People call 911 for a lot of stupid reasons. We’re reminded of this each December when E-Comm shares its list of the absolute dumbest “emergencies” for which B.C. residents have wasted dispatchers’ time over the preceding 12 months.

“Sometimes, it feels like people may have forgotten that the reason to call 911 is to get help in a life or death situation,” Chelsea Brent, a call taker with the agency, said quoted in a media release. “I take a lot of 911 calls where ‘I know this isn’t an emergency’ are the first words out of the caller’s mouth. But when I’m answering calls that aren’t an emergency, it means I’m not available for someone else who really does need critical help.”

To help remind the public of 911’s importance, each year E-Comm compiles a list of the “top 10 reasons not to call 911”. Brent was the call taker who handled the request that E-Comm deemed the very worst reason that someone in B.C. called 911 in 2012. The citizen on the other end of the line said that their emergency was the inadequate size of a hotel parking spot.

Here’s E-Comm’s 2019 list of the very worst reasons people called 911.

 10. Because a gas station wouldn’t let them use the washroom
   9. To report a broken ATM machine
   8. To get information about water restrictions
   7. Because police are being ‘too loud’ responding to an emergency and requesting that they should come back in the morning
   6. To request police bring a shovel to dig their car out of the snow in front of their house
   5. To enquire why traffic was so bad
   4. Because they were upset the coin laundry machine didn’t have enough water
   3. To complain their neighbour was vacuuming late at night
   2. To complain hair salon didn’t style their hair properly
   1. To complain hotel parking spot was too small

It’s an amusing list. But it shouldn’t be.

“Our staff must treat each call as an emergency until they are confident there isn’t one,” Jasmine Bradley, an E-Comm spokesperson, said quoted in the release. “Although these calls may seem absurd at the surface, our call-takers must take the time to investigate each one to make sure there isn’t a real emergency before directing them elsewhere. That takes time away from helping those in crisis.”