Why are people like this ?

The modern habit of pronouncing the number zero as the letter ‘O’ should be banned from public broadcast.

A couple of years ago, I rang Telstra to ask why they pronounced zero as ‘oh’ on their automated phone number enquiry service. I was told there was no good reason and as mobile phones were increasing in use, and as some companies wanted to use a word in their phone number for ease of memory, that it should be changed. It was.

Some months after that I noticed it had been changed back again. I enquired why and was told that companies thought their number sounded sexier if a woman was saying ‘Oh’ instead of zero which sounded negative. I doubt if any company will go under because they say zero instead of ‘Oh’. These same companies could go under if their stock numbers, serial numbers etc suddenly and randomly swapped zero for ‘O’ and vice versa.

Some two years ago, an immigrant Sudanese family on their first night in Australia were handed a mobile phone by an immigration official and told not to go outside but that if their new baby became any sicker they were to dial triple ‘Oh’ for the emergency services. They did. No help came and the baby died. They could have dialed triple zero and saved their baby.

I felt somewhat to blame for letting big business win yet another round in their quest for profit that cost a brand new life. I was particularly annoyed at the ad for the reading and writing hotline (an adult literacy program), which emphasized the sexiness of ‘Oh’ in their phone number. If the people who teach don’t get it right, what hope is there?

I contacted the NSW TAFE who is responsible for running the literacy program that is funded federally. The add was made by the ‘Life Be In It’ people and was considered sacred by the young man who takes enquiries. This young man was rude and wouldn’t listen to anyone who didn’t agree with him. I believe he has serious mental issues. Eventually I had a very apologetic senior female public servant doing a very good job of convincing me that they did not run a sheltered workshop but did indeed run a service to the public. However, nothing could be done about ‘Oh’ in their ad.

I contacted the state Education Department and was told that they would look at when children were taught the difference between an ‘Oh' and a zero. There was some discussion as to whether a naught was the correct term.
Realizing it was not covered by law, I nevertheless contacted the Australian Communications Ministerial Affairs Dept to see if they would provide feedback to the minister. They could not (????) but suggested I contact my local member. I contacted my local member and recieved the reply that they couldnt force people to do anything.

Most people I try to change treat me as though I have attacked a basic freedom of speech right insteand of a wrong based on ignorance that has killed someone.

I have even had to ring around to some hospitals and told them they have triple 'oh' on the voice messages as the emergency number and not triple zero.
We do not need sexier ads. Increasingly people use computers and there is a world of difference separating the letter ‘O’ from the number zero. One of our newest Australians did not make it through their first night because of this media inaccuracy. The law should be changed so that broadcast media can not call a zero an ‘Oh’. Perhaps this will help people to swing back before any more lives are lost.

Of course all this could be prevented by changing to 911, but the underlying problem would still exist.

Any other pet 'stupidities' out there ?