Dumbest 911 Calls of 2022

Since the beginning of time, prank phone calls have been made by kids, teenagers, and even adults, harassing the victim’s workday. One of the most common types of phone calls is directed towards 911 Emergency Services which not only delays the operator but the person who truly needs help. In a recent PSA, police from Saskatchewan, Canada had alerted residents not to abuse 911 by providing examples of the dumbest 911 calls of 2022. For confidential reasons, the officers chose to remain their names annoymous Here are a few examples:

January 22 2022; “Wild Animal on the Loose”: One resident dialed 911 claiming that there was a wild cougar running loose around the neighborhood and to send animal control straight away. After the operator asked the details about the cougar, they laughed saying, “Her name is Cindy. She’s 40 years old and she’s dating a teenager!” and quickly hung up. Immature jokes such as these are uncalled for especially at such a crucial business.

June 1 2022; “Don’t Put Me on Hold”: After serving many years in the police department, this resident was ready to submit his retirement paperwork. The problem was that the offices consistently put the person on hold and so the resident tried to contact the police department directly complaining he was tired of being placed on hold. Just because somebody works for the police department does not provide an excuse for abusing the system.

July 19 2022; Clogged Drain: One resident called 911 saying that they recently took a shower and that their drain was clogged and that the water wouldn’t go down. He then blamed the landscaping company of the house threatening that they should be sued. The operator reports that “there was genuine sincerity in his voice. I’m sure it won’t be the last we hear of him”.

September 12 2022; Roomate Ate My Food: At the University of Alabama, a college student dorming with their roommate made an interesting (and dumb) call to 911 after the roommate ate their takeout dinner. “This was $65 dollars worth of food”, says the college student. “Please come settle this disagreement”. Perhaps their time calling 911 would be better spent looking for a job to pay off this “disagreement”….

October 27 2022; Clothes Store Won’t Return My Item: This one may resonate with anybody who’s worked in retail. A customer entered the store saying that the boots he had received for his birthday were worn and damaged. Not only could the customer not furnish proof that he bought the boot, but he claimed that the boots arrived in this condition. After the manager politely told the customer he couldn’t return the item, the customer called 911 in front of the store stating his “displeasure” with the management. Issues like this may be taken to Corporate but the police is going too far.

Upon providing these stories, the Saskatchewan police provide a friendly but urgent reminder that calling 911 should be, and must be, reserved for life-threatening emergencies. “Before dialing 911, please remember that calling the police should be reserved for police-related matters only and calling 911 should be reserved for life-threatening emergencies only,” says the department.