Congratulations, San Francisco. It looks like we’re subject to yet another cringeworthy statistic other than that about ridiculous rent prices. (We have the highest in the nation! Beat that, NYC. And also, please take it back if you want). According to a recent report released by a team at Google, between 2011 and 2014, 30% of all calls to 911 made on cell phones were the result of a butt-dial. Although this bit of research may initially read as amusing, it should actually strike us as alarming, since every accidental emergency call must be investigated, which puts an immense strain on already overworked call centers in the city. (Butt-dialing your boss, ex or mom, however, will always be hilarious.)
Once you work past the embarrassment felt from hearing the rest of the world’s collective “Tsk, tsk” and the guilt from obstructing emergency operators from trying to, you know, help people in emergency situations, it’s worth putting some effort toward preventing this from happening with your own cell phone in the future. The FCC recommends simply locking your keypad before putting away your phone, but for those for whom that may be too complicated or too much work, we have a few other recommendations. Try these on for size, and make San Francisco no longer the butt-dial of a horrible not joke of sending out tons of fake emergency calls.
1. Buy a ginormous phone case that couldn’t possibly fit into your back pocket.
Go for one with all the bells and whistles, featuring a place to store your debit cards, your frequent rewards cards, your headphones, your keys, your school ID from years ago that you no longer use except to get discounts at J.Crew — all of it.
2. Buy pants with no back pockets, or cut out the back pockets of the ones you do own.
It might make them less functional, but at least you won’t be tempted! You could even start a new trend. (Or just continue wearing your yoga pants every day. Whatever works.)
3. Stuff your back pockets every morning with random things.
A pack of tissues, a displaced sock, wads of receipts. No matter what, every time you go to put your phone away, you’ll be blocked by already-full pockets.
4. Start doing butt workouts so your phone doesn’t even fit into your back pocket.
As if you needed another reason to justify that gym membership. (And if you did, well, here ya go!)
5. Stop wearing pants.
Long live dresses, skirts and kilts!
6. Ditch the phone and start using messenger pigeons.
Sometimes the old ways are best.
7. Don’t store your phone in your back pocket.
Weird, we know, but it might just be worth a shot.
