Search icon

News

30th Mar 2018

“I’m trying to play a dvd and it won’t work.” – PSNI reveals reasons people have called their emergency service line

Kate Demolder

derry attack

A list of reasons to call the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have heard on their emergency line have been published online.

The PSNI took to Facebook to post a number of unusual requests they’ve received on their emergency line as of late.

All the callers have dialled 999, indicating that there’s a genuine emergency that needs to be addressed by the Police Service.

Among the examples it gives are a caller telling the operator: “I ordered a taxi an hour ago and I’m still waiting.”

Another person contacted police to let them know of a food-related plight they were dealing with.

“I ordered a special fried rice with no prawns. They just delivered it and it has prawns in it.”

“I’m trying to play a DVD and it won’t work, ” another person told them.

One caller was genuinely looking for help, in fairness to them.

“I’ve no credit left on my phone and I need to phone my mate. Could you phone him?”, they said.

And finally another person called the emergency services to tell them: “There’s a dog barking down the street and I can’t get to sleep.”

The PSNI says: “All of the above are real life examples of calls we have received.

“If you need us, we’re here and we want to help, but we’re the police and we do police work.

“Every call ties up a line and a call handler’s time.”

It adds: “Please remember – we don’t do taxis, Chinese food, DVD players, phone top ups or dog sitting.”

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc