911 = police?

[Infernai]

Of course 911 is not the emergency number outside the US. In Britain, for instance, it is 0118-999-881-999-119-7253.

YES IT CROWD

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much easier to remember!

Fun fact: I actually phoned that number once and got someone on the other end who replied. I was so shocked the number actually existed that i just said 'sorry, wrong number!' and hung up.

 

[ogrebushi]

Up here in Canada it is in fact 9-1-1. 311 can be used for non emergency , maybe your friend is either touched in the head , or lives in buttfark nowhere since it doesnt reach out to waaaay rural areas

 

[thePyro_13]

It's triple 0 in Australia, I've never mistaken it for the US one.

Another fun fact, I hear our phone system accepts quite a few of the more common emergency numbers, such as the ones used in the UK and US.

 

[Eleima]

Of course 911 is not the emergency number outside the US. In Britain, for instance, it is 0118-999-881-999-119-7253.

Well played, I wanted to say that! (Is it wrong that I was singing it as I read the number?)

No, I've never thought it was 911 outside the US, myself. It's a nice simple number to remember when you grow up, though, my parents made sure my sister and I knew it from a young age.
Here in France, it's so complicated, I can never remember. I think it's:

• 15 for emergency medical care
  17 for the cops
  18 in case of a fire

 

[Trololo Punk]

Yep 911, no matter how many times my Oma asks what the number is for 911...

 

[bakan]

Actually 112/110 is the standard in Europe with some variations like in the UK - though even then you can get the emergency with 112.

 

[madster11]

Yep, like said, we aussies run 000 and 911 automatically redirects. Pretty sure the UKs 999, the NZs 111 and a few other work the same. I know 112 auto redirects.

I think the 911 redirect isn't for idiots so much as the fact that people might be running phones with the emergency button auto-set for 911, or for American tourists.

 

[Technocrat]

Fun fact - the numbers are like this from the old days of rotary-dialling telephones.

For example, dialling "999" on a rotary telephone would be extremely hard to do accidentally, because of the long time it would take the dial to return after you choose 9. Same idea with Australia's 000.

However, in the USA, they decided that after the first nine, speed is of the essence in an emergency, so afterwards it's 1 because that takes the least time to return on the dial.

 

[GundamSentinel]

In Sweden, it's 112.
However! If you call 911, you'll be redirected to the emergency center anyways.

Exactly same here in Finland. The emergency number is 112, but if you dial 911 it directs it back to 112. Incidentally, my birthday is 11.02.

What a coincidence, its 112 here in Denmark aswell.

Hmm, I guess it's a Scandinavian-ish thing then. I betcha Norway has 112 as well.

It's 112 in the Netherlands as well. Oh, and 0900-8844, when you need police, but you're not in a hurry. XD

 

[Vicarious Reality]

The number used to be 90 000 here, when we used wheel dials on our phones
Man i miss those

 

[Quaxar]

In Sweden, it's 112.

That's because 112 is a general emergency number for the whole EU.

Though for some reason here it redirects to the nearest police station and that sucks because they've got the worst dispatch system compared with EMS and FD.
We also have 122, 133 and 144 for direct dial to the needed service.

 

[SpAc3man]

Most countries have an auto redirect for the more well known numbers.

 

[Gunner 51]

Of course 911 is not the emergency number outside the US. In Britain, for instance, it is 0118-999-881-999-119-7253.

Ha ha ha, someone's been watching the I.T Crowd.
But in all seriousness, what the OP describes is what's known as Eagleland Osmosis. I know there's a real technical name for it, but TV Tropes had the more memorable name for it. American culture has been assimilated by all sorts of nations because it's media and television programs are cheaper to air for a television station than having to make their own shows.


Personally, I find America to be a culturally fascinating place. Especially in how Britain and America are growing more and more culturally alike.


Source: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EaglelandOsmosis

 

[Zhukov]

As others have already said, the number is '000' here in Australia.

I remember being slightly confused the first time I saw someone ring '911' on TV (it was the movie Home Alone).

 

[Zeema]

000 here. We Aussies are an unimaginative bunch. At least it's easy to remember!

yeh ditto 000 is alot easier to remember then other peoples numbers

 

[Eisenfaust]

000 in australia... nice and simple... there are direct numbers to each of the services, and direct numbers for individual stations nearby, but mainly it's just easier to go for 000

 

[EclipseoftheDarkSun]

In australia it's 000 yes, but I think that it's also 112 on mobile phones and you can enter that and override any screenlock even if you're out of credits.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Up here in Canada it is in fact 9-1-1. 311 can be used for non emergency , maybe your friend is either touched in the head , or lives in buttfark nowhere since it doesnt reach out to waaaay rural areas

311 service is not available everywhere in Canada, though many places are instituting it to cut down on the number of false calls that get made to 911. 911, however, is definitely the emergency number for everywhere in Canada that I'm aware of. It isn't, however, a direct police line. It's an emergency services line and who they dispatch will depend on what the situation is (though police is pretty much the default).

 

[Jauffre]

Of course 911 is not the emergency number outside the US. In Britain, for instance, it is 0118-999-881-999-119-7253.

You just won this topic, sir. Well played! And I think dialing 911 just redirects to Australias emergency service (000) for me. But I have thought it for a split second then went nahhhhhhhh I'm an idiot.

 

[Ruwrak]

In Sweden, it's 112.
However! If you call 911, you'll be redirected to the emergency center anyways.

Exactly same here in Finland. The emergency number is 112, but if you dial 911 it directs it back to 112. Incidentally, my birthday is 11.02.

112 in the Netherlands too :O

Emergency calls can be made with a locked phone and will not cost any credits.
Oddly enough it's also available when you have no reception. For I can call 112 but not my home phone (it says "emergency calls only" yet I have no reach. Odd eh?)