999 etc, should 101 be necessary for the terminally dim?

[Loosehead]

Just been watching the news, there was a guy on there who dialled 999 because he couldn't find his sandwiches in the fridge! Why are people so stupid that they cannot judge what constitutes an emergency? There was some dozy bird ringing up because a pigeon had been run over and another bloke rung up because there where no buses! discuss

[bloodycheap]

I think that people in your examples above should be brought before the courts and severely dealt with. If you have the common sense to use a telephone then you should have the common sense to figure out what is a REAL emergency.

[goldenboy]

most of those people gave me the impression that they were going senile. the bloke with the sandwiches especially. they are probably just as likely to ring the samaritans pestering them with snack related emergencies

[Drisgirl]

Because they have run out on their Pay as you Go credit - Doh!!!

[randomsasha]

We don't get a background on the people who call 999 when we hear these stories. These people could be the few that phone in because they have learning difficulties or maybe no concept for what is an emergency. Too us, it might sound like the most riduculous waste of emergency services time, but these people might genuinely be distressed. We just dont understand because we don't know each case. I do realize however that there are people who purposefully/stupidly call up and waste time.

[rogerthomas]

Oh please randomsasha, don't make excuses for these cretins. As has already been said, if they are intelligent enough to use a telephone then they should be intelligent enough to decide what is an emergency and what isn't.

Reminds me of the story of an on-call doctor who was called in the middle of the night by a man who said that he couldn't sleep, to which the irate doctor replied, "that makes two of us".

[lady_p_gold]

As an ex 999 operator I can tell you that on a Saturday night the lines are constantly jammed with calls like these, a lot of them from drunks who cannot get home and who want taxis and goodness knows what. All this time a real emergency might not get through. You could not possibly spend the time in tracing all the numbers and finding the people and taking them to Court, you are more interested in getting them off the line so that some genuine calls can come through.

[Drisgirl]

lady - I hate to say it but I have met people who use 999 because they have no credit.They are no friends of mine but I meant what I said in my previous post.

Only prob is - I live in a very quiet residential street where the local church is.Now the kiddies go there to quaff their White Lightening and then think its fun to scare my dear old neighbours witless by banging on their windows.I challenge them but when I'm getting no-where If you phone the local number you are put through to the non emergency line in the Police HQ when you are put in a Q.I then have a couple of biddies in the house cos they have phoned me and I'm giving them cups of tea to calm them down.The polis arrive and disperse them yet in the papers they urge people to get in touch asap so they can give them the ASBO's (on the spotters - �40)

I just phone 999 now - if someone is tooting outside my bedroom window at 2 in the morning then I hope they are still tooting when the polis arrive!

[Drisgirl]

sorry loosehead - I did go off on a tangent on your post but as you can probably appreciate its an on going problem and the polis dont react and I am surrounded with lovely friends who are elderly and neighbours and it bugs me no end the people who abuse the system.

My sister - in - laws Gran died when one of the little hooligans threw a stone at her window.She was obviously so petrified but we'll never know.Erses who tie up the system should be ashamed.I am not saying it would have saved her but 999 are not taken as urgent now due to their witlessness.

[Supernick]

To be honest, if you're the kind of person who doesn't know that 999 is for emergencies only, you're probably not the kind of person who will know about this change anyway. I'm sympathetic to randomsasha's comments about some of them being in real distress, particularly the elderly, and those people will still end up calling 999. Nuisance callers are still going to call 999 as they're attention seeking. What you really need to cut out are the drunks etc, and I think that you're more likely to get that with decent sentencing. What is the penalty for making a drunk call to the police for a taxi etc? With absolutely zero knowledge on this, something like a �60 fine would seem appropriate.

[Drisgirl]

supernick - I was a Manager with BT for 22 yrs - so I know all about the abuse of the 999 system.I also now know about 101 which was not in operation when I had to ultimately call 999 because of the abuse my neighbours were getting and also the sectarian songs and fighting, which scared the sh!t out of me at 2 in the morning,which resulted in me calling 999 .So, I wasnt getting murdered ,but when they are rattling of your window because they are out of their heads - dare you to challenge them.

Dont, please be fascetious about me.Thank you for your opinion though - misguided as it was.

[Drisgirl]

supernick - I have an apology to make I misread your question and I dont think it was directed at me.I hold my hands up and apologise unreservedly.I am an utter twit sometimes and just go off half-cocked.Sorry:)

[Supernick]

None taken Drisgirl. I read your first one and did think it was a little bit out of left-field. Nearly called 101.

[jedimistress]

I am also sympathetic to randomsasha. We often see in the news stories which have been twisted.

Perhaps the person had gone blind? Perhaps they were suffering from a state of confusion? We can't judge on what we hear / see in the news.

Yes I agree the 101 us a great idea, something between a call centre to report crime, and an emergency service.