One Less Drunk

(Steve McDonald) said:

However, any cell-phone that has been registered with a service-provider, can be used to call
911, even if its subscription has expired. This is a federal requirement for the phone companies,
so people won't be without emergency communication if their bills haven't been paid. There have
been many times in the past when I could have used a phone when riding to report various things
and now I'm prepared to do so. I can also make collect calls from this phone and if I buy the
right kind of pre-paid calling card, I could use it to make non-emergency calls without having
any other fees to pay.

Pre-paid cards expire after a certain amount of time, unless more money is added to them. So you
will have some ongoing costs even if you don't use
it. Carrying an expired phone does make sense for 911 only calls.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

Why don't you just get a normal cell-phone subscription?

Steve McDonald said:

Well, hopefully. On my midnight workout tonight, I was going down a new, mile-long separate
bikepath that parallels a busy road. Until last week, to go across this end of town, you had
to ride on the narrow shoulder of this road, in what was like a shooting gallery.

As I came to the end, over on the road, two state cops had pulled over a Trans Am and were
giving a sobriety test to the driver, a young woman. She was walking the line (not very well)
as I passed. After I had climbed a hill, I came back by here again and one cop and the woman
were gone and a big, flatbed towtruck was pulling up her car to haul away.

I stopped and told the remaining cop I appreciated their actions. He said that someone had
called in a report of the driver weaving around and having near-accidents several miles back
and they had responded and tracked her down. If a person with a cell-phone hadn't called
them, this driver might still be out on the road. I've been carrying a cell-phone in my bike
box for several months, with such a purpose in mind. My phone doesn't cost me a thing as it
is unsubscribed. A friend gave it to me after buying a fancier one. However, any cell-phone
that has been registered with a service-provider, can be used to call 911, even if its
subscription has expired. This is a federal requirement for the phone companies, so people
won't be without emergency communication if their bills haven't been paid. There have been
many times in the past when I could have used a phone when riding to report various things
and now I'm prepared to do so. I can also make collect calls from this phone and if I buy the
right kind of pre-paid calling card, I could use it to make non-emergency calls without
having any other fees to pay.

Steve McDonald

Gary Smiley said:

Why don't you just get a normal cell-phone subscription?

------------------------------------------------------------

How did that quotation go, "Let them eat cake"? I use a cheapo, unsubscribed, 911-only
cell-phone because I ain't no Yuppie with money to burn.

Steve McDonald

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

(Steve McDonald) said:

Well, hopefully. On my midnight workout tonight, I was going down a new, mile-long separate
bikepath that parallels a busy road. Until last week, to go across this end of town, you had
to ride on the narrow shoulder of this road, in what was like a shooting gallery.

As I came to the end, over on the road, two state cops had pulled over a Trans Am and were
giving a sobriety test to the driver, a young woman. She was walking the line (not very well)
as I passed. After I had climbed a hill, I came back by here again and one cop and the woman
were gone and a big, flatbed towtruck was pulling up her car to haul away.

I stopped and told the remaining cop I appreciated their actions. He said that someone had
called in a report of the driver weaving around and having near-accidents several miles back
and they had responded and tracked her down. If a person with a cell-phone hadn't called
them, this driver might still be out on the road. I've been carrying a cell-phone in my bike
box for several months, with such a purpose in mind. My phone doesn't cost me a thing as it
is unsubscribed. A friend gave it to me after buying a fancier one. However, any cell-phone
that has been registered with a service-provider, can be used to call 911, even if its
subscription has expired. This is a federal requirement for the phone companies, so people
won't be without emergency communication if their bills haven't been paid. There have been
many times in the past when I could have used a phone when riding to report various things
and now I'm prepared to do so. I can also make collect calls from this phone and if I buy the
right kind of pre-paid calling card, I could use it to make non-emergency calls without
having any other fees to pay.

Steve McDonald

This reminds me of another drunk story! I used to live in an apartment building, and around the
corner were two bars. Drunken idiots would pile out in the wee hours down the street, I'd find barf
on the steps, etc. One day in the summer, I noticed a car parked on the street with its motor
running. ANd running and running.... it went on for an HOUR and then I began wondering what the
hell. Finally someone called the cops. I thought, who knows what, maybe there's a dead person in the
trunk. The cops came, turned off the ignition, and lo and behold. This tubby guy in shorts and a t-
shirt comes ambling around the corner. It was his car, and he'd let it run while he sat in the bar!
He was about half-gassed. So the cops took his keys, gave him bus fare, and sent him home, telling
him he could pick up his keys at the station. SO he wobbled off to the subway. In the meantime, we
were all nearly dying of the carbon dioxide fumes. What an idiot!