A lost hiker ignored rescuers' phone calls, thinking they were spam | Hacker News Reader

A lost hiker ignored rescuers' phone calls, thinking they were spam

npr.org

16 pointsboulos15 comments

"If you're overdue according to your itinerary, and you start getting repeated calls from an unknown number..."

Or maybe search-and-rescue can get a clue and realize most people don't pick up calls anymore.

"If you're SAR, and you don't get an answer after repeated calls to a number, send a fucking text message instead of lecturing people on how they're doing it wrong." If for no other reason than SMS stands a better chance of getting through than a voice call when coverage is spotty.

This is victim blaming. Our telecom companies and federal oversight failed to protect users from spam calls and the predictable outcome is that people will be trained to ignore all calls unless they know exactly who is calling. The cat's out of the bag and you can't blame people for doing what they've been trained to do. Unfortunately it may mean that rescue operators need to evolve and in this specific case should take the onus to use text messaging, not blame users.

Well this would be me. Over the past few weeks I often get dozens of spam calls each day. So I turned on permanent Do Not Disturb, and only phone numbers in my contact list will ring.

Of course, if you leave a voicemail, I'll check it, as a very large percentage of the spam calls I receive do not leave any message.

Dozens a day? Sheesh. That’s a ridiculous amount.

I got I think three in two days so I started answering, after holding the “business loan purveyor” on the line for three minutes he called me a fucker, hung up, and I stopped getting calls.

Every now and again I get them again so I answer, try to get the warranty extended on my 1992 Honda registered under Jack Mehoff’s name and then they go back away for another few months.

It’s like getting the opportunity to do improv every couple months and seeing how far you can get.

My phone ends up being much quieter than most people’s as far as I can tell.

Eighteen yesterday. So 1.5 dozen. Maybe "dozens" is too much of an exaggeration?

The spammers don't actually keep tabs on things like this, nor share them among competing spammers as you've suggested. That adds cost that they don't need to worry about since everything is automated anyway, and their calls are essentially free to them. You might piss off the "operator" you eventually got to speak to, but the best way they have to get back at you for it, is to just let you keep getting their calls.

They call random numbers for certain areas, just as they use random semi-localized numbers for the recipient to see.

You probably have an area or prefix that isn't all pumped up with spammers at the moment. But it's not because you're being clever with them (although that can indeed be fun).

Sounds like the hiker didn't think they were lost, and had no reason to expect that anyone would be looking for them.

Lost with a working phone that you don't use to call is either a very good sign or a very bad one

In any case... wouldn't be easier to triangulate the phone position? They only need him to answer to save a rescue.

I have a pet conspiracy theory that spam calls have significantly reduced the effectiveness of political polling.

previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28997392

Why didn’t they leave a message?

Why would you check a message left by spammers?

A good portion of phones now a day do speech to text for voicemails. In fact, I almost never listen to voicemails anymore.

I guess, next time try texting

Better yet, why didn't they send a text? If calls were getting through, sms would too

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