Calling 911? Being Stupid Isn't an Emergency
The return of hysterical 911 calls as an Oregon man get upset over juice.
May 29, 2009— -- Sometimes life isn't fair. But calling 911 over missing orange juice, a shortage of shrimp or missing out on the name of that really cute cop isn't likely to make things any better.
Dispatchers who handle 911 calls are trained to handle a lot of situations, but some of the calls they get are anything but emergencies. Life-and-death calls, sure, but the woman who calls to report her missing McNuggets? Not so much.
The cop who was high as a kite on pot-laced brownies? Not that either.
Every few months, however, audio gets released detailing trivial -- if not ridiculous -- calls to emergency officials.
"We deal with prank calls and people checking in for the time of day," Florida's St. Lucie County Public Safety 911 operations coordinator Tiffany Bennett told ABCNews.com. "When you pick up that phone, you never know what's on the other end."
Her center has also gotten calls asking about holiday parade routes and how to fix a washing machine.
"Of course, you are going to giggle at some of the sillier stuff," she said.
One man's spiral from the McDonald's drive-thru to jail started, like many others before him, when his fast-food order didn't meet his expectations.
Raibin Osman called 911 after not getting the carton of orange juice he ordered from an Aloha, Ore., McDonald's.
"We ordered some food and we went home and our order wasn't in there and little brother is crying for his orange juice and stuff," he told the dispatcher.
He went on to complain that the McDonald's worker refused to give him the missing OJ when they drove back with the receipt -- and gave him an attitude to boot.
"She was laughing at my brother-in-law because he ordered the food and he couldn't speak English right and she's not even showing up in the window now," he said.
The restaurant manager then also called 911 to report that Osman was blocking the drive-thru and swearing at her.
"They got mad because they told me to give them more food," she told the dispatcher. "And I told them I can't give any free food away. And they started telling me bad words and all that."
Police responded and arrested Osman for improper use of 911, according to ABC affiliate KATU. He posted bail the same day.
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