Yes, KFC running out of chicken is a tragedy but no, no it isn’t worth phoning the emergency services about
So here we are then, close to another 365 day period put behind us on planet earth. We’re all getting another year older and wiser. Other than these people, who are phoning the emergency services for literally any reason, everyone is getting older and wiser.
Scotland Yard has actually released the worst called they received this year to highlight the amount of time-wasting going on for 999 operators to deal with.
Quick question: Should you phone the police to report your full English breakfast not being served quick enough?
Quick answer: No, you fucking cretin. You shouldn’t do that.
Here are the worst calls:
- On New Year’s Day, a woman called police to wish them a Happy New Year.
- On 10 March, a female called police to demand that a female taxi driver come and pick her up.
- On 21 March, a member of the public phoned up because a fast-food restaurant had run out of chicken.
- On 6 July, a male caller phoned to tell the call handler that a bus driver had shut the door in his face, when in fact the bus had broken down and no one was allowed on board.
- On 19 September, a man called 999 to report that his breakfast had not been served quick enough at a central London pub.
- On 19 November, a male driver called police to tell them that he had been having an argument with a female driver about who had the right of way.
- On 25 November, a female member of the public called police to report that her bus driver had been whistling throughout her journey.
Chief Superintendent David Jackson said: “During the time that our call handlers are dealing with these time-wasting calls, a member of the public could be in real danger or have built up the confidence to call with an important piece of information that could take a dangerous person off the streets. Imagine if one of your friends or loved ones was in need of the police as quickly as possible and it turned out we could not help because we were having to deal with one of these hoax calls – I’m sure that you, like us, would be devastated and extremely annoyed.”
Remember that folks. No grassing on your bus driver whistling, or your breakfast not coming, or KFC running out of chicken, no matter how much it irks you.
