|
A recording of this emergency call has been released as part of a police campaign asking people to use 999 appropriately:
Control Room: “South Wales Police, what’s your emergency?”
Caller: “It’s not really. I just need to inform you that across the mountain there’s a bright stationary object.”
Control room: “Right.”
Caller: “If you’ve got a couple of minutes perhaps you could find out what it is? It’s been there at least half an hour and it’s still there.”
Control: “It’s been there for half an hour. Right. Is it actually on the mountain or in the sky?”
Caller: “It’s in the air.”
Control: “I will send someone up there now to check it out.”
Caller: “OK.”The mystery was soon solved, as the exchange between control and an officer at the scene, makes clear:
Control: “Alpha Zulu 20, this object in the sky, did anyone have a look at it?”
Officer: “Yes, it’s the moon. Over.”
I would never survive a gig like emergency despatch. Too willing to tell people the truth, too likely to respond by pointing out they just may be a stupid git!
This didn’t happen in Florida.
It happened in Wales. In some respects the Florida of the UK, though more accurately … not.
I want some of what that guy was on.
I’ve got a friend who is a police officer in a small town. He says people call 911 with stupid things all the time. He said one guy called asking for a ride to the grocery store.
Quote: ….asking people to use 999 appropriately….
Isn’t it 911?
#5, Not in the UK.
In mainland Europe, it’s 112.
I’m biased as an American, but I think 911 makes the most sense: it’s the hardest of the three to dial accidentally.
There are other emergency numbers used around the world as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number
Extra bright even “stars” also get identified as UFOs. And even though I tell people that they’re looking at Venus or some star. They’re not convinced because they need it to be a UFO, as their life was a little boring that day. On the other hand, I was once looking up at the late eastern sky, following a meteor shower I was keen to see. And suddenly a bright flare up of light that lasted longer than any meteor I’ve seen. And stayed in one place. All I could think is maybe a distant star exploded, and the light from that just reached earth as I looked up. I didn’t report it, and never heard that anyone else had. So I guess I am all alone, after all.
Esteban- As a child I always thought that it was better to use 999 because if someone had stuck gum on the handset of a public phone box, or some other kind of vandalism had occurred, that you only needed one number still to be working… only this morning (aged 25) have I realised how stupid that reasoning was.
Also, was it *complete* urban myth that, out of respect, the US were thinking of changing the 911 number after 9/11??