I’m pretty sure almost everybody has 411 and 911.
But I just recently learned that, around here, if you dial 211 you you get a local United Way information service that refers you to various public assistance agencies in the area.
Are there other oddball short phone numbers out there?
In the San Francisco area, we have them all:
111 is impossible in North America
211 is human services, generally run by United Way
311 is government and non-emergency services
411 is directory service
511 is traffic info
611 is phone repair service for landlines. No idea what happens if you call from a cell
711 is hearing impaired relay service
811 is underground utility location service
911 is emergency service
011 is the international operator
The number assignments are uniform across the US. What’s not uniform is if your area has the newer services like 211 and 311 set up yet.
This is interesting. I had no idea there was any system like this. I didn’t even know about 211 until they called me to update their information about my employer – a hospital.
If I call 611 from my cellphone, I get the cellphone company’s customer service operator.
Per the CRTC, the following 3-digit numbers are reserved for the following services in Canada:
211 - Local Social Services (Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Niagara, Simcoe County, Quebec City)
311 - Non-Emergency Municipal Services (Calgary, Gatineau, Ottawa, Windsor, Fort St. John)
711 - TTY/Teletype Relay Service (nationwide) - used if calling a TTY/Teletype user from regular landline
811 - Non-Emergency Health Services (province of Quebec)
911 - Emergency Services (nationwide)
Additional non-CRTC 3-digit numbers:
411 - Directory Assistance
511 - Traffic Information (province of Nova Scotia)
611 - Repairs (Landline), Customer Service (Cellular)
Japan:
010 - International call
100 - NTT operator
104 - Directory Assistance
106 - Operator assisted collect call service
108 - Automated collect call service
110 - Police
113 - Repair Service
114 - Busy Line Check
115 - Service Telegrams (Domestic) [no idea what this is]
116 - Moving and Relocating
117 - Time Signal
118 - Maritime Emergencies
119 - Fire & Ambulance
136 - Information on last incoming call
171 - Earthquake Reports
177 - Weather Report
7119 - Non-emergency medical advice
These codes were set by the North American Numbering Plan Administration, which assigns all the area codes and exchanges in North America. Here is the part of their website giving those codes.
They apply only in North America, but in fact, several other areas use the same codes.