TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Toilet-Disposed Mobiles Menace Helsinki's Sewers


Toilet-Disposed Mobiles Menace Helsinki's Sewers


Marcus Didius Falco (falco_marcus_didius@yahoo.co.uk)
Sat, 19 Nov 2005 01:02:09 -0500

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/print.html

Biting the hand that feeds IT
The Register Mobile Devices

Original URL:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/

Toilet-disposed mobiles menace Helsinki's sewers

By Jan Libbenga (feedback at theregister.co.uk)

More and more mobile phones are turning up in the sewage system of the
Helsinki Metropolitan area, according to Helsinki Water, which serves
over one million households. It's not known if the phones are
purposely or accidentally disposed of, but with 4.8m mobile users in
Finland, it's reasonable to expect a certain number of toilet-related
mobile incidents.

Helsinki Water didn't supply exact numbers, but dropping mobiles down
the loo is pretty common elsewhere too. In the UK alone, as estimated
600,000 mobiles are flushed every year. As mobile phones get smaller
and smaller, this number will undoubtedly increase, although dropping
a cell phone down the pan is still only number six on a list
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/11367.shtml of mobile phone
accidents compiled by Swedish retailers. Most mobiles apparently come
a cropper as a result of tight jeans.

At the sewage treatment plant in Viikinmki in Finland, one thousand
tons of solid waste, equalling 200 truckloads, is collected every
year. Apart from mobile phones, false teeth, toys, cameras and even
torches are found.

Those misplaced items are difficult to remove and will eventually cause
system blockages, environmental manager Lundstrm warned newspaper
Helsinki Sanomat today. According to Helsinki Water, annual waste treatment
fees are increasing as a result of the rubbish found in Finnish sewers.

Related stories

This phone is stolen (28 March 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/28/simwatcher_mobile_phone_theft/

GSMA declares war on mobile phone theft (26 February 2004)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/02/26/gsma_declares_war_on_mobile/

Mobile phone theft is far worse than we thought (20 February 2002)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/02/20/mobile_phone_theft_is_far/

Copyright 2005

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without
profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the
understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic
issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I
believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish
to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner, in this instance, The Register, UK.

For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below:
falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Marcus Didius Falco: "On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets:"
Go to Previous message: Marcus Didius Falco: "Cellphones Get Broken by Tight Jeans"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page