[Judith Anne]

Ever try to find a pay phone these days? How about a phone number that's on your cellphone that the cops are holding.

This all makes sense. Without their phones they couldn't make the call.

I don't know about SF, but in MO hospitals have phones everywhere, and jacks everywhere. You just get a phone from the cabinet and plug it in a jack, presto, you can call. I can't believe they couldn't make a call from the hospital.

[muawiyah]

If you don't know the number it's pretty hard. There are NO public directories for cellphones.

Without their cellphones they don't have their calling directories. Therefore they can't make calls.