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Saved By A Telemarketer

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the who-wants-an-unlisted-number-now? dept

Sat, Jun 29th 2002 12:59pm — Mike Masnick
Reuters has an odd story about a guy who was hiking in the Andes and got stranded. He tried to call for help on his mobile phone, but discovered he was out of minutes. After surviving for about 24 hours, his phone suddenly rang and it was a telemarketer offering him more prepaid minutes. That telemarketer then called for help and kept calling the guy back to make sure he was staying awake. It's a nice story, but it does make me wonder about a few things. Shouldn't any such mobile phone automatically be able to call the phone company to sign up for more minutes once you run out? I can't believe any phone company wouldn't have that ability in the phone. I also wonder about his "recharging" of the batteries by throwing them into the snow. Anyone know anything about that? Finally (yes, this is a joke), if the phone company was really smart they would have upped the price on the minutes they tried to sell the guy once they realized how desperately he needed them. I sense a new business model...
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6 Comments

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  • identicon
    Alex, 29 Jun 2002 @ 1:08pm

    No Subject Given

    Actually that struck me as odd that my VoiceStream Prepaid Service requires does not allow to call their customer service from the phone, whose minutes are expired. You're supposed to find a different phone, dial customer service from there and then buy the minutes to enable your cell phone. Makes a whole lot of sense if your car broke down on highway or, like the guy in the story, you are stranded somewhere.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Duffman, 30 Jun 2002 @ 2:46am

    Batteries

    It is possible to get a little more work out of the batteries by cycling them (warm, then cold, then warm, etc). Recharging might not be the best term for it, but what he did was logical and possible. My dad used to punch a hole in a lead-acid battery and submerge it in lemon juice if he needed a little more kick from them. Just as long as the batteries weren't lithium - FYI, they explode when warmed up if they are deep-discharged in sub-zero temps (at least they used to, when an older friend of mine did his masters on batteries found that useful fact out).
    Does this help? :)

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    lorenzo, 30 Jun 2002 @ 4:05am

    Reuters and batteries

    If Reuters says it s true, then maybe it s true but, at least in Europe, mobile operators let you make emergency calls anyway

    abt batteries, it works, used to put them in the fridge all the time when I was a kid to get 5 more minute of charge

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      euroman, 1 Jul 2002 @ 12:29am

      Re: Reuters and batteries

      But the batteries you put in the fridge were not recargeables. I have no idea if it works them or not.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        lorenzo, 1 Jul 2002 @ 1:14am

        Re: Reuters and batteries

        yep, that's true, putting cellphone int eh fridge tonite, tom i ll tell you

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Duffman, 1 Jul 2002 @ 2:01am

          Re: Reuters and batteries

          They don't have to be rechargeable, it just the cycling from warm to cold to warm that gets them going a little more and pumps a little more juice out of them.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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