Hoax calls.
By suzzy3
@suzzy3 (8341)
October 20, 2009 2:56pm CST
After reading a friends discussion on a similar subject this came into my mind about hoax's.On tv the other day there was an article on hoax calls made to the emergency services.They said they answer all calls and turn out to find no accident,no fire,no cat up a tree no one to rescue but nether the less they still have to roar along at high speed and lights flashing.What a waste of resources.Well that got me thinking about the people who dial 999 call an ambulance because they cannot find the remote control.People actually call the police because their taxi has not turned up.Complain about the bus being late.All these calls are actually made.Well with the hoax calls and the silly people calling the emergency services for silly things,how much is that all costing us as tax payers.One woman rang 999 because she could not get the lead back on her dog,while exercising it.What goes on in peoples mind and how on earth would they cope with a real emergency.To put it in a nutshell why don't they fine these silly people who call the emergency services to find their remote control.I know they prosecute if they catch a hoax caller.That is not that easy to find the person doing that.Do you think it would cure people if they were up before the courts for wasting the emergency services time,or are these people so daft it would not make a difference .What do you think?
4 people like this
16 responses
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
21 Oct 09
Some people’s stupidity is astounding isn’t it? There was the story of a woman who called emergency because she was not happy with the burger she just purchased. I remember reading the story in the paper and trying really hard to fathom what could have possibly been going on in the woman’s mind and I couldn’t figure it out! I agree that a nice fine may deter these idiots from wasting emergency’s time so that these resources can be used for those who really need them.
1 person likes this
@suzzy3 (8341)
•
21 Oct 09
Wake them up with a big fine or make them pay the full cost of someone coming out to them ,that would put them off if they had to pay the price of the police car and the hours pay.Some people expect everything done for them and cannot cope with the simplest of problems.Honesty some old person could be lying on a floor somewhere or a child badly scalded.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
22 Oct 09
I know, I find some people's immaturity amazing, I agree hefty penalties may cause for them to think twice before making emergency calls about stupid stuff!
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
20 Oct 09
It's kind of scary how many really stupid people there are in the world, isn't it? These people have no idea how to think for themselves. Yes, they should be fined!
When I lived in Arizona people would try to cross flooded washes--dry ditches most of the year that filled with water when it rained. Signs up not to cross, etc. Well, the emergency services finally got sick of it and now they charge the full cost of the rescue to the stupid people who get stuck in those washes. Unfortunately, parents take children along who have no say in it and some of them are washed away and die. Stupid people!!
1 person likes this
It never fails to amaze me how stupid people are,why on earth would they want to go to these places anyway strange.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
20 Oct 09
hi suzzy3 here in Ca. it is considered a felony if you make a hoax call or call for a stupid non emergency reason and you could be charged with a big fine or have to spend jail time. All because too many people were abusing the system for non emergency things. I was so glad that when they called 911 when I fell and broke my shoulder they were there in five minutes flat. and I was in the ER in ten more minutes. so many times people who really beeded them could not get them because they had been sent on a silly call.Can you imagine falling and being in severe pain and not being able to get help because some ditsy dame wanted help corraling her stubborn dog? wow. horrible.
1 person likes this
@suzzy3 (8341)
•
20 Oct 09
I read it ok it is hard to get it right all the time.I know what you mean there are only so many ambulances per area ,glad you were treated quick and looked after.We are to soft here we should prosecute a few then it would almost stop.We will always get a few idiots.The fact is we are so lucky to have all these wonderful people to help us,what on earth would we do without them.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
21 Oct 09
Hi Suzzy, I thought it was a real offence to waste the time of the emergency services now, of course they should be fined, there's little enough of them to go round in the first place without hoaxers and morons taking them off the streets. I wonder how some of them remembered the number to dial in the first place.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
21 Oct 09
Of course they should be fined. I can't believe they call the emergency # for such ridiculous things. What a bunch of self centered idiots.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
21 Oct 09
I have never understood why things like this are never followed up on. I wouldn't make a call like that but if i did they would probably put me in jail. People that do this should be punished.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
20 Oct 09
Hi suzzy,
These stupid people should be taken to made to communty service,they are putting other people's lives in danger and time wasting the public service, they should be punished accordingly.
Tamara
@savypat (20216)
• United States
20 Oct 09
well, if it cost them significant money it might at least cut back on the number of calls.
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
21 Oct 09
Wow can people really be that stupid not to know that emergency lines are for geunine emergencies in which there are lives in jeopardy.In addition when they clutter up the lines with these silly calls and send emergency services on a wild goose chase it is a waste of resources and may actually take away the emergency staff from people who really need help.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
20 Oct 09
Here in the states its 911 we are suppose to call for an emergency. I have heard some crazy stories of why people have called for an emergency. Something they think is an emergency and it really isn't. They should all be fined. The 911 people receive a phone number when someone is calling 911 so with that number it would be easy to find out their address and send them a fine. That is the only way people will decided to stop callingg either 999 or 911 when its not considered an emergency. How do people think its and emergency when they find their remote. That is plain stupidity.
1 person likes this
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
21 Oct 09
They should have to pay a fine and also do some community service for making a non emergency call. I heard on the news can't remember what state if was that someone called 911 because McDonalds was taking to long getting their order out. I do not know what people are thinking when they do things like that.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
22 Oct 09
I 'm not sure where they come from but they are a little out of there mind to do what they are doing. Some people do things like this just to get attention and some think it is funny.
@merlinsorca (1118)
• United States
20 Oct 09
I think that these people who make such calls are inconsiderate. What if they are wasting the time of these emergency services when another person REALLY HAS AN EMERGENCY?
Someone calls the ambulance, and they use up that ambulance to come and do some stupid thing for them, but someone else is choking or something, but have no ambulance because the other person called 911 first!
On top of that, they are making the police or something go all the way there and there is no emergency. The police have wasted their time and resources for this non-emergency so they cannot use that time to help someone else.
I think that this is really sad...
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
20 Oct 09
We have a similar issue here where I work. I belong to a big organization with our own telephone system, and where we have to dial 9 before getting an outside line. Often times, when we have to dial across the country we have to dial the country code after the 9. So, after dialling 9-1, people get the sticky finger and press 1 a second time. This connects to the Emergency line. We've had a number of Ambulance and firetruck false alarms.
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I think usually no one will come out if it just a silly thing. I have listened to recordings from rediculas people like that who call emergency services, they usually just get some advice from the emergency service person on the phone or they get chastized by the emergency service people for taking up their valuable time for a silly reason, most of the time no one actually goes out to help them, so other then a few wasted telephone moments no real harm is done unless a real emergency phone call is being delayed an answer because of this foolishness. If someone does make a false call where police, paramedics, or the fire department do come out then they should be charged a service fee and a reprimand. I know here if you pull a fire alarm in a building and they know who did it you could be charged up to $300 as punishment.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
23 Oct 09
I have heard of them fining people who make hoax calls to the emergency service and I think they should. Some people are crazy, I guess that's the only way they can get attention or something. It may cure people of doing that, make them waste their time and money having to go to court for something silly.
