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My phone won't call 999


LadyG

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OK, so at Barrowford Reservoir, on my own when some idjit thumps on the roof. 

It must be obvious the boat is occupied, I think he is still around, so I decide to call 999, anyways, as tie the phone, says

Unable to connect, please insert a valid sim card

I ll be getting a spare payg ASAP, but what is wrong? 

As if things are not bad enough this week! 

Looking for a weapon, I selected a beer bottle and a hammer. 

Chains on the door. 

All quiet

 

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1 minute ago, Hudds Lad said:

I thought even without a SIM they would make emergency calls? Perhaps try taking it out, or out wipe contacts and re-insert?

Yes that is what I though it should use any network and not require a sim card.  Does that only work if you use 112?

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Does the phone normally work? Seems odd that you can’t call 999. You could also try 112 which is the EU standard.

Anyway, to be honest it was probably just some bored idiot who is long gone. They just wanted to be annoying. If they wanted to attack you they wouldn’t have announced their presence by banging on the roof.  I know it’s difficult but try to ignore the idiot.

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Sounds like it may be barred. May also be worth calling 101 which is obviously the non-emergency number. If they think it requires urgent attention just explain the issue you had and they will likely re-route your call. If you can't dial out to that, then it definitely sounds like emergency numbers are barred, in which case you will need to contact your network operator. I am assuming calls to other landlines and mobile numbers work OK.

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Yes, I tried 101, which works, and turned up the chat intro to full volume, which is the best I could do. 

I heard some talking three minutes later, but when I shone my torch, no sign. 

In the meantime a very annoyed police rang me cos I'd made 3 calls but not asked for the police, well I hadn't cos as far as I was concerned there was no dialling. No message. 

15 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

A quick Google turns up the fact that you must now have a valid working SIM in your phone for it to make emergency calls, it does not need to have credit, OFCOM did this to try and reduce hoax calls

But I assume I have a sim card to make any call, and it connects to all others. 

And as I said, the police rang me here, annoyed I had rung 3 times but not talked, I could hear nothing at all with 999

Edited by LadyG
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13 minutes ago, Loddon said:

All phones should dial the emergency number with or without a sim in place try 112 that should work.

I dare not ring again or I'll be up in court, there is no way to test it, but next time I'll try 112, thanks guys. 

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4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

But I assume I have a sim card to make any call, and it connects to all others. 

And as I said, the police rang me here, annoyed I had rung 3 times but not talked, I could hear nothing at all with 999

 

I dunno, it’s not something i’ve had to do for about 17yrs (last time i got in an RTA and the other driver was an arse).

It makes you wonder if your own phone would work in that situation, but how would you test it without actually calling them and then wasting everyones time?

 

At least you’re ok now, probably daft youths walking by and now long gone.

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20 minutes ago, Loddon said:

All phones should dial the emergency number with or without a sim in place try 112 that should work.

I dare not ring again or I'll be up in court, there is no way to test it, but next time I'll try 112, thanks guys. 

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Hopefully I can provide a bit of light relief: I was moored at Whixall Moss back in April or May, and there was one night when there were no boats within sight, and certainly nobody within earshot. 

It was around 1am, and I was drifting off to sleep when there was a loud but dull metallic clang, as if someone had thrown a metal object against the hull. 

 

My first reaction was to grab the weapon and the personal attack siren that I leave near the bed whenever I'm moored alone (and yes, I know the siren is almost useless in remote places, but it may at least unnerve an attacker). 

Then I sat still and silent for a minute or two, and strained my ears for any indication of what might be going on outside. 

 

The night was absolutely still and silent, and there was not another sound from outside. I theorised wildly for a minute or two. My first instinct was to throw the door open and rush out with my weapon at the ready. But then I paused and considered... for them to be so bold about it, and to make a noise like that, it seemed like a deliberate tactic to draw the occupant out of the boat. 

 

I wondered if maybe they had scoped things out earlier on, and satisfied themselves that there was a single occupant. 

Perhaps there were a few of them, and they were intent on robbery. But no- surely not.

Of all the places that burglars might choose, coming out to Whixall Moss seemed too far fetched. 

But what else could it be? Why else would someone bang on the hull like that, and then not make another noise? 

There were no pubs or drunks for miles around- no scallywags, and no thieves. What could they want?

I could only imagine that it was an attempt to lure me outside, and if the motive was not theft, then surely it was to make an attack. 

Either way, I had no phone signal anyway to summon help, and I certainly wasnt getting back to sleep until I had some idea who it was, so I finally resolved to go outside, weapon at the ready, and see what was what. 

I went into the saloon to put on a shirt I had left there for the morning, and when I switched on the light I saw that a hammer had fallen from the worktop onto a metal plate on the floor (I was in the middle of some ill-advised DIY task)- and suddenly I realised that had made the mystery noise, and I'd spent five minutes feverishly fretting for no reason. 

So the first thing I'd do would be to check nothing has fallen down in the saloon.

 

If you're anywhere within a mile of a pub or a built up area, there's every chance that the bang on the roof was a drunk pratt, or a couple of kids, that thought it would be funny, and by now they will be long gone. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Tony1
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Yes, one direction is a road that leads to a pub, but its over a mile away, there is a lockeper cottage at the next set of locks, I ll be moving there tomorrow, I believe Russel the boat mover comes tomorrow for a chat, he can start with bow hauling, and put me thru the locks, it's not far. 🐶

I've been in a very bad area, Worksop, full of Polish anglers who come along with a Woolworths rod and suss out boat goodies, they come back at  4.00 am when they finish at the sandwich factory, strip the boat, not a lump of coal left. 

I asked the next one for his rod licence, flashing my driving licence and my phone, that clears them. Scum. 

Edited by LadyG
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I hope you managed to have a good night’s sleep LadyG with no more interruptions.

We were recently moored in Alrewas, a village we would consider moving (house) to as it is such a lovely place. However, one evening at around midnight we were disturbed by what sounded like a very noisy party in the field next to us. Lots of ‘singing’ along to rap songs and general yawping. It’s hard not to feel a little concerned about what’s going to happen next... but when the music changed to James Blunt I decided they weren’t that intimidating after all!

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9 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

A quick Google turns up the fact that you must now have a valid working SIM in your phone for it to make emergency calls, it does not need to have credit, OFCOM did this to try and reduce hoax calls

^^^^ This

 

The SIM doesn't need to be active or have credit but must be present.

 

The reason is that the SIM identity is transmitted (at least to your network operator) along with the 999 call - no SIM = totally anonymous, a SIM (even out of credit or whatever) is unique. The operator can go "hang on, it's them again, 27th call tonight" and block the calls from that SIM card

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OK, did I mention that I don't know how to text to a number? 

I dare not risk another false alarm call. 

PS I think last night was a drunk, though it was only 21.30, but when he saw my bike on the stern, decided to take it, then found it was roped and padlocked. 

I leave internal dim lights on all night, and maybe a radio, last night I found the 101 answering service rants on for quite a while, enough to put most casual ne'er do well off, and time to decide if they are breaking in, which is unlikely, and they would make a fair noise. 

I did buy a solar powered security light, but it got wet and stopped working.

I have torches all over the boat to shine outside, but I'm never sure if it's a good idea to respond, or just let them go on their way. I'll buy a big metal torch with long sharp beam, "all the better to see them with" 

Regarding tools of defence, I'm not sure I could hit someone with my hammer, or stab with my knife, my old axe sits on the stern for emergencies, I visualised chopping off fingers! 

I think an air horn might be the best defence. 

Edited by LadyG
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5 minutes ago, LadyG said:

OK, did I mention that I don't know how to text to a number? 

I dare not risk another false alarm call. 

PS I think last night was a drunk, though it was only 21.30, but when he saw my bike on the stern, decided to take it, then found it was roped and padlocked. 

I leave internal dim lights on all night, and maybe a radio, last night I found the 101 answering service rants on for quite a while, enough to put most casual ne'er do well off, and time to decide if they are breaking in, which is unlikely, and will make a fair noise. 

I did but a solar powered security light, but it got wet and stopped working. I have torches all over the boat to shine outside, but I'm never sure if it's a good idea to respond, or just let them go on their way. 

 

I also leave a few low lights on overnight when I'm moored in more remote or isolated locations, in the hope that a would-be intruder will be uncertain about whether I'm asleep, or exactly where in the boat I am (if they were considering a 'rush' attack).  

 

But there is a snag with my cunning plan. I have been assured- by anyone who has heard me- that I snore like a drunken hippo- and quite possibly reach record-breaking sound volumes. Some particularly unkind wags have even ventured to suggest that that there is a facial resemblance to a hippo, which might be the cause of the unfeasibly loud snoring.  

So in anything less than hurricane weather, the intruder would have to be near-deaf not to hear my snoring.

 

There is a hope that he might be momentarily deterred by the possibility that the boat is occupied by an escaped hippo, but I feel it might be risky to create a wider strategy based on this idea. 

 

To be honest, I don't really worry about drunks and scrotes all that much. They are annoying and unsettling for a while, but (apart from a persistent and argumentative drunk) they are seldom dangerous. Scrotes are probably more interested in property than in personal assault or harm, although I can understand that as a female, you will have good reason for concern about a possible attack.  

I remember reading related advice from a woman living in a van in the USA- she recommended that solo females should place a pair of large men's boots where they can be seen by anyone approaching the vehicle. In the UK the boots would of course be ruined by rainwater within weeks, although perhaps wellies might last longer....

 

I have pondered leaving a radio on low volume overnight, but it would only serve to wake me up in the early hours, and to drown out my snoring it would have to be one of those speakers they use at a Who concert. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Tony1 said:

 

I also leave a few low lights on overnight when I'm moored in more remote or isolated locations, in the hope that a would-be intruder will be uncertain about whether I'm asleep, or exactly where in the boat I am (if they were considering a 'rush' attack).  

 

But there is a snag with my cunning plan. I have been assured- by anyone who has heard me- that I snore like a drunken hippo- and quite possibly reach record-breaking sound volumes. Some particularly unkind wags have even ventured to suggest that that there is a facial resemblance to a hippo, which might be the cause of the unfeasibly loud snoring.  

So in anything less than hurricane weather, the intruder would have to be near-deaf not to hear my snoring.

 

There is a hope that he might be momentarily deterred by the possibility that the boat is occupied by an escaped hippo, but I feel it might be risky to create a wider strategy based on this idea. 

 

To be honest, I don't really worry about drunks and scrotes all that much. They are annoying and unsettling for a while, but (apart from a persistent and argumentative drunk) they are seldom dangerous. Scrotes are probably more interested in property than in personal assault or harm, although I can understand that as a female, you will have good reason for concern about a possible attack.  

I remember reading related advice from a woman living in a van in the USA- she recommended that solo females should place a pair of large men's boots where they can be seen by anyone approaching the vehicle. In the UK the boots would of course be ruined by rainwater within weeks, although perhaps wellies might last longer....

 

I have pondered leaving a radio on low volume overnight, but it would only serve to wake me up in the early hours, and to drown out my snoring it would have to be one of those speakers they use at a Who concert. 

 

 

Had you considered modifying one of those lovely hanging signs they sell for cars? :D 

 

 

download.jpg

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On dark evenings when we are out of the boat we use one of those fake tv devices. It perfectly replicates the changes in light brightness and flickering light that a tv does. From the outside it really does look as if somebody is up and watching tv. You could leave it on when you go to bed. They don't need much power so shouldn't affect your boat's batteries much. The power lead has a USB at the plug end so if you only have 12v on your boat I think you'd be able to use 12v plug rather than a 3 pin plug. 

 

We've had ours for about 10 years and it works really well.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mydome-Fake-Simulator-Anti-Burglar-Deterrent/dp/B076X5WMSK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=fake+tv&qid=1637231977&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzREZaQ1NCQUdDWUgxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDY0MjIzMUdGT0M4V09OMTdPTCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzUwMTYxMlA1Q01EUkU4U1hMQiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

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46 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Had you considered modifying one of those lovely hanging signs they sell for cars? :D 

 

 

download.jpg

 

My dear fellow, whilst I think this might have some serious deterrent value against the wily assassins (and especially when supported by the very hippo-esque snoring sounds coming from the boat), my only slight concern with such a warning sign is that I can see a very slight chance that some frivolous individuals might get the idea that the boat occupant is trying to be humorous in some way- as far fetched as I know that sounds.

 

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12 hours ago, Iain_S said:

THIS IS WORTH DOING. 

 

Despite what it says on the pdf, it's not just aimed at the hard of hearing or those who have difficulty with speech. It also will work when the mobile signal is so poor as to be practically non existent.

I came across this service a while ago and registered. I have not had to use it yet.

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15 hours ago, LadyG said:

I dare not ring again or I'll be up in court, there is no way to test it, but next time I'll try 112, thanks guys. 

 

You will absolutely one hundred percent not end up in court for phoning 999 by mistake, or by phoning them genuinely but them not being able to hear them.

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