Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

911 Operators Divulge The Stupidest Reason Someone Has Ever Called In

911 Operators Divulge The Stupidest Reason Someone Has Ever Called In
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

Operators responding to 911 calls have the unenviable task of trying to keep distressed callers from panicking.


With requirements of the profession including efficient problem-solving under pressure and having excellent telecommunications skills, they are the unsung heroes of an emergency response team, and they are ready to take your call during a major crisis.

However, not all calls are emergencies.

Redditor CommunistWaffle990 asked strangers on the internet:

"911 operators of Reddit, what is the stupidest reason that someone has ever called?"

From a guy burning his tongue on a baked potato, to a ghost sighting in the attic, the responses did not disappoint.

Ready to put face to palm?


Alien Invasion

"July 1996 a dust storm blew in and at least 20 people called 9-1-1 to report aliens. Yes, the dust storm did look exactly like the one in the movie Independence Day that was just released. No, aliens were not invading."

– tmccrn

Sinister Critters

"Police despatch in the UK. Had someone call in because 2 squirrels were fighting in her back garden 'no, we don't arrest squirrels.'"

"On a similar vein, had a recent immigrant call, had a strange & deadly creature in the back garden. On arrival, turns out to be a hedgehog."

"Also had woman hysterically call in about a snake in her toilet. Turned out to be big poo !"

– mozgw4

Firefighter's Diary

"Firefighter here. Here are a few actual calls we have been started to:"

"Popcorn in the eye. Ghost in the attic."
"Possible smoke in the house (turns out the caller was crying which made things blurry so they thought it was smoke)."
"Adult with leg stuck in laundry shoot."
"Caller dropped a cigarette on the garage floor and didn't know what to do."
"Fried chicken was too dry."
"Leg through the floor while on the toilet."

– stockpile548

Search, Not Rescue

"Here in the UK someone called the emergency services because he couldn't find the TV remote."

– moon_monkey

Birthday Wish

"When I was 3 years old my dad said I could do anything I wanted for my birthday. I took it literally, and called 911."

– bablume

She Didn't See Clearly

"Not an operator, but back when I was 20, I was at a party where a girl called 911. I went with my roommate to this party and we both crashed there. At the end of the night, he realized he forgot his contact lenses case at home, so he took a shot glass, filled it with water and put his contacts in. A few minutes later, the girl came into the room and saw the shot glass and downed it thinking it was vodka. When my roommate woke up and told he what she did, she got all panicked and called 911. I passed out before they arrived so I'm not sure what happened."

– Wambolt90

Wait For It...

"Paramedic here."

"At the height of lockdown in the UK I was sent to a lady who called for an emergency ambulance as her 'sex drive was too high.'"

"Also on my list of stupid calls:"

"Guy in his late 30's who burnt his tongue on a baked potato."

"Someone who has had pain in their knee for 30 years (decided at 3am that this was the time to get it sorted.)"

"A man in his 40's who had a nightmare. A guy who thought he might feel unwell later."

"Man who scratched his testicle in the night with his long fingernail. No blood."

– richcollins89

Call Of Shame

"I'm the one who called... I got lost in a hotel in the middle of the night after hooking up with some dude and ended up in their inner courtyard with everything locked. The receptionist told me he couldn't find me and to call the cops. They had to get me out of there. SO embarrassing. First thing I did when they picked up was apologize."

– Lalauri89

Racoon In A Tree

"Bit late to the party, but I am a 911 operator so I've got that going for me."

"My personal favorite was the guy that called in because there was a racoon in a tree in his yard. It should be noted that I dispatch for a low density county and medium density small city."

"Me: Sir, what is it doing? Is it acting aggressive?"

"Racoon guy: No, he's just in my yard."

"Me : ... so what is the issue, what do you want done?"

"RG: I want someone to come get it. It shouldn't be here!"

"Me: Sir... raccoons.... live in trees."

"RG: But I live in the city!"

– iamthemorgs

She Was Lit

"Had someone call in screaming that they were on fire. Sounded legit, I've heard a lot of different screams, including another of someone actually on fire, and this one sounded like one of those 'im actually dying' screams. I tried everything I could to get them to calm down, stop drop and roll, literally anything but she just kept screaming. When the fire department eventually got there she calmed down and I was able to hear her tell them that her crotch was on fire after she had sex with her neighbor....."

– CasanovaVA

Overcooked Turkey

"I had one call on Thanksgiving that their oven was locked and they could not get their turkey out... it was really busy that night and we instructed them to turn the oven off and we could head over when we could."

– Snidgetless

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Elmo; Lorne Michaels
Sesame Street; Adela Loconte/Variety/Getty Images

Elmo Just Showed Off His Lorne Michaels Impression On 'Sesame Street'—And It's Surprisingly Good

Not all project mashups are good. Sometimes they're phenomenal.

Like the recent appearance of several Sesame Street characters in the Saturday Night Live writers' room, looking for a new take on writing their sketches.

Keep ReadingShow less
Montana Jordan and Emily Osment
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

'Young Sheldon' Star Explains Why She Asked For An Intimacy Coordinator On The Show—And It Makes Sense

Entertainment journalist and Glamour magazine Senior West Coast Editor Jessica Radloff's new book, Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, shared a story about actor Emily Osment joining the show in its fifth season that's drawing praise for her consideration for her fellow child star, Montana Jordan.

Osment, who began acting at age five, is one of a rare breed in Hollywood—a child star turned successful adult actor. It's a journey many kids have infamously stumbled on, but that Jordan has also successfully navigated perhaps in part thanks to Osment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Participants at the meeting of the furry scene Eurofurence in the Hotel Estrel in Berlin, Germany
Jens Kalaene/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Texas GOP's Bizarre Text Warning Voters About 'Weirdo Furry Socialists' Sparks Mockery

A Texas political action committee sparked online mockery after multiple people independently told the San Antonio Current they received a text message urging Texans to vote Republican to keep so-called "furry Socialists" from choosing their leaders.

The message was sent Saturday alongside a photo purportedly showing a man wearing a fox-tail accessory as he left a polling location in Collin County. The message identified its sender as Texans for Common Sense, a political action committee funded entirely by Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, a far-right organization backed by West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nicki Minaj
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Nicki Minaj Is Now Being Floated As A Possible White House Press Secretary—And It's Beyond Parody

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had critics rolling their eyes after he shared a video of himself with rapper Nicki Minaj and floated her as the next press secretary.

Cheung's post comes as the White House continues to hunt for a replacement for Katie Zacharia, who was fired after just five days on the job.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexander Skarsgård attends the Los Angeles premiere of Black Bear's "Wicker" at Directors Guild Of America.
Maya Dehlin/WireImage

Alexander Skarsgård's Unexpected Confession About Finding The Grinch Hot Sparks Hilarious Reactions

Some people want a man who's tall, dark, and handsome. Alexander Skarsgård prefers green, hairy, and someone who hates Christmas with a passion.

It all went down during a Bustle interview promoting Wicker, when Skarsgård and co-star Olivia Colman got into a “hear me out” discussion that took an unexpectedly naughty turn.

Keep ReadingShow less