JRS: In article , dated Wed, 18
Jan 2006 22:42:15 remote, seen in news:uk.transport.london, Jack Taylor
posted :
Martin Underwood wrote:

I would have phoned 999: you were averting a potential accident.
Maybe you should have stopped at a motorway phone and used that
instead to report the debris. However if the debris had been on a
non-motorway road such as a dual-carriageway you wouldn't have had
that option and 999 would have been the only realistic option.

I've never understood why we don't have a 'serious but not emergency' number
to call in this country, something like 888 would be logical. I believe that
that idea has been discussed and may be implemented in the future, although
I believe that they are going to use something far less easy to remember,
like 112 or something.

Indeed.

In fact, all the public services, in a fairly wide sense, should have
national numbering - a "STD code" meaning "I want the one that deals
with matters local to this phone (or exchange) (or here, if dialling
from a mobile) followed by a fixed number for each service (Council, MP,
Police, Coastguard, Zoo?, BBC, Press, etc.) with perhaps two more
digits, always 00 for general and others for major departments - maybe
always 99 for "urgent".

A Zoo, for example, is not a public service; but it might be the right
place to report seeing a strange but not dangerous animal or bird.
Otherwise, put Zoo in the index book, with cross-reference to whoever
should take such calls.

Calls to departments would transfer to general after say ten rings;
calls to general maybe to 888 or another 24-h service after ten rings.

The definition of "local" would depend on the service; a call to
Coastguard from Wapping should get someone Thamesside, but one from
Birmingham would probably go to national HQ.

A different "STD code", with the same numbering to follow, could go to
national or regional, if appropriate.

At least around 1960, most London police stations were exchange 1113;
the idea is not entirely new.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
Astro stuff via astron-1.htm, gravity0.htm ; quotings.htm, pascal.htm, etc.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.