101 gains national status!

Ofcom today confirmed that, in response to a specific Home Office request,
the telephone number '101' will be made available as a single non-emergency
number in the UK.

At long last a non-emergency alternative for 999 calls.

Details at:-

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/03/nr_20060308

Alan

Alan Morris wrote:
> Ofcom today confirmed that, in response to a specific Home Office request,
> the telephone number '101' will be made available as a single non-emergency
> number in the UK.
>
> At long last a non-emergency alternative for 999 calls.
>
> Details at:-
>
> http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/03/nr_20060308
>
> Alan

Why should we pay?

Dougal <DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> uttered summat worrerz
funny about:
> Alan Morris wrote:
>> Ofcom today confirmed that, in response to a specific Home Office
>> request, the telephone number '101' will be made available as a
>> single non-emergency number in the UK.
>>
>> At long last a non-emergency alternative for 999 calls.
>>
>> Details at:-
>>
>> http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/03/nr_20060308
>>
>> Alan
>
> Why should we pay?

Why not? Who would pick up the bill if callers didn't pay? -Council tax
payers! And with respect I think they are already paying enough. I would be
well pee'd off to find next year gets yet another hike. It will deter some
of the friging idiots who abuse the systems (yes even to the Police ,
Ambulance, And FARS.). If I had a pound for each time I heard one of the
Call takers in our Ops centre have to "advise" callers to not call on the
free "999" number to report something of a none emergency because they have
no credit on there phone, well lets just say I could retire early and run a
Overfinch V8 whatever blows your frock up Landrover and not have to worry
about LPG. These idiots don't realise that while they are wanting directions
or whatever, there is someone who can't get through cos the line is busy who
has a real emergency of the life or death kind.

Thats why we all should have to pay, including the bone idle wassocks who
carn't be arsed to go out and get a job and sponge off the state (read tax
payers).

Besides... it's also simpler to get the call centre based in the cheapest
country to handle your call having one central number.... I say that in jest
hoping I never see the day but I won't hold my breath just yet.

Thats my personal 2p worth.



Lee
--
www.lrproject.com

Lee_D wrote:

> Dougal <DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> uttered summat worrerz
> funny about:
>
>>Alan Morris wrote:
>>
>>>Ofcom today confirmed that, in response to a specific Home Office
>>>request, the telephone number '101' will be made available as a
>>>single non-emergency number in the UK.
>>>
>>>At long last a non-emergency alternative for 999 calls.
>>>
>>>Details at:-
>>>
>>>http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/03/nr_20060308
>>>
>>>Alan
>>
>>Why should we pay?
>
>
> Why not? Who would pick up the bill if callers didn't pay? -Council tax
> payers! And with respect I think they are already paying enough. I would be
> well pee'd off to find next year gets yet another hike. It will deter some
> of the friging idiots who abuse the systems (yes even to the Police ,
> Ambulance, And FARS.). If I had a pound for each time I heard one of the
> Call takers in our Ops centre have to "advise" callers to not call on the
> free "999" number to report something of a none emergency because they have
> no credit on there phone, well lets just say I could retire early and run a
> Overfinch V8 whatever blows your frock up Landrover and not have to worry
> about LPG. These idiots don't realise that while they are wanting directions
> or whatever, there is someone who can't get through cos the line is busy who
> has a real emergency of the life or death kind.
>
> Thats why we all should have to pay, including the bone idle wassocks who
> carn't be arsed to go out and get a job and sponge off the state (read tax
> payers).
>
> Besides... it's also simpler to get the call centre based in the cheapest
> country to handle your call having one central number.... I say that in jest
> hoping I never see the day but I won't hold my breath just yet.
>
> Thats my personal 2p worth.
>
>
>
> Lee

I don't see it quite like that. I wholeheartedly agree that those who
abuse the service with requests for directions etc. need another channel
and I don't expect the community to pay for it. As you rightly point out
we are already paying quite enough.

But I don't believe that we should have to pay to report crime, be that
true emergencies through the 999 channel or other incidents by any other
route that may be provided.

The Ofcom statement is interesting in appearing to distance itself from
the charging issue making it quite clear to me at least that that idea
came from the Government.

Sorry Lee, but I see in this proposal not what you rightly seek but yet
another example of this Government waving flags and making it appear to
be doing something and at the same time taking an oppportunity to milk
us yet again. It won't be the first time.

On 2006-03-08, Dougal <DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> wrote:

> Sorry Lee, but I see in this proposal not what you rightly seek but yet
> another example of this Government waving flags and making it appear to
> be doing something and at the same time taking an oppportunity to milk
> us yet again. It won't be the first time.

I don't see any real change from the current situation, anyone with an
ounce of sense who wants to report a non-emergency crime would phone
the local nick, that's what I did many moons ago after I got burgled
as the thieves had long gone and I wasn't at risk. It cost me
"money", i.e. 10p max, to do so, hardly breaks the bank. I've not had
to report a single crime since then so my total cost in the last 6
years of reporting crimes has been less than 10p. Whoop de diddle-i-doo.

It's hard to take such moaning credibly given that you're hardly
likely to be reporting crimes on a regular enough basis to dent your
bank balance, so having a pop at the government over such a paltry
issue just smacks of laziness when there are so many other things to
busy your time with.

I'm sure someone out there is going to say that this is going to
discourage them from reporting crimes, and then try to claim the moral
high ground...

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

Ian Rawlings wrote:

> It's hard to take such moaning credibly given that you're hardly
> likely to be reporting crimes on a regular enough basis to dent your
> bank balance, so having a pop at the government over such a paltry
> issue just smacks of laziness when there are so many other things to
> busy your time with.

I can see Dougal has a point, and I think that you are failing to grasp
the _potential_ implications of this which Lee mentioned. Once this
101 number gets put into place, it has paved the way for local police
stations to lose their phone numbers and have all contact through a
central location. THIS is the real potential issue, not 10p for a
phone call every 5 years. I mean, how many banks and other commercial
organisations have done this?

If I'm going to phone my local police station, I'd like to phone them
and speak to a copper that knows the area and can get a grasp 1) of my
accent and 2) of my situation. I don't want to speak to someone who
can't communicate with a teuchtar and is simply filling out fields in a
form to send to the local cop shop.

I'm happy with the 101 idea and even with the call charge but am wary
of the future implications. I'd love to be proved wrong in 5 years.

Regards

William MacLeod

[email protected] wrote:
> Ian Rawlings wrote:
>
>> It's hard to take such moaning credibly given that you're hardly
>> likely to be reporting crimes on a regular enough basis to dent your
>> bank balance, so having a pop at the government over such a paltry
>> issue just smacks of laziness when there are so many other things to
>> busy your time with.
>
> I can see Dougal has a point, and I think that you are failing to
> grasp the _potential_ implications of this which Lee mentioned. Once
> this 101 number gets put into place, it has paved the way for local
> police stations to lose their phone numbers and have all contact
> through a central location. THIS is the real potential issue, not
> 10p for a phone call every 5 years. I mean, how many banks and other
> commercial organisations have done this?
>
> If I'm going to phone my local police station, I'd like to phone them
> and speak to a copper that knows the area and can get a grasp 1) of my
> accent and 2) of my situation. I don't want to speak to someone who
> can't communicate with a teuchtar and is simply filling out fields in
> a form to send to the local cop shop.
>
> I'm happy with the 101 idea and even with the call charge but am wary
> of the future implications. I'd love to be proved wrong in 5 years.
>
> Regards
>
> William MacLeod

Que? eh? Oh a Yockle or Bumpkin

--
"He who says it cannot be done is advised not to interrupt her doing
it."

If at first you don't succeed,
maybe skydiving's not for you!

In message <[email protected]>
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ian Rawlings wrote:
>
> > It's hard to take such moaning credibly given that you're hardly
> > likely to be reporting crimes on a regular enough basis to dent your
> > bank balance, so having a pop at the government over such a paltry
> > issue just smacks of laziness when there are so many other things to
> > busy your time with.
>
> I can see Dougal has a point, and I think that you are failing to grasp
> the _potential_ implications of this which Lee mentioned. Once this
> 101 number gets put into place, it has paved the way for local police
> stations to lose their phone numbers and have all contact through a
> central location. THIS is the real potential issue, not 10p for a
> phone call every 5 years. I mean, how many banks and other commercial
> organisations have done this?
>
> If I'm going to phone my local police station, I'd like to phone them
> and speak to a copper that knows the area and can get a grasp 1) of my
> accent and 2) of my situation. I don't want to speak to someone who
> can't communicate with a teuchtar and is simply filling out fields in a
> form to send to the local cop shop.
>
> I'm happy with the 101 idea and even with the call charge but am wary
> of the future implications. I'd love to be proved wrong in 5 years.

I doubt you will ;-) I agree with your sentiment though. I had a minor
accident a few years back (a bloke pulled out in front of me) so, having
been unfaily done for failing to report many years ago, I rang 999 and
got a right b****ing from the operator. I asked what other number I
should use, and she said the local Police. I asked her for the number
and it's location, as I was a stranger to the area. She put the phone
down on me. Now, this 101 number should solve that, but I suspect it
won't. The chances of the operator knowing the location I'm in
(I could be anyhwere in the country - the chances are I won't know
in any detail) would seem to be slim.
Also, is the operator going to be able to issue an incident
number or whatever for any insurance claim, or am I going to be expected
to waste time reporting the incident again later? (It's not just the
Police who are very busy - especially going to Germany for a nice litle
earner, though that's not an excuse for us mere mortals it seems).

Mind you, having seen the program on Channel 4 a few days ago, it seems
the best way to get the Police to attend is to make a homophobic remark,
or better still tell them I'm eating an apple while driving ;-)

Richard

>
> Regards
>
> William MacLeod
>

--
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On 2006-03-09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:

> I can see Dougal has a point, and I think that you are failing to grasp
> the _potential_ implications of this which Lee mentioned. Once this
> 101 number gets put into place, it has paved the way for local police
> stations to lose their phone numbers and have all contact through a
> central location.

Well yes, there is that I suppose, a call centre in India would no
doubt be on the cards! How about an internet website ;-)

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

On 2006-03-09, beamendsltd <[email protected]> wrote:

> Mind you, having seen the program on Channel 4 a few days ago, it seems
> the best way to get the Police to attend is to make a homophobic remark,
> or better still tell them I'm eating an apple while driving ;-)

I think putting your make-up on while driving should do the trick!
Front-page news on some ****epapers for some reason, must be a slow
week.

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!