38% of all accidental NYC 911 calls are from the butt...

[cynatnite]

Have you ever "butt-dialed" 911? If you have, you're not alone--especially if you live in New York City.

According to a new report, "accidental" calls to 911 accounted for about 38 percent of all emergency calls in the Big Apple in 2010. Of the 10.4 million calls fielded by the city's 911 system, 3,910,373 were inadvertent, according to the Daily News.

That's an average of 10,700 false calls a day, the paper said. Police cars were dispatched to about 3.5 million of all the emergency calls received, according to the report.

The study blamed the alarming number of accidental 911 calls on the "increased proliferation of cellular telephones."

"Despite the findings," NBC's New York affiliate noted, "the report says the city has done nothing to account for or combat the accidental 911 calls, which are generally shorter than calls reporting actual emergencies. The influx of those calls ultimately makes overall 911 response times appear shorter, the report said."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/accidental-911-calls-38-emergency-calls-nyc-butt-160639687.html

[Bruce Wayne]

1. I might dial "last call" or "operater" by butt, but...

How does one dial "9-1-1" by butt? One would have to have a prehensile sphincter.

Perhaps this explains why New Yorkers act the way they do. Here in Gotham, we keep our digits below the wrists.

[marasinghe]

2. android partly to blame, imo. google should clean up their act.

no idea if iphone has the same issue.

[jp11]

9. Phones don't call 911, people do.

[backscatter712]

17. All you need to do is develop the correct habits for using smartphones.

On my android phone, the power/lock button only actually turns off the phone when you long-press it. If you just click the power/lock button, it turns off the screen and disables the touch-screen. Click the power/lock button again, and the screen turns back on, to the lock screen, where you drag the slider, or enter the unlock code to get to the home screen.

So just get in the habit of pushing the power/lock button when you put your phone in your pocket, and you'll never butt-dial.

iPhones have similar behavior. As do Blackberries.

[tularetom]

3. That's why I can't have a smart phone

I need a phone that folds shut so I won't keep redialing the "last call". One night I butt dialed my son 8 times at 10 or 11 at night.

[tabbycat31]

7. my smart phone locks

I have a pattern that I have to draw on the screen in order to unlock the phone.

Saves me tons of pocket dialing.

[backscatter712]

18. See my post above - post #17.

Press the power/lock button just before you put your phone in your pocket, and it will not butt-dial

[pinboy3niner]

4. That's just assinine

[cliffordu]

15. rofl......

butthead.

[pinboy3niner]

16. Laugh it up, Mr. Poopypants

[underpants]

5. Ass Emergencies

they do happen

[madinmaryland]

8. DUzy!! "underpants" talking about ass emergencies!!

[underpants]

10. :-)

[savalez]

6. 38% is asstronomical!

[Historic NY]

11. People put 911 on speed dial.........

major cause of calls from home too.

[sendero]

12. That's ridiculous..

.... "butt dialiing" is almost always a redial of the number yo u just called. It happens a lot but somehow these numbers seem wrong.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

13. It happens when you leave your smartphone on phone

instead of going to your homepage before you put it in your pocket.

[Recovered Repug]

14. Isn't 911 for people whose ass is in trouble?

[pinboy3niner]

19. Emergency calls from people at their dire end