Over 200 million calls are placed to 9-1-1 in the United States every year.
Some people have treated 9-1-1 as if it's an information source and millions of calls have come in that are inappropriate or calls that have been accidental.
Some 9-1-1 operators have even been arrested after it had been discovered that they had hung up on thousands of calls.
In the United States people have called 9-1-1 about not being able to get a cab, having mayo left off of their sandwich at a sandwich shop, being nagged by family to do laundry, some have made requests for milk deliveries, and more.
Occasionally, the more humorous events will be used by the police as an example to remind the public not to call 9-1-1 when it isn't an emergency.
In Canada, they've been getting 9-1-1 calls regarding complaints about 24-hour restaurants not being open as advertised, retailers not accepting returns, late pizza deliveries, gas station attendants putting in the wrong fuel, and some have even called to ask about when they should turn back their clocks for daylight saving time.
Other calls have come in about restaurants not redeeming coupons, or calls to find out information about where a car had been towed, or to complain that a rental company gave the wrong vehicle that had allegedly been reserved.
Believe it or not, there are some individuals out there who find a wrong sandwich or a water leak to be an emergency that's worthy of contacting 9-1-1 emergency services for help.
The non-emergency calls are unfortunately costing taxpayers millions of dollars. A great deal of funds are spent every time that any police department or fire department responds to a fake call, though there aren't any official amounts that can estimate how much is being wasted on non-emergencies altogether.
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