From the article: Five Worst Reasons to Call 911
Whether you worked in a 911 call center, knew a friend of a friend or made the call yourself, share your stories of silly, crazy or downright ridiculous 911 calls. Tell Your Story
Abuse of 911
- K&G clothing has adds on TV that look like a real news story about a stupid 911 call. A person gave a credit card to clerk and only got a dress. She calls 911 begging for help. This is abuse and should not be allowed.
- —Guest Elizabeth
Rude Non-Emergency Personnel
- When I was in my early twenties, I just managed to elude a scary old pervert on my way home at night. From my house window, I could see him heading for the nearby playground where a group of teenaged girls was congregated. When I called the non-emergency police number to notify them, they acted like I was being goofy. I'm glad the girls left the playground soon after. That guy was a real creep, and I don't think anyone cared.
- —ohevshalomel
everything under the sun
- i have had everything ... from people asking for the time .. to "when is the police auction?". Our 911 center is often times overwhelmed by calls. Yet the first thing out of peoples mouths is "why did it take you so long to answer the phone?". They assume they are the only ones calling for the 4 car pile up on the thruway, which every driver who has driven by has also called for during rush hour.
- —kiki14201
Seriously
- I share the frustration that some of the posters have expressed about the abuses of the 911 system. However, that is NEVER and excuse to be rude to callers, sound "put-out", or yell at them. It's very rare that we are so busy that a person can't use this as an educational opportunity and provide callers with the right number to reach who they're trying to find. When we are that busy, there is still a polite way to put callers on hold, or at least tell them that this isn't the proper avenue for their question - nicely!!! Seriously, people, just because we work in health care and / or law enforcement doesn't make us any less bound to common courtesy. In fact, shouldn't we be using good customer service skills MORE than the average person, to give people good impressions of the police, fire, and medical services?? I know there will be plenty of people that disagree with me, but if I ever called 911 and encountered the attitude expressed by some of the posters here, I would complain.
- —Guest Dispatcher
Bizarre 911 phone call
- I noticed a news item this week regarding another fast food related 911 call. Apparently, two brothers pulled into a McDonald's and ordered. When they received their bags at the drive-through window, it seems that the good employees of McDonald's forgot the orange juice. While still in the drive-through, the guy began arguing in broken English about his missing orange juice. When store personnel asked him to move his car because he was blocking the exit, holding up the line, he refused. He then placed a call to 911 informing them that not only had the employees forgotten his orange juice but they were making fun of his brother's English. McDonald's personnel called the non-emergency police number to see if they could send someone out to settle things. The unfortunate consumer never did get his orange juice and he spent the Memorial Day weekend behind bars charged with illegal use of 911.
- —inugirl
Terrified
- When I was in 1st grade, we got to spend an entire day learning about emergency services. They had these people in animal costumes constantly telling to us call 911. We even got to simulate calling at some telephone up near the stage. Well, during Christmas vacation I felt kinda curious. I was playing with my computer bugs and I pretended that their house was on fire. So I called 911 in a high pitched voice. A minute later, the phone rang and dad answered. He then yelled asking who called 911. He then screamed at me about it for 15 mins. Just how scary my dad reacted made me scared to even look or hear the numbers 911.
- —Guest Smartie Pants
It's only 911
- I would like to offer a little perspective on some of the calls people think are cute. You have to realize, we sit in a room with no windows that is only about the size of an average living room, eating when we can and never getting any satisfaction or outcome on the calls we dispatch. When you call 911 to tell us you have locked your keys in your car, ask us if we have heard anything about the weather, ask us what time it is or call us about a turtle that has been ran over you could be pulling us from a very important call. We take calls everyday from women sceaming about their husbands beating them, mothers crying in grief about finding a loved one dead, teenagers screaming about their friend being shot outside of a club and pleading for help or a Father in distress watching their daughter have a seizure. We can not afford to be pulled away from a life threatening call just because you thought it might be cute to call 911. Please think before you call 911.
- —Guest Dispatcher
my bad
- i locked my friend out of the house as a joke so he said "im gunna beat you" so i called 911 then when he said "no i was just joking" i hung up. So, 10 seconds later some women calls back and yells at me..a 8 year old kid..and asks for my mom. I told her i was kidding and she said fine DONT DO IT AGAIN OR WE ARE SENDING POLICE OVER! I have never called 911 since then.
- —Guest dude who was being an idiot
I am a dispatcher
- All these calls are silly and crazy to some but as a dispatcher please let me bring some awareness to those who think it is no big deal to call 911 for non-emergencies. We are in a room, dealing with 1000 calls a day on average, and that is handled by 5 of us. We are dealing with accidents where people are pinned under vehicles, giving CPR instructions to someone who is dying, helping mothers whose children are lost, and then there are murders and suicides and domestic fights between couples. This may sound over dramatic but it is the daily reality of an emergency dispatcher. We never know what will come in from one minute to the next. So please understand if we sound put out by your barking dog complaint, or that your baby had your phone. I have a small child too, and he doesn't play with my phone because I do not want to tie up a line that is needed to help someone in serious trouble. Think about this, someday it could be you or your family who needs our full focus.
- —Guest Jacobsmommy
gone to jail for 911 call
- I was shoveling snow when the police walked up to me with his gun pointed. It seems my neighbor who hates my guts because I am black called the 911 emegency call center and I was searched on my own property for a gun. No gun was found. Warrant for his arrest was issued and he was later fined and charged with disorderly conduct. He is going to jail. But has a 2 court dates. One courtdate is for next year. I guess this means he is going to jail for a year or so...I guess.
- —Guest NinasCherry
Has the radio frequency been changed?
- In our communications center we have the 911 phone lines as well as non-emergency phone lines. I once took a call in which the adult gentleman on the phone stated that he listens to a scanner.He had been listening without hearing any radio traffic for about 5 hrs.He was wondering if we had changed the radio frequency we transmit on, or if perhaps something was wrong with his scanner.You guessed it-he DIALED 911 to ask his question.(We had not changed our frequency.)
- —Guest 299T
Just checking.....
- A man called 911, I asked him what his address was and this was his reply: "I just called to check and see if my cell phone was charged." I asked him if he had an emergency, and he became irate and yelled at me. He states, "No, I told you already, I just wanted to make sure my cell phone was charged!" Yep, my thoughts exactly!!
- —Guest Jenbee
Is betty there?
- My cousin answers the phone calls at the emergancy servaces and an old woman rang and said "Hello is this betty?" she had rangs this number three times that week.
- —Guest HoodBummer
Its time for him to go now.
- When my sister was about 2 1/2, my brother was born. After he was brought home from the hospital Amanda was a great big sister. About three weeks after Dylan came home from the hospital apparently Amanda decided it was time for Dylan to go. My sister then unplugged the phone in the kitchen and plugged it into her bedroom phone jack. A few minutes later my mom heard the phone ringing and followed the sound to Amanda's room. When she answered, the 911 operator instructed her that they recieved a call from a child saying it was "time for them to come and take the baby away because he had been there too long." She then asked my mom to inform her children that 911 was from emergencies only and embaressed, my mother insisted she would. When Amanda was questioned, her response was "it IS an emergancy mom...he needs to go!" haha kids are priceless
- —Guest semilesh
Overdose...
- I took a 911 call once of a man who had called in stating he needed an ambulance because time had stopped! He stated he had smoked a joint that he got from a friend but thinks it may have been laced and was freaking out because he seriously thought time had stopped!
- —Guest Dragonfly
1-15 of 30Next
