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Here's yet another reason why you shouldn't use Verizon.
A tip of my hat to Shakesville, as usual, for writing about this.
Turns out that on one of Verizon's new phones, if you dial 911, the phone emits a very audible alarm. Meaning that anyone can hear you if you dial 911. Meaning that if you're trying to hide and dial 911, everyone in the immediate vicinity will know EXACLY where you are.
Pure madness.
Turns out that on one of Verizon's new phones, if you dial 911, the phone emits a very audible alarm. Meaning that anyone can hear you if you dial 911. Meaning that if you're trying to hide and dial 911, everyone in the immediate vicinity will know EXACLY where you are.
Carol, who asked that her last name not be used for fear of making herself or her land a target for vandals, called for help recently when she arrived at some vacant property she owns in east Austin and found her security chain gone.
She grabbed her new Casio G’zOne phone from Verizon Wireless, which to her horror made an audible alarm when she called 911.
Fearing vandals were still on the property, she hung up and hid, then put her hand over the earpiece and dialed again to muffle the sounds.
“I was afraid the criminals were down the driveway and they would hear and they would know somebody was doing something and they would come out to stop me,” she said.
The alarm is not ear-splitting, but it is loud enough to be heard at least several yards away.
- “The tone our customer experienced is our interpretation of Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act calling for a provider of telecommunications service to offer service that is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. The tone, indicating that 911 has been dialed, is one of several features designed to make wireless service is accessible and easy to use, especially for those with disabilities. Other features include a voice command key where customers can use their voice to dial by name or number; a voice echo feature so that a person who can't see can hear the number or letter if sending a text; read back text messages and speech output of signal strength, battery strength, missed calls, voicemail, roaming, time and date.”
But the FCC said Section 255 of the Telecommunications Code requires that phones let a caller know a 911 call is underway, but does not require an audible alarm.
“The Commission has not implemented any rules pursuant to Section 255 that would require the use of any tones concerning 911 calls,” a spokesman said.
Pure madness.
| Posted by PanasonicYouth on 11/19/2007 10:46 AM | Visits: 135 |
Verizon is really stupid.
Good point. If there was someone trying to kill you, I don't think an alarm would help you at all.
I should get one, but I don't know.
This installment is really unnecessary.
Actually, it's only on the G'zOne phone. Which stands for....I don't know. I don't know what that stands for.
What's so funny about that?
How on earth did that get approved?
It makes no sense.