Community Column by Don Butt (August 2012)

(Town of Mono, ON) One of the items that came up at our last Police Services meeting was a large number of false calls to 911. This is a very expensive error because if no one answers the operator, a police cruiser and 2 officers must be dispatched . We, the taxpayer, have to pay for this and it is very expensive. From talking to Police and the people at Rogers, it is almost certain that many of these are "pocket dialed". This means putting your cell phone in your pocket with the keyboard not locked . On the older folding or "flip" phones this does not happen , but on the new phones it is very easy to bump something and press the emergency button on your phone.
All of these phones have a button to lock the keyboard, so that this cannot happen in your pocket. You will still receive calls. Personally, I do not program a button for 911; after all, how long does it take to dial 3 numbers? Please take extra precautions as the taxpayer has to pick up the bill for false calls. If you know you have called accidentally, please stay on the line and speak to the 911 operator.


In this very hot summer it is easy to make driving errors due to the heat and humidity. If your vehicle has air conditioning, use it but set it to a reasonable temp so it won’t affect your gas mileage unduly. If your vehicle does not have air conditioning, open air vents or windows part way. If the draft from an open window bothers you, try opening rear windows. It is not recommended that you open windows all the way as a sudden gust of wind can be distracting.

Safety Tip
Always look in the direction of your travel when creeping forward to make a right turn or merge. (This tip comes to you from Doug Annett and the Skid Control School at Oakville, Ont. www.skidcontrolschool.com)

Road Watch
For those who do not have access to a computer, our forms are still available at Mono Plaza and OPP at Primrose. Otherwise use our web site on the Internet.


Don Butt is currently the Public Relations and Media Contact for the Mono Community Policing Committee. If you would like more information on anything covered in Don’s Column or would like to see a topic of public interest or safety covered; post a comment below.