone it in when I got home, now I just call right away (although I suppose that's a bit hazardous too).

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: Flammable
i swear i've seen a post like this before...

glitch in the matrix

/facepalm

Anyway, good bit of info there OP. I would have never thought of it. Being American my whole life I just naturally assumed that everything we do here is so fucking spectacular that it's copied by every nation on the planet... and figured 911 was THE emergency number. Makes me wonder why there's different numbers at all.

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Interesting. Don't have or want a Cellphone though, so I'll file that under Trivia. :laugh:

I don't want one either but I have one anyway (for work)...

 

[Miramonti]

Anyone know what's supposed to happen if I call 911 from Skype...will I get the local emergency call center?

 

[herkulease]

pssh. the real number is 912. you guys have been duped for years.

 

[oogabooga]

Originally posted by: herkulease
pssh. the real number is 912. you guys have been duped for years.

:music: who keeps the martians under wraps... we do, we do :music: