TORONTO -- Police in Ontario are reminding the public to avoid dialing 911 to report non-emergency situations after a woman called to ask if she could get an “emergency ride service” to the train she was running late for.
“Being late for a trip is never ideal,” officers with Peel Regional Police wrote in a tweet on Thursday morning. “Calling 911 to ask the police to act as an ‘emergency’ ride service, to get you there on time? Yeah… not gonna happen.”
The conversation, which was posted in full in the tweet, started with the 911 operator asking if the caller needed assistance from police, fire or an ambulance.
The caller then responded saying, “This is in terms of an officer… I’m supposed to have a trip to Union Station. The ride was supposed to show up for me this morning did not and I don’t know how you guys work with services in terms of that because I’m in a taxi right now but it’s not going to get me to the station on time for my train to board at 9:45 a.m.”
The conversation then went as follows:
Operator: OK, I’m sorry so you’re in a taxi cab and you think you’re going to be late for your train ride at Union Station?
Caller: Yeah.
Operator: So what would you like an officer to do?
Caller: Do you guys offer emergency ride services or not?
Operator: An emergency ride service?
Caller: Yeah. I don’t know how you guys operate.
Operator: Well I can assure you we don’t do that.
Caller: My apologies.
Operator: You can call a cab or get in the cab and go to your appointment. OK?
Caller: OK. Thank you.
Operator: You’re welcome. Bye bye.
Peel Regional Police then wrote: “Only dial 911 if someone’s health, safety or property is in immediate danger or if there is a crime in progress." They also urged callers to dial 905-453-3311 for non-emergency situations.
