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Small parking stalls and late-night vacuuming: Top 10 absurd 911 calls in 2019

E-comm 911 says calls are not just strange, they can be dangerous
Katya Slepian
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Too-small parking stalls were a top concern in wacky 911 calls in B.C. (Wikimedia Commons)

There are a lot of good reasons to call 911, but some people just don’t seem to get it.

E-Comm 911, which operates emergency dispatch centres in B.C., released a list of the least appropriate calls received in 2019.

Here are the top 10:

  1. Their parking spot was too small.
  2. The hair salon messed up their hairstyle.
  3. The neighbour was vacuuming late at night.
  4. The coin laundry machine didn’t have enough water.
  5. To ask why traffic was so bad.
  6. To ask police to come dig their car out of the snow in front of their house.
  7. To complain the police were “too loud” when they responded to a nighttime emergency and could they come back in the morning?
  8. To ask for information on water restrictions.
  9. To report a broken ATM.
  10. Staff at a gas station wouldn’t let them use the washroom.

E-Comm said the calls may seem funny, but could actually be dangerous because they take away time for people with real emergencies. The service received 1.6 million calls in 2019.

“Our staff must treat each call as an emergency until they are confident there isn’t one,” said spokesperson Jasmine Bradley.

READ MORE: 74% of 911 calls are from cellphones, so know your location: E-Comm

READ MORE: Wrong nail polish colour tops worst 911 calls of 2017: E-Comm

READ MORE: Fast-food restaurant being closed, lost jacket top worst 911 calls in 2018

@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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