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A comment on Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids. Parent comment

Re:Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids by turnsout on Wednesday July 16, 2025 @06:05PM (#44587308)
It's not arbitrary—if you look at your cellphone bill, there's a tax for 911 access. They could probably offer a cheaper plan with just 911, but they can't make it free. But I think $9.99 is fair all things considered.

I'm not sure I see the safety issue. My 7 year-old currently doesn't have the ability to dial 911 without an adult's cellphone. If I give them a Tin Can that has no 911, they are no more or less safe than they were before.

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Re:Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids by ars on Wednesday July 16, 2025 @06:27PM (#44587494)
> they are no more or less safe than they were before.

I disagree. They think they can call 911 from it, so in an emergency they will try that, and fail, and try again (because things fail all the time in today's world), wasting a ton of time.

Without this device they would try some other plan, maybe go outside and scream for a passerby to help.

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