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:-

formatting link
Alan

Reply to
Alan Morris
Loading thread data ...

Why should we pay?

Reply to
Dougal

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

Reply to
Lee_D

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.

Reply to
Dougal

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...

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

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

Reply to
willie

Que? eh? Oh a Yockle or Bumpkin

Reply to
GbH

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

Reply to
beamendsltd

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

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

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

Reply to
Ian Rawlings

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.