Stupid People Tricks

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A Phone-y Tale

Dumb people doing dumb things is one of the staples of folk tales and urban legends (as well as jokes) and when you add modern technology the field of possibilities really opens up. See the CD-cupholder and numerous other tech-support stories.

Debunked: Someone dies because another person in their panic couldn't call for help during a fire because they couldn't dial the "11" in "911". ["Dial 911 for Help" in The Choking Doberman]

Debunked by JVB himself in 1982 when contacted by a newspaper writer. I suspect the paucity of phones that you actually have to dial these days has prevented this one from spreading.