Got a Verizon cell phone? DITCH IT NOW!

[neadods]

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.

Comments

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

I was generalizing, not talking about this specific "feature".

The ADA and related regulations require that certain capabilities be made available for those with specific disabilities. That does not mean that we ALL have to have "handicapped" devices (yes i'm going to use that term because in the gadget world, that's what it is). Verizon's attitude is that because of the disabilities requirement, we ALL should have devices with features in them that non-disabled people neither need nor would want.

THAT is the insane attitude I was attacking. It's a MUCH bigger attitude problem than just "nobody complained so we don't see why its a problem". It's an attitude of design itself, at the core of the company, and not just an attitude of customer service.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I can almost see their point of view - they'd severely reduce market share if they had "regular phones" and "specialty phones," so it's easiest to work most of the features into a single item; they don't know who is going to be shopping for what at TARGET.

But that doesn't mean that those features need to be enabled!