911 Operators Are Sharing The Pettiest Calls They've Ever Heard
Redditor u/DigletDigler asked a question, "911 operators of Reddit, what was the most petty call you have ever received?" Operators from all over the world recalled incidents that were a case study in human stupidity. Let's hear 911.
1."Got a 911 call from a person because their fire extinguisher hadn't been checked that month."
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2."Caller: My daughter is wearing too much makeup."
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"To be fair, she looked like Heath Ledger's joker and had lipstick from ear to ear, but still, that's an issue for the fashion police and not the regular cops." —u/QueenCoyote
3."Once got a call about a stolen matchbook from the callers front porch. Ashtray and cigarettes were left untouched. The caller was so worked up and concerned about a prowler that I sent an officer over. Matches were located in the garden, where they had fallen over the railing. The caller immediately demanded the officer leave the property."
4."Dispatcher: 911! What's your emergency? *Breathless, panicky voice*"
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"Caller: How do I get the cranberry sauce out of the can without it coming out in chunks?
Dispatcher: Open the other end and slide it out on a plate.
Caller: OH! THANK YOU! You are brilliant!"
5."My hometown received national attention when a woman rang 911 because her snowman had been stolen from her garden. An actual snowman."
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"Not a ceramic garden decoration, a facsimile of a man made out of fallen snow. The words 'Someone's nicked mah snowman' haunt me." —u/boomboomk9000
6."I've had at least two different people call and ask for an ambulance. Seems simple enough, right?"
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"'What do you need the ambulance for?'
'To take my dog to the vet.'" —u/911ChickenMan
7."Pretty sure I remember a local call from someone who said their neighbor's frogs were having too much loud sex."
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—u/[deleted]
8."The worst are the people who won't parent their kids. The worst was probably when someone called because his kid wouldn't go to his room."
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9.“Operator: County 911, what's your emergency? Caller: My neighbour is mowing his yard in pajamas. And I don't think that's very necessary."
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"Operator: Ex-cuse me...? Ma'am, is he threatening you or harming you?
Caller: No, but he's nearly nude mowing his yard. Can you get a cop here to tell him to put clothes on?
Operator: How about I let an officer give you a call about it ma'am?
Caller: Sure that'll be fine! I'm tired of seeing old shirtless men mowing their yards early morning. My number is blah blah blah.
*Hangs up*
Operator on the radio: County 911 to North County. Have some telephone traffic regarding a shirtless old man mowing his yard; subject is requesting you to give her a call.
Officer: Sure thing, I’m ready to copy.
*5 minutes later*
Officer: 939 to county 911
Operator: Go ahead.
Officer: It's gonna be a civil matter, she told me she's going to start mowing her yard naked. I'll be 10-8." —u/AtillaTheHungg
10."I remember hearing an audio recording on TV when David Cameron was still Prime Minister of the UK. Some old woman actually phoned emergency services to ask the police operator to tell David Cameron he was doing a great job. The understandably irritated operator told the woman that the line was for emergency use only, to which the old woman responded by asking the operator if she could get her a contact number for the prime minister."
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11."D: Unit 1 be advised that we have a report of a girl riding a bike barefoot down the road at 100mph."
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"O: Please confirm did you say 100mph?
D: Yes caller is afraid she is going to get a toe caught in the spokes.
O: I'd be more afraid of her legs falling off at that speed, but will try to make contact.
D: *trying not to laugh* Will mark you en route." —u/ShutterSpook
12."So in the military, we had a call on base from a lady who said her dog was missing. I was like, 'Did you or anyone begin looking?' She said no. I just paused for a second. She then says 'I'm the commanders wife.'"
"Flash forward to 15 minutes later, half of the police patrols are running around base looking for a poodle." —u/TehHonkyTonkMan
13."A woman called in a man walking down the street in her neighborhood. Not being loud or suspicious or disruptive in any way, just walking along the sidewalk."
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"Dispatcher: Ma'am, what exactly is the problem then if he's just walking down the street?
Caller: Well he just shouldn't be walking here. They have no business in our neighborhood.
So she called the police, on 911 and not the non-emergency line, because a black man was minding his own business walking down the street. She just kept saying 'he shouldn't be walking here!' and eventually I snapped back with 'Would you feel better if he was running?'" —u/Kingofping4
14."Neighbor 1 let their dog crap in neighbor 2's yard. Neighbor 2 went and picked it up and placed it in Neighbor 1's yard. At this point, neighbor 1 called us to report watching this happen."
"Then, against the best advice I could muster, went outside to confront. Then I got to listen to them both yell at each other, threaten each other, and continue to hot potato the turd back and forth across their property line until police arrived." —u/IfritanixRex
15."My colleague took a call where a lady got into a minor accident and called to report it. When the police didn't get there within 3 seconds like the caller wanted she called back asking where they were at. My partner explained they were on the way and told her they don't drive fast or with lights and sirens when no one is hurt or needs an ambulance. The caller then says 'well I'm on my period and it's a heavy flow.'"
16."Pettiest calls are neighbour calls in the winter. Winters are the worst here and we are constantly flooded with 911 calls of people complaining that their neighbours are putting snow on their property. We when tell them it is a civil matter they start allegedly start assaulting each other and then call back 'I've been assaulted with a snowball!'"
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17."I'm not a 911 operator, but someone called 911 because my daughter pulled a gun on them. The gun was a neon pink and yellow pump water pistol. A policeman came to my door and we had a long chat about the guy that called in the complaint. The policeman was trying to find a new angle on the guy to get him arrested."
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18."My ex's mom was a 911 operator. Two stories she told made me laugh. One was my son won't do the dishes when I tell him to. Can you send an officer to make him? The other was a woman claiming she was trapped in her bedroom because there was a big spider in the hall."
19."911 operator here. Honestly, 90% of what we deal with is petty. Things that I would never think to call 911 for, people are calling."
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“Caller: My son brought his girlfriend over, I don't like her, can you remove her from the house?
911 Operator: Ma'am, is she being threatening or violent in anyway?
Caller: No, I just don't like her.” —u/GingerScourge
