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Got a Verizon cell phone? DITCH IT NOW!
Got a new Verizon cell phone? DITCH IT NOW. Seriously, the morons over there have added the world's stupidest new feature: an alarm that can be heard for several yards that sounds when you dial 911.
They say it's a new feature. They say the FCC demands it. They say nobody has complained. (Don'tcha just love that? The woman who complains is essentially told "well, you're the only one with a problem.") But out in the real world the FCC is going "WTF? Oh, HELL no, we're not that stupid!" and I don't think there's a person alive who hasn't twigged to the concept of hiding from attackers/hunters/housebreakers while calling for help.
There are too many cell phone companies out there for you to have to tolerate one that's going to put a big, audible "Come and get her, she's right here!" target on someone in trouble. Switch, or failing that, return to an older phone model... and give Verizon an earful. "Nobody's complained" my ass. Nobody probably believed they were that insanely careless with safety... or possibly this woman is the first to have survived to complain.\
ETA: According to this source, the tone is in all 2006 and newer Verizon phones -- some 35 models.
They say it's a new feature. They say the FCC demands it. They say nobody has complained. (Don'tcha just love that? The woman who complains is essentially told "well, you're the only one with a problem.") But out in the real world the FCC is going "WTF? Oh, HELL no, we're not that stupid!" and I don't think there's a person alive who hasn't twigged to the concept of hiding from attackers/hunters/housebreakers while calling for help.
There are too many cell phone companies out there for you to have to tolerate one that's going to put a big, audible "Come and get her, she's right here!" target on someone in trouble. Switch, or failing that, return to an older phone model... and give Verizon an earful. "Nobody's complained" my ass. Nobody probably believed they were that insanely careless with safety... or possibly this woman is the first to have survived to complain.\
ETA: According to this source, the tone is in all 2006 and newer Verizon phones -- some 35 models.
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Now, I obviously haven't tried to call 911 to test it out, but this being the internet, perhaps the truth lies somewhere between the two reports (piercing tone versus not at all audible).
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Thing is, this isn't one of those "this friend of my friend's cousin" things; I was pointed there by whisper-down-the-Internet, but there are two local news websites showing up on google news discussing the case, using the name of the woman who reported it.
http://www.khou.com/business/stories/khou071114_ac_verizonphones.1ced95c.html
http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/110907kvueverizonalarm-bm.1f46e16ee.html