999
Communications operator: “Police Can I help you?”
Caller: “Yeah this is… I’ve been tired, stopped policeman, rung you up… I beat-up one of your coppers last year and I can’t get health insurance because of it. Now I know it’s over a year and I’ve been very polite and I’ve tried to ring the court …I’ve… waved down a policeman today…”
Communications operator: “Right, Madam is this an emergency 999 call?”
Caller: “Yes! I would like to talk to the sergeant at Bath Prison – Nick”
Communications operator: “Yes, Madam this is not an emergency call”
Caller: “Yes it is!”
Communications operator: “Well I’m afraid you’ll have to ring on the normal number which is…”
Caller: “What 999? I’ve just done that…”
Communications operator: “That is the emergency number for life and death and emergencies…”
Caller: “How do you know I… !!!!! they been !!!!! all day”
Communications operator: “Right, let me just warn you now that if you swear at me again…”
Caller: “You’ll put the phone down on me and I can die…”
Communications operator: “What is the problem right now?”
Caller: “I’m in agony and I’ve took all the painkillers I can… and nobody cares…”
Communications operator: “Well, have you rang your doctor?”
Caller: “(Sigh!) You ring your doctor they put you through to the NHS and then you get…”
Communications operator: “Right, so tell me something if you’ve got a medical problem why are you calling the police?”
Caller: “Because I would like to go to sleep and I don’t want to take Zopiclone because they give you a bloody hangover…”
Communications operator: “Yeah, but…”
Caller: “I don’t want to drink. I’ve been dry over a year. I’m celebrating but I actually ripped my back yesterday and I might have ME…”
Communications operator: “Right, Madam it’s five minutes to four in the morning…”
Caller: “I know what time it is…”
Communications operator: “Right, so why?…”
Caller: “I’m just trying to get some help!”
Communications operator: “Alright, I’m sorry…”
Caller: “My doctor’s told me I’m anaemic I’ve got to take more valium…”
Communications operator: “Alright, I’m cutting you off.”
I think the operator did what was neccessary in the end and put the phone down on the caller. I also think that the caller should have been locked up for wasting police time.
The reason i think this way is that she had phoned 999 when it was not a real emergency and its people like the caller that make the rest of us wait when we call 999 and we really are in an emergency.
I would like to shake hands with the operator and lock up the person who felt it was appropriate to use and emergency number for a chat.
Thats the sought of person who needs to be locked up for wasting police time.
The operator handled the call efficiently and correctly. The caller was seriously out of order and most definitly stopped another 999 emergency call being delt with. Personally I think the caller was drunk!