While 911 as an emergency number in the US began in 1968, it wasn’t universal until 1999. Home Alone came out in 1990. It was completely normal in my youth (earlier, yes, but still) to just not know what the number to call the police was.
Could, yes. In 1990, the standard was to call 411 if you needed to find a phone number. And that often cost money, so parents would drum into their kids not to call 411. “We have 411 at home. ::slams phone book on table::”
Which means they’d have had a phone book, and everyone knew where it was. Sometimes local police/fire/hospital emergency numbers were printed on the cover, or on the first page. If not, there’d be a place on the cover where you could write them in yourself. They’d also come with a refrigerator magnet sign that you could write in with marker later on.
I’m not saying any of this to be disagreeable; there are a zillion plot holes in that movie. Just reminiscing with some late 1980s “day in the life” nostalgia.
The 411 number has been in use since at least 1930[3] in New York City,[4] San Francisco,[5] and other large cities where panel and crossbar switching equipment installed by the Bell System was prevalent. However, in smaller Bell System cities as well as almost all areas served by GTE and other companies where step-by-step equipment was the norm such as Los Angeles,[6] 113 was used until at least the 1960s, and in some cases (the Pacific Northwest, for example) until the mid-1980s.
Naw man we gonna have a sprinkler fight on your lawn. Then play lawn darts and drink from the hose. Maybe play some bikes. I think I hear your mom calling you, you better go.
While 911 as an emergency number in the US began in 1968, it wasn’t universal until 1999. Home Alone came out in 1990. It was completely normal in my youth (earlier, yes, but still) to just not know what the number to call the police was.
Could dial 0 to call the operator for directory assistance and be connected.
Could, yes. In 1990, the standard was to call 411 if you needed to find a phone number. And that often cost money, so parents would drum into their kids not to call 411. “We have 411 at home. ::slams phone book on table::”
Which means they’d have had a phone book, and everyone knew where it was. Sometimes local police/fire/hospital emergency numbers were printed on the cover, or on the first page. If not, there’d be a place on the cover where you could write them in yourself. They’d also come with a refrigerator magnet sign that you could write in with marker later on.
I’m not saying any of this to be disagreeable; there are a zillion plot holes in that movie. Just reminiscing with some late 1980s “day in the life” nostalgia.
Now get off my lawn.
The 411 on 411. From Wikipedia
The 411 number has been in use since at least 1930[3] in New York City,[4] San Francisco,[5] and other large cities where panel and crossbar switching equipment installed by the Bell System was prevalent. However, in smaller Bell System cities as well as almost all areas served by GTE and other companies where step-by-step equipment was the norm such as Los Angeles,[6] 113 was used until at least the 1960s, and in some cases (the Pacific Northwest, for example) until the mid-1980s.
Naw man we gonna have a sprinkler fight on your lawn. Then play lawn darts and drink from the hose. Maybe play some bikes. I think I hear your mom calling you, you better go.