My best friend’s infant son really likes playing with gadgets, especially telephones. He loves to grab them, press the numbers, and watch them blink. My friend and her husband thought it was harmless until one time last year their child accidentally dialled three magical numbers: 9-1-1.
Despite the lesson learned, earlier this week my friend followed her son’s lead and dialled 911 on her cell phone by mistake, much to her embarrassment. Where was the phone? In her back pocket.
It turns out that my friend isn’t alone when it comes to a phenomenon called “butt-dialling”. An “unscientific” study by the Toronto Police discovered that 911 operators respond to 300 emergency calls a day made by cell phones in pockets, purses and other bags. That’s equivalent to 10 percent of the calls they receive. If you think of how many phone calls that is during a course of a year, it’s a lot.
While no real emergencies have been ignored because of this problem, it does take up time for operators to figure out if the call is legitimate or not. As Red Crossers, we know how important seconds are in waiting for emergency assistance if someone is experiencing a heart attack, or if there is a disaster in the community such as a fire or a tornado. These seconds can be easily used up by operators receiving non-emergency calls.
So, what’s the solution to this? It’s pretty simple: Lock your key pad or screen before putting your phone in your pocket, and avoid pre-programming 911 into your phone. In doing so, you can help keep the lines clear for emergencies only.
Have you ever accidentally called 911?
Check out this funny commercial from a US mobile service provider, that mentions “butt-dialling”