Posted on 02/22/2010 2:14:47 PM PST by FromLori
There's stupid, and then there's really stupid.
This fits into the second category:
Apparently, the town of Tracy, California (a bit east of the Bay Area) has decided to turn 911 emergency calls into a profit center. Karl Bode points us to the news that the town now wants people to pay $300 for every 911 call. Of course, if you think you might be a frequent 911 caller, they've got a plan for that. For the low, low, low price of just $48 per year, you can call 911 as many times as you want. Yes, that's right folks, there's a special deal for those of you who regularly have emergencies. Make sure to order now!
There is an update on this - apparently it will only apply if the fire department has to respond to medical emergencies.
You know, like, for example, if you're driving down the road and see a horrible single-car wreck happen in front of you?
The 911 system has just become worthless folks.
I won't dial any more when traveling, and I've phoned in a couple of really bad single-vehicle accidents that I happened upon "first." I have no idea if my doing so saved lives or not, but it is reasonable to assume that it might have.
Those people may now die, because unless I can be assured that I won't get hit with a $300 bill for calling in an accident everywhere in this nation I'm not going to do it, and this sort of idiocy has a way of spreading - rapidly.
Thanks to the people of Tracy, California, which believes that raping its citizens is the most important aspect of things, I can no longer use my cell phone to call in auto accidents without the risk of being charged $300 for being a good Samaritan.
Another great idea which comes out of Cali....surprise, surprise!
I hadn’t thought of the good samaritan angle.
SnakeDoc
In Wyoming, there is a 75 cent surcharge on the phone bill to fund 911.
Before 911 came the norm there was a separate number for the Fire Department. Look it up and call it. It still works.
In WI and in MN you have to pay a surcharge to fund low income families on your house phone.
But now that this was brought up $300 it will certainly make people think about calling for anything.
I saw a fellow who had a mattress on the back of his pick-up and he must have thrown a cig. or something out the window and it was on fire so he pulled over and took a piece of wood and pushed it onto the side of the road. Well he looked kind of strange and kept looking around and waving me to go past. I didn’t think he was going to put it all the way out so I called to make sure it didn’t start a big fire it’s wooded but even that you would have to think about it for $300 dollars.
Sure it works. If you have a housefire, or suffer a hear attack at home or at work.
What if your an out of towner?
oh noez cid spoofing
Well on the road that’s kind of hard to do.
“What if your an out of towner?”
Then it is $400. I kid you not.
When I lived in a somewhat rural area the push was to make sure everyone had an actual street address - “enhanced 911” - ostensibly so any emergency services would know where to locate emergencies (funny, most of these mystery addresses were on... fire lanes).
Ahhh, so never mind the emergency, it’s where to send the bill that counts!
Well you may have a point. One day I called the local number in the town I was in, to get them to notify the next town over my dad was having a heart attack. Everything worked out fine.
In Pittsburgh, you have to call 9-11 for everything. One time some goofball parked a stolen car accross my driveway and I had to call 9-11. Not really an emergency, but there was a time I would have called the local station house they would have a car respond.
Text messages may be in our future to call for assistance.
Get a Skype account with a visa gift card - sign in anonymously with proxied IP.
Have Fun.
Guess what, we have one in California too.
There are more 911 calls from cell phones than from wireline.
Last time I looked it was 20 wireless to 1 wireline.
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