It’s common knowledge that mayor Bloomberg has a listed phone number. But I did chuckle this morning when I read that the mayor also has an emergency, unlisted, secure hot line that he has never had to use other than to reject telesales calls.

With characteristic dry wit, the mayor told a Senate hearing yesterday:

…When I became mayor, I was given a very important secure phone that is in the kitchen of my house, so that if I wanted to talk to the Air National Guard and shoot down a plane, I just press a button.

According to the New York Times “a low murmur spread through the room” and the mayor was forced to clarify later that he did not, indeed, have a direct line to the military:

It is not red, and it has never been used other than to answer an occasional call for, did I want to subscribe to a ridiculous magazine, buy an insurance policy or some other such particular thing.