# How do I stop my arse from calling the police? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638 "2014-04-08T14:55:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/21 "2014-04-08T16:17:02Z")
On the iPhone, on the lock screen there is a button on the bottom left that says “Emergency” which lets you dial an emergency number. It actually has to work on any cell phone, even one that is not associated with an active subscription. When you first setup a new cell phone, before it’s fully activated with a carriers network and linked to your subscription, you can still actually make emergency calls. On the iPhone at least, even if it was 000 for emergency I don’t see how you’d butt dial it. The screen doesn’t unlock unless you depress the home button or the top power button. Neither of which would easily happen in a pocket. Then, you have to slide to unlock to access the lock screen, then press the bottom left emergency button. Then dial the 3 numbers, then hit the call button. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/22 "2014-04-08T16:26:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > But if your emergency number is 000 I could see it happening especially if the “emergency call” button to bypass the lock screen is right at the bottom…right near the 0, which is probably also near the Send button. I was talking specifically about the iPhone, which is not configured that way. You have to (1) press the home button or the sleep/wake button to wake, (2) swipe across the screen to unlock, (3) press “emergency” in the bottom right of the screen, and then (4) dial “0-0-0” or whatever. If you have an iPhone, I seriously doubt you have a need to disable this function in order to avoid butt-dialling emergency services. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/23 "2014-04-08T16:35:21Z")
There’s the chance it’s not an iPhone. My Android phone can be unlocked without using the power button in at least two ways. 1)Shaking it in a certain way turns the camera on, from there, you could drop back to the home screen. 2)It has something called Active Display. When you move it, the unlock button (as well as the time and a few other things) light up on the screen. It’s kinda neat, but it can unlock from time to time in your pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/24 "2014-04-08T16:44:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > There’s the chance it’s not an iPhone. Sure, but you specifically asked about disabling “the emergency bypass thing on iPhones.” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/25 "2014-04-08T16:56:26Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The phone’s probably not thrilled about it either. Probably why it’s calling 000… ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/26 "2014-04-08T19:29:08Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > … > I guess it’s a good idea, but it must annoy the emergency operators. If I made 3 calls in a month, then Australia wide, (if all butts dial like mine), that’s uh…300 million butt dials a year. Yes, it annoys us. It is a major component of inadvertent calls that can make for [around 40% of all 9-1-1 calls](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/City-911-System-Butt-Dial-Accidental-Calls-Report-150743725.html)! IMHO, it is a major design failure that persists generation after generation in mobile phones resulting in huge costs to all of us in additional burdens on the emergency response system. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/27 "2014-04-08T21:53:09Z")
Why do people keep things in back pockets in the first place? You sit on them, they’re vulnerable to pickpocketing… I just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/28 "2014-04-09T02:05:56Z")
Obviously, it’s had enough and it isn’t scared of you anymore. Sure, you can smack it around some more, but what’s that going to solve? Make a clean break and let it get on with its life. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/29 "2014-04-09T17:34:03Z")
And that’s two reasons the US picked “911” as our emergency number. It’s easy to remember and hard to accidently dial since 9 and 1 are on opposite corners of the dial pad. Of course, for a phone setup that has a one touch emergency button which overrides the lock screen, well, all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/30 "2014-04-09T22:59:54Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > And that’s two reasons the US picked “911” as our emergency number. It’s easy to remember and hard to accidently dial since 9 and 1 are on opposite corners of the dial pad. Of course, for a phone setup that has a one touch emergency button which overrides the lock screen, well, all bets are off. Thus, it seems odd that there would be so many accidental 911 butt dials, as cited in that article that **Iggy** linked. Is it that one-touch emergency button that’s doing all this? Is that common on pocket phones these days? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/31 "2014-04-10T00:17:04Z")
Do you have an abusive relationship with your arse? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/32 "2014-04-10T00:32:53Z")
The OP said it’s a cheap phone running Android. Why did everyone start talking about iPhones? Has the OP tried keeping the phone upside down in the pocket? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/33 "2014-04-10T14:25:02Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Thus, it seems odd that there would be so many accidental 911 butt dials, as cited in that article that **Iggy** linked. Is it that one-touch emergency button that’s doing all this? Is that common on pocket phones these days? It could be a one touch emergency call button. Some cell phones have been known to randomly dial 911 (or other number) when the battery is very low - multiple times in some cases. It could be people arsing around. Most likely it is a combination of the above but, like you, I have a hard time believing it is true “butt dial” calls. Unless there is a significant number of people out there who possess a prehensile butt. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/34 "2014-04-10T20:14:45Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > It could be a one touch emergency call button. Some cell phones have been known to randomly dial 911 (or other number) when the battery is very low - multiple times in some cases. It could be people arsing around. Most likely it is a combination of the above but, like you, I have a hard time believing it is true “butt dial” calls. Unless there is a significant number of people out there who possess a prehensile butt. Earlier in this thread I posted a picture of a lock screen with an emergency button on it. Sort of defeats the purpose of a lockscreen IMO. A replacement lock screen is still my suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/35 "2014-04-10T21:30:11Z")
It’s worse than you think. We get mis-dials from [all sorts of sources](http://www.911dispatch.com/911/911_misdials.html). Anywhere there are valid phone numbers beginning 9-1… just hit that 1 twice. Anywhere you dial 9 to get an outside line just opens up all sorts of possibilities… particularly if callers don’t understand that then dial 011 for an international number requires dialing the 0. Legend has it that some phones were designed to dial the emergency number if _any_ key is held down too long. (Imagine dying breathless caller grasping at phone… ) Verified. One local phone carrier was send out promotional text messages to its customers. If you tried to return the call the number dialed would connect to 9-1-1. (No! I can’t help you get double minutes! No We did NOT send you a text!) And on it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/36 "2014-04-10T23:44:19Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Verified. One local phone carrier was send out promotional text messages to its customers. If you tried to return the call the number dialed would connect to 9-1-1. (No! I can’t help you get double minutes! No We did NOT send you a text!) Is it possible by the wildest stretch of imagination that the above could have been _unintentional?_ What action was taken about that? Did that local phone carrier get their asses ground into hamburger? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/37 "2014-04-11T07:27:51Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Earlier in this thread I posted a picture of a lock screen with an emergency button on it. Sort of defeats the purpose of a lockscreen IMO. A replacement lock screen is still my suggestion. My phone has a pattern to unlock. That means if somebody picks it up, they won’t be able to access it and gain control of everything I have stored on it or connected to it. It also means they can’t dial any numbers… Not even the emergency number to summon me an ambulance, should some ill fate have befallen me. So the emergency button permits them only to call 000 and allows no further access to my personal details and accounts. It doesn’t defeat the purpose of a lock screen, it makes the phone useful for summoning help when it has been secured. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/38 "2014-04-11T08:49:21Z")
This is fixed easily - get a cover. No more accidental 000 and the phone will last longer too (actually just not having it in your back populace will increase it’s life span) ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/39 "2014-04-11T17:39:27Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > My phone has a pattern to unlock. That means if somebody picks it up, they won’t be able to access it and gain control of everything I have stored on it or connected to it. It also means they can’t dial any numbers… Not even the emergency number to summon me an ambulance, should some ill fate have befallen me. So the emergency button permits them only to call 000 and allows no further access to my personal details and accounts. It doesn’t defeat the purpose of a lock screen, it makes the phone useful for summoning help when it has been secured. I was under the impression that the primary purpose of a lock screen was preventing accidentally activating things on your phone when it is in your pocket/purse/whatever. Like on an iDevice, you have to swipe to unlock. Butt dialing has been around a long time, and to me calling emergency services is the _worst_ butt dial you can make. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638/40 "2014-04-12T18:04:22Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Is it possible by the wildest stretch of imagination that the above could have been _unintentional?_ > > What action was taken about that? Did that local phone carrier get their asses ground into hamburger? I’m sure they didn’t _intend_ for that to happen. It took awhile to figure out exactly what was happening. Before 9-1-1 was rolled out here our jurisdiction had multiple three-digit emergency numbers… and one was 5-5-5 for ambulance. Once we got a unified 9-1-1 system we _wanted_ 5-5-5 calls to be transferred to 9-1-1 for a time. But that was years ago. Unfortunately the phone company was listing 5-5-5 as the call back number on their advertisements. And no one had ever cancelled the transfer from 5-5-5 to 9-1-1. Ergo, the problem. But the phone company didn’t exactly sort it out the first time the problem was reported to them. We had to figure out what was happening. When our department got a new manager we referred the matter to him and he made them stop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-my-arse-from-calling-the-police/685638.md?page=3)