heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) (03/15/90)
Something very strange happened to me last night, and I'm wondering if any of you netlanders have any ideas as to the cause. While I was quietly sitting and studying for an upcoming exam last night at about 1:00am I received a phone call. The guy asked me "Did you dial 911??". After a quick check with my roommate (who was asleep in an adjacent room), I confusingly told him "No". He went on to tell me that he had been trying to call back for about 10 minutes, and couldn't get an answer. Then he asked if we had a cordless telephone, and I said "Yes". He mentioned something about cordless phones that are low on battery power dialing "911". (!!) I checked on the phone, and there it was, innocently hanging on the wall, *charging up* (the LED indicator was on). About a minute later, he called back to tell me to step outside and tell the police officers that I was OK. Three cops were at the front door--I guess it's reassuring to know that the "911" system works. My question is this. What the hell happened?? The story he gave seems suspicious, especially since the phone was on the hook and charging at the time. There was a thunderstorm at the time--could this have had a factor, and how?? Was it random noise?? How can a cordless phone low on battery power dial "911", or anything?? Any input or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. -- ___________ Scott Heins
commgrp@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group) (03/16/90)
heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes: >...at about 1:00am I received a phone call. >The guy asked me "Did you dial 911??". After a quick check... >I confusingly told him "No". >...he asked if we had a cordless telephone, and I said "Yes". >He mentioned something about cordless phones that are low >on battery power dialing "911". (!!) >...What the hell happened?? Ghod, what a nasty trick!! Kids borrow cordless phone handset, drive around until they acquire a carrier, dial 911, listen to the "fun" on their scanner. Hopefully, it wasn't your neighbors. -- Frank Reid reid@ucs.indiana.edu
hbg6@citek.UUCP (John Schuch) (03/16/90)
In article <4469@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes: > >Something very strange happened to me last night, and I'm >The guy asked me "Did you dial 911??". After a quick check The same thing happened to me about two months ago. Cops call, did you 911? no! do you cordless? WHY? etc. The weather was perfectly clear and the phone should have been charged since it had been in its cradle all night. I decided it must have been intermod tickling the base reciever, but I really don't know. Suppose the thing started dialing time and temperature in London in the middle of the night! John
georgep@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (George Pell) (03/16/90)
In article <38723@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> commgrp@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group) writes: +heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes: + +>The guy asked me "Did you dial 911??". ... + +>...he asked if we had a cordless telephone, and I said "Yes". + +Ghod, what a nasty trick!! Kids borrow cordless phone handset, +drive around until they acquire a carrier, dial 911, listen to +the "fun" on their scanner. Hopefully, it wasn't your neighbors. + My cordless will not dial if it is in the cradel. My PC drives the thing nuts if it is not hung up. Likely they just got the wrong number.
usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (03/16/90)
In article <4469@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes: > >Something very strange happened to me last night, and I'm >wondering if any of you netlanders have any ideas as to >the cause. > >While I was quietly sitting and studying for an upcoming >exam last night at about 1:00am I received a phone call. >The guy asked me "Did you dial 911??". After a quick check >with my roommate (who was asleep in an adjacent room), I >confusingly told him "No". [rest of article deleted] It sounds like one of your friends (or enemies!) can't wait for April 1. They called 911, called you up and pretended to be the authorities, gave you the line about your phone dialing 911 by itself, waited for the cops to arrive, called you back to tell you to meet them at the door, and are probably laughing about it right now! Maybe you could ask the folks at rec.humor for some good payback gags. April 1 is coming soon. Patrick Draper Michigan State University
gpz@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (G. Paul Ziemba) (03/20/90)
heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes: >Something very strange happened to me last night, and I'm >wondering if any of you netlanders have any ideas as to >the cause. [...] >how?? Was it random noise?? How can a cordless phone low >on battery power dial "911", or anything?? >Any input or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. I recall reading a newspaper article last year that a certain brand of cordless phone dialed '911' when the batteries got low. I have the article on my refrigerator at home, will type it in when I get a chance. I don't think the article mentioned the model involved, however. I can imagine a scenario involving a design that has a separate "dial 911" function, and low batteries taking the circuit out of the range of design assumptions. Similar situations that come to mind are: 1) certain brands of portable vhf 2-way radios modulated their transmitted audio with a whine or motorboat oscillation when the batteries got low 2) one of my pocket calculators performs random calculations when the batts are low ~!paul -- Paul Ziemba zapi!gpz gpz@3com.com (415)940-7671 Current nemesis: CA "winters", cold enough to drive the ants indoors but not cold enough to make them hibernate.
bmp@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Brian M. Perkin) (03/20/90)
I had heard that some of the early cordless phones had a "hardware" bug that caused them dial 911 during some corner case. Maybe that wonderful; design has been re-used in newer units.
jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins) (03/20/90)
In article <4832@vice.ICO.TEK.COM> georgep@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (George Pell) writes: > <stuff about cordless phone with low batteries calling 911 deleted> >Likely they just got the wrong number. These stories started showing up in the local papers a few years ago. I would assume that a common failure mode for these is that their internal prom has a line like if(battery_low && random(1000) == 1) call (cops); /* teach the fool a lesson */ Obviously the cops are on to the problem and deal with it the best they can. I wonder when the crooks will catch on? Possible (scary) scenario: Bad guy breaks into house, woman calls 911. Bad guy hangs up before woman can say anything. Take phone off hook, tie up woman. Wait for cops to show up and mention "that damn cordless phone again". Voila! I think I'll clean my gun tonight..... -- jim jharkins@sagpd1 "My son beat up the Citizen of the Month at Gage elementry school."