Unable to unblock Age Verification on Mobile Broadband

[Anonymous]

I'm furious about this.
I've been trying to book my 2 1/2 year old son in to see Santa at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
Apparently I have to be over 18 to do this.
Since when did the mobile industry self-appoint itself as my nanny (I'm 46 by the way).
I'm not even using a mobile phone: it's my mobile broadband (my only broadband connection at the moment) and I'm sitting at home in front of the computer. This means that I can't use the "Block or Unblock 18+ Content" service because apparently, my mobile broadband number "...is not a valid mobile number".
So basically, my little boy isn't going to get to see Santa this weekend because the mobile industry has taken it upon themselves to protect him from me, his father, and from steam trains which nanny O2 says are unsuitable material for little boys. I'm so angry, I'm close to tears and completely, utterly powerless to do anything about it.
This isn't consumer service, and it's not consumer choice: it's censorship, of people who don't need it, by people who're no good at it, working for a corporation that has no right to do it.
Do I expect O2 to do anything about it: no, I don't. Do I expect anybody at O2 to care: no, I don't. I'm tired, angry and going to bed. And I'll fall asleep trying to figure out how I'm going to explain to a toddler that no, he won't be getting to meet Santa after all.

[jonsie]

Fair comment Beaufighter, people feel very strongly about this and it would be good if O2 can answer all the points made rather than their selected choice. One or two of our members have had to verify more than the quoted 'once'.
Good post Beaufighter

[Anonymous]

I found the phone number in the local paper, we went along today and a great time was had all round.
This being two days on from my being denied access to the steam railway website, the anger has of course subsided. What remains is frustration and bafflement: frustration that a resource as useful as the internet is being hobbled by such a dysfunctional restriction; and bafflement that O2 (or maybe the industry) can't find a better way.
It's particularly sad that a largely volunteer organisation, recently voted the UKs Best Heritage Project, should be disadvantaged by this (however slightly). O2 really should fix this before the tabloids get hold of it.
Beaufighter, thanks for posting back, imo occasional spikiness is ok on internet forums: it makes the rest of us think a bit harder before we vent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8973000/8973167.stm

[Anonymous]

Ha ha, me too, sometimes glad you had a good day.