How do dial Metropolitan Police (London) from Canada
May 1, 2018 2:17 PM Subscribe
I loved one is experiencing distress in London, UK. I want to call the Metropolitan police to check on them. I cannot find a number that I can dial from my Canadian cell phone. I have checked online but I can't find anything but 999. If anyone has a landline, it is postcode w1. My Google fu is not working due to nerves.
Best answer: nb: the same link has +44 20 7601 2222 for City of London Police if they're in London proper.
posted by brainmouse at 2:23 PM on May 1, 2018
posted by brainmouse at 2:23 PM on May 1, 2018
Best answer: W1 is the Metropolitan Police and what you are asking for is a welfare check. Put the full postcode in here and find the nearest station currently open. Then Google for example "Kilburn Police Station telephone number." If you need more help, post again!
posted by DarlingBri at 2:31 PM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 2:31 PM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: nb: the same link has +44 20 7601 2222 for City of London Police if they're in London proper.
Just to clear up any confusion: the "City of London" is a fairly small area of London, the term does not refer to London as a whole (which is called Greater London). Consequentially the City Of London Police serve that small area, the Metropolitan Police serve Greater London.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:48 PM on May 1, 2018 [11 favorites]
Just to clear up any confusion: the "City of London" is a fairly small area of London, the term does not refer to London as a whole (which is called Greater London). Consequentially the City Of London Police serve that small area, the Metropolitan Police serve Greater London.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:48 PM on May 1, 2018 [11 favorites]
Best answer: In case you need it: To dial any UK numbers (landline or mobile) you find, you'll need to removed the first zero and add +44. Mobile phones will usually automatically convert the + into whatever your country's international dialling prefix is (according to this: 011 for Canada).
So for a UK number like
020 7230 1212
you'd dial
+44 20 7230 1212
or
011 44 20 7230 1212
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:55 PM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
So for a UK number like
020 7230 1212
you'd dial
+44 20 7230 1212
or
011 44 20 7230 1212
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:55 PM on May 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I always use https://www.howtocallabroad.com/ which helps pierce the veil of the unfamiliar foreign phone systems and their region codes, distinctions between landline and mobile, etc.
The 011 is good for both Canada and USA, in place of the +.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:30 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
The 011 is good for both Canada and USA, in place of the +.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:30 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Just putting this out there: did you speak to your loved one? There is a common scam that people call relatives of traveling people and claim they've been arrested and need bail money since their wallet was stolen, or whatever. Don't send any money unless you're sure you're speaking to your loved one.
A couple of links.
posted by clone boulevard at 3:48 PM on May 1, 2018 [10 favorites]
A couple of links.
posted by clone boulevard at 3:48 PM on May 1, 2018 [10 favorites]
Response by poster: Finally got through. I am so grateful for everyone's quick and helpful replies. Thank you!
posted by OlivesAndTurkishCoffee at 6:41 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by OlivesAndTurkishCoffee at 6:41 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
The 011 is good for both Canada and USA, in place of the +.
And just to reiterate for future readers, unlike parenthesis or dashes or periods or any other symbol used to write out phone numbers, you actually dial the + on a cell phone, unless you're swapping in the 011.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:29 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
And just to reiterate for future readers, unlike parenthesis or dashes or periods or any other symbol used to write out phone numbers, you actually dial the + on a cell phone, unless you're swapping in the 011.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:29 PM on May 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Also for future reference, you can dial 00 instead of + ahead of the country code for international numbers (useful if you're not calling from a mobile phone), so 00 44 20 7230 1212 should work as well.
posted by terretu at 5:49 AM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by terretu at 5:49 AM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Quick correction for posterity: the exit code (the number you dial to tell the phone system that you are placing an international call) is 011 from North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, most Caribbean nations).
Most of the rest of the world uses 00 (though there are plenty of exceptions, see the link Sunburnt provided).
Dialing 00 44.... will work from most of the world, but will probably not connect if dialing from North America. From North America, dial 011 44.... If you are using a mobile phone, just stick with the + to avoid the issue.
posted by yggdrasil at 11:09 AM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Most of the rest of the world uses 00 (though there are plenty of exceptions, see the link Sunburnt provided).
Dialing 00 44.... will work from most of the world, but will probably not connect if dialing from North America. From North America, dial 011 44.... If you are using a mobile phone, just stick with the + to avoid the issue.
posted by yggdrasil at 11:09 AM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by brainmouse at 2:22 PM on May 1, 2018 [1 favorite]