Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!texbell!attctc!vector!telecom-gateway From: fe2o3!michael@uunet.uu.net (Michael Katzmann) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Why Not 00 as the International Prefix in the US? Message-ID: Date: 9 Nov 89 21:21:47 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: Michael Katzmann Organization: Rusty's BSD machine at home Lines: 27 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 501, message 5 of 9 In article rmadison@euler.berkeley. edu (Linc Madison) writes: >>For starters, Australia uses 000 as the emergency number (like 911 in >>USA and 999 in GB). ^^^ >>Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU), Alcatel STC Australia, dave@stcns3.stc.oz.AU >Oy! I found that surprising, since in Australia the digit to dial for >calls outside a Centrex or similar system is "0" instead of "9" in >U.S. Thus, a call to the U.S. from an Australian Centrex is >0-0011-1-etc. To then have "000" as emergency seems it could have >high potential for misdials. "Emergency? No, I'm trying to reach >France!" The PABX at the place where I worked in Australia had 555 as the emergency number (it translated it to 000 for the outside line). It was also barred for trunk and overseas calls (at least from my phone), so dialling 0-0011 etc would just give you an engaged tone! Having different numbers for emergency is annoying! When I was in London one time, I wanted directory assistance, so I looked (not to carefully) and came up with 999. The operator became quite irrate when I told here that there was no fire. I then found the correct directory assistance number and called it. To my amazment the person who answered said "Were you the person who just called 999 ??"!!! I then received five minutes more of abuse and lecture!