I saw on Facebook that cellphone numbers are going to go public this month. The number they gave for Do Not Call was 888-382-1222. That’s supposed to block it for five years. Is that true? Is that real? Is that a good number?

The number is real and does indeed belong to the National Do Not Call Registry.

But the bit about the impending release of cellphone numbers is false — as fake today as it was when The Informer wrote about it in 2008, 2006 and 2005.

“Cell phone numbers have not been turned over en masse to telemarketers,” The Informer wrote nine years ago.

“The rumor that they will or have been has circulated widely since at least 2004, and — like so many other e-mail-originated tales — has proved especially resistant to debunking, even by federal officials.”

From the Federal Trade Commission’s website:

The government is not releasing cell phone numbers to telemarketers.

There is no deadline for registering a cell phone number on the Do Not Call Registry.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers without prior consent. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers’ cell phones without their consent.

There is only one Do Not Call Registry, operated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with information available at donotcall.gov. There is no separate registry for cell phones.

The Do Not Call Registry accepts registrations from both cell phones and land lines. To register by telephone, call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236). You must call from the phone number that you want to register. To register online (donotcall.gov), you will have to respond to a confirmation email.

If you have registered a mobile or other telephone number already, you don’t need to re-register. Once registered, a telephone number stays on the Do Not Call Registry until the registration is canceled or service for the number is discontinued.

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For more info: www.ftc.gov.

 

Roundabout mound a safety feature

On the traffic circle on West Prien Lake Road why did they put dirt so there’s a hill in the middle of it so you can’t see the cars on the opposite side? It’s a real detriment to safety.

The mound, also called a central island, was installed to make the roundabout safer.

“The island is typically landscaped for aesthetic reasons and to enhance driver recognition of the roundabout upon approach,” reads a Federal Highway Administration guide to roundabouts.

“Central islands should always be raised, not depressed, as depressed islands are difficult for approaching drivers to recognize.”

For more info: www.fhwa.dot.gov.

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The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.