Verizon Drops 10,000 911 Calls During Blizzard 300
mschaffer noted a Bloomberg piece saying
"US regulators said Verizon Communications Inc.'s networks may have dropped a 'truly alarming' number of wireless emergency calls during a snow storm last month, and asked the carrier to investigate." The article says 10,000 calls failed to connect during one blizzard. Can't wait to see what all those AT&T migrators think.
Give us more facts... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:5, Insightful)
You might or I might be fine, but I was talking specifically about elderly people without a lot of stamina, especially problematic for a widow who's never had to worry about how to deal with the cold in her entire lifetime.
In general, many people have become soft thanks to modern life.
Disconnect v Drop (Score:3, Insightful)
TFA explains first that 10000 calls were dropped but the investigation showed that it was 10000 calls failing to connect. Isn't this two completely different situations? The first being the customer connecting then being disconnected and the second never actually connecting. I could see someone failing to connect at all then attempt to dial multiple times in quick succession...
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:5, Insightful)
Frailer bodies have more difficulty in producing and maintaining the required body heat. It is easier for a younger healthier person to keep their core temp up. Blankets only go so far, and an older person may not be able to keep warm enough.
There is also the awareness to get some extra blankets out. They may go to bed feeling fine, but then have hypothermia set in over night. At that point, you start to shut down and you aren't thinking too well. More than likely, they would remain where they are instead of getting up to find more warmth.
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:3, Insightful)
What good is 911 in an emergency? No...I'm totally, utterly serious. For certain definitions of emergency...
In the event, *YOU* have an emergency that isn't impacting everyone else...okay, you're paying $25/month for what amounts to insurance that you have a land line to dial in if the cell network fails. Fine. Valid case.
In the event there is a local/county/state/national emergency--and you dial 911. Congrats, you're emergency caller number ... let's say 35 in a list of a thousand. The cops will be with you right after they've dealt with the other 34 people coming first. Assuming nobody else in that list is worse prepared than you are and gets triaged up. You're running out of insulin? Sorry, you won't be in a coma for 8 hours--there's elderly living alone and freezing now.
Maybe...if you or someone near you had a heart attack...during a catastrophic blizzard. And emergency services triaged you to the top. Maybe...maybe then you'd have a use case. I'm not convinced.
Of course, all this assumes that local emergency services doesn't pull a Katrina and
1) flee first
2) show up and confiscate your supplies
3) outright rob you and/or shoot you in the back if you resist.
That $25 a month in your landline would probably be better spent on ammunition, candles, blankets, a fire extinguisher, or even a well trained dog.
Just sayin...
I get you're hedging, but I don't think it's a very effective ROI of that $300/year.
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:5, Insightful)
> If you don't have...
Some other things whose lack might invoke your "miserable death":
A 2 week supply of water. You don't think public water supplies are going to remain stable, do you? And if you're talking about "death by cold", then you're also talking "pipes freeze". And since you're talking about using sleeping bags and blankets to keep yourself warm, that same water supply needs to be in meltable chunks. You'll be a sad panda when you find your 5 gallon buckets are 5 gallon blocks of ice. ... and sadder when the heat comes back on and you find they split...
Emergency sanitation. Frozen pipes. Two weeks. you do the math. And if you're talking "can't open the door because of the snow", don't tell me "just do it outside in the snow".
Your own home. You honestly think you can store all of that in a studio apartment? If you do, where are you going to put the sleeping bag down at?
I'll point out as well that the "old widow", being "old" may well not be able to generate enough heat on her own to keep from freezing, even with the best of insulation. It takes a lot of calories to do that kind of thing, and you have to be able to USE those calories, which an old person may well not be acclimatized to.
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:3, Insightful)
Some of what you said makes sense. Lots of what you said doesn't. Worse, some of what you said is nothing but ignorance.
Phone lines are used to established contact with the outside world. Sometimes its used to get help. Other times its used to assure loved ones you're okay.
You're also down playing the likelihood of cell going down versus land line. I every major emergency I've been in, either wireless went down or was so beyond capacity it was impossible to place a call. Receiving a call are iffy, but possible. Land lines, on the other hand, worked flawlessly so long as the attached phone didn't require power (this is another gotcha which gets lots of people).
As for truly having an emergency, you're just being silly. If I have a dire medical need, getting help is pretty important. Without contact to the outside world, I may not get help at all.
Of course, all this assumes that local emergency services doesn't pull a Katrina and
1) flee first
2) show up and confiscate your supplies
3) outright rob you and/or shoot you in the back if you resist.
This is in fact, the ONLY SMART AND PROPER THING THEY CAN DO. PERIOD. I hate that stupid people have constantly spread so much ignorance about Katrina. Which is smarter? Leaving emergency crews and equipment to be destroyed and killed, effectively ensuring no assistance is available to anyone. Or, move them, as ALL EMERGENCY CREWS ARE TRAINED, to safe areas such that they can return and effectively do their job. The rest did happen but is hyperbole and has no basis in the current discussion. That's what happens when your police force are known to be criminals and the governor spits on the US Constitution.
That $25 a month in your landline would probably be better spent on ammunition, candles, blankets, a fire extinguisher, or even a well trained dog.
Not all. I have ammo, candles, blankets, and fire extinguisher. Using your logic, a dog is not cost effective. Nothing about this need be an either-or. And, candles, blankets, etc., are not going to get you medical care, fire assistance, police, or let your loved ones know you're okay. With your supplies, I'll safely see that I'm warm while I die. Attempting to argue against it is dumb.
And as an aside, my phone line costs $14/mo.
Re:Que the "Can you hear me now" jokes (Score:3, Insightful)
From what I have experienced with the complete losers my 19 year old daughter is bringing home as boyfriends. I'll take a 80 year old frail person over a useless 20-23 yr old toothpick pothead wearing skinny jeans and a hoodie.
at least the 80 year old can hold intelligent conversation.