911 has just become worthless

[AllentownJake]

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/1991-911-Just-Became-Worthless.html

There's stupid, and then there's really stupid.

This fits into the second category:

http://techdirt.com/articles/20100219/1238398241.shtml

Apparently, the town of Tracy, California (a bit east of the Bay Area) has decided to turn 911 emergency calls into a profit center. Karl Bode points us to the news that the town now wants people to pay $300 for every 911 call. Of course, if you think you might be a frequent 911 caller, they've got a plan for that. For the low, low, low price of just $48 per year, you can call 911 as many times as you want. Yes, that's right folks, there's a special deal for those of you who regularly have emergencies. Make sure to order now!

There is an update on this - apparently it will only apply if the fire department has to respond to medical emergencies.

You know, like, for example, if you're driving down the road and see a horrible single-car wreck happen in front of you?

The 911 system has just become worthless folks.

I won't dial any more when traveling, and I've phoned in a couple of really bad single-vehicle accidents that I happened upon "first." I have no idea if my doing so saved lives or not, but it is reasonable to assume that it might have.

Those people may now die, because unless I can be assured that I won't get hit with a $300 bill for calling in an accident everywhere in this nation I'm not going to do it, and this sort of idiocy has a way of spreading - rapidly.

Thanks to the people of Tracy, California, which believes that raping its citizens is the most important aspect of things, I can no longer use my cell phone to call in auto accidents without the risk of being charged $300 for being a good Samaritan.
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I wonder what anti-government idiot Tea Bagger came up with this idea. We were jokingly protesting fire departments in the spring to protest "socialism."

Total Societal Breakdown.

[havocmom]

1. sometimes I hope we are just extras in the tv show Fringe

and none of this crapola is actually real :banghead:

[AllentownJake]

Cash strapped town

State aide cut, Republicans in charge.

We'll just have to charge for 911, we can't raise taxes.

Of course a $300 charge for a phone call to a 911 center, is a fucking tax.

[havocmom]

10. I am so old, I remember California BEFORE Reagan

Nice place, decent schools, lost of promise.

Then came the Republican Contract on America Test Phase known as Reagan. County governments suddenly saddled with cost of services the state used to help with. Mental health patients were SOL and many were out of hospitals. Evidently more than a few took to politics.

The rest is history.

[timeforpeace]

2. Penalizing everyone for the idiots who call 911 all the time.

[AllentownJake]

8. It's Califronia

The entire state is broke, and they culturally can't raise taxes.

[slackmaster]

3. When seconds count, help is only minutes away

And if you're lucky it's still free.

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Wow, that sounds like the kind of situation

I discussed with some guy at a rest stop in Indiana once. The discussion got a little heated. He was heading for a job with the Cato Institute and was advocating for a society where everyone has to pay up front to get basic municipal services. If they can't pay, they don't get any services. Maybe that guy ended up getting a job in Tracy.

[AllentownJake]

5. Well I hope he was planning on building a castle

because if you have resources needed for survival and others don't, and those people know where you live, they are going to come and take it, and having lived in Fort Wayne.

A majority of the people in all income levels are armed and it would be cheaper to buy bullets than to buy water.

[KingFlorez]

6. This is a recipe for trouble

People are struggling as it is, even in good economic times, the average person cannot afford $300 to call 911 in an emergency. I know California is cash strapped and it's hurt the cities, but emergency services should be protected at all costs.

[havocmom]

12. yep. Neighbor's house on fire? Someone being beaten to death within earshot

La la la la la ....

anarchy coming right up, nobody calling for help for nuttin.

Swell way to save on cost of first responders. But I think insurance companies will probably raise bloody hell on this one, and THEY always seem to get THEIR calls answered.

[4lbs]

7. I think instead they should be allowed to bill people $300 that call 911 for non-emergencies.

For example, those 911 calls where someone was upset because the McDonald's cashier wouldn't allow a customer to return his happy meal and give back his $3.00.

WHAM! $300 for that.

Or that idiot who calls 911 asking for information on how to get to a certain location.

WHAM! $300.

[AllentownJake]

9. They generally already do

It is called a fine. Most places that have 911, also have a fine for calling it for a non-emergency.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

11. Some places they just add a tax to cell phones.

911 Centers are very expensive to run.

[brewens]

13. There is a big sign as you come down the grade to Lewiston, Id

that says No Fines For Trucks Using Escape Ramps. The road drops about 2000 ft in 5 miles or something like that. It's a notorious grade for truckers and has about 5 escape ramps. There used to be a fine for using the ramps. Then one day a trucker that was losing his brakes decided he didn't want to use the ramp and pay the fine and tried to make it. He rode it out, taking the last sweeping turn scraping the concrete barrier and shot out at the bottom, across 4 lanes and crashed right into the Idaho State Patrol office!
Somehow no one was killed. They decided it would be ok if truckers could use the ramps for free after that.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

14. So, if a police officer is in distress on the side of the road...

and I can't afford the $300, it's just a damn shame.

This will blow up in their faces. But, let them learn the hard way.

[Make7]

15. You could still use 411 to get the emergency department you need.

Even though the purpose of 911 is to take and direct emergency calls properly from a single easy to remember number.

[NYC_SKP]

16. Yes, this was on our local news this morning, I'm 20 miles from Tracy.

Everyone is encouraged to keep regular phone numbers available or stored on their phones for police, fire, ambulance, etc.

Sometimes it's faster to call these anyway.

[AllentownJake]

17. So when Tracy has to hire more phone people

for these organizations, what is Tracy's solution.

[NYC_SKP]

18. I haven't got a clue. It was a Sacramento station talking about it...

And they were just chatting about alternatives.

Including waiving the charge if a person is admitted to the hospital and other things.

I thought it was a good idea to keep these regular numbers handy anyway.

I've almost never had to call 911, many calls just don't need it (like if you discovered your house was broken into during a vacation).

People seem to increasingly abuse the system, call 911 in nonemergencies.

It's a problem, but Tracy's idea is ridiculous.

I don't know if it will pass.

BTW, Tracy is home to former corrupt Congressman Richard Pombo, who once proposed selling off National Parks.

Maybe in his retirement he's coming up with new "ideas" for Tracy.