# Kid calls 911 for maths homework help. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815 "2011-04-18T11:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/1 "2011-04-18T11:00:37Z")
[Cute story.](http://www.dump.com/2011/04/17/kid-calls-911-for-help-with-math-video/) Because mom said if you need help call someone!šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/2 "2011-04-18T14:38:59Z")
Cute. But, really, Iā€™ve been told that 911 operators are trained to get the caller off the phone as quickly as possible if they determine it isnā€™t a real emergency, to keep the lines open for the real ones, etc. (and Iā€™ve seen this played out in other videos shared on the net of people not understanding what 911 is for) - seems to me that the dispatcher had no concern about that whatsoever. [/killjoy] ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/3 "2011-04-18T15:13:52Z")
_ā€œI didnā€™t mean the police!ā€_ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/4 "2011-04-18T15:36:42Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Cute. But, really, Iā€™ve been told that 911 operators are trained to get the caller off the phone as quickly as possible if they determine it isnā€™t a real emergency, to keep the lines open for the real ones, etc. (and Iā€™ve seen this played out in other videos shared on the net of people not understanding what 911 is for) - seems to me that the dispatcher had no concern about that whatsoever. > > [/killjoy] Or, you know - the dispatcher knew that there were several other dispatchers on duty, and none of them were busy since they were all listening in (you can hear him telling the people around him ā€œitā€™s the motherā€). What would have been bad is if he had actually sent an officer to the house like he first offered. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/5 "2011-04-18T15:41:52Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What would have been bad is if he had actually sent an officer to the house like he first offered. Did it take place in the states? 'Round here, to the best of my knowledge, _every_ 911 call triggers an officer visit. Even if you were to call and tell them you were just checking to make sure your speed dial/alarm system worked, theyā€™ll send someone over to double check. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/6 "2011-04-18T16:09:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Did it take place in the states? 'Round here, to the best of my knowledge, _every_ 911 call triggers an officer visit. Even if you were to call and tell them you were just checking to make sure your speed dial/alarm system worked, theyā€™ll send someone over to double check. I know firsthand this isnā€™t true in the Sacramento area. The area code here is ā€œ916ā€ and I fat-fingered it and dialed ā€œ911ā€. It must have connected before I managed to break the connection because they called right back. After explaining my mistake they didnā€™t send anyone around ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/7 "2011-04-18T17:47:45Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > I know firsthand this isnā€™t true in the Sacramento area. The area code here is ā€œ916ā€ and I fat-fingered it and dialed ā€œ911ā€. It must have connected before I managed to break the connection because they called right back. After explaining my mistake they didnā€™t send anyone around ā€¦ Yep, we have a 912 area code, and people accidentally dial 911 all the time. Usually, thereā€™s a call-back, and if no one answers, then they dispatch an officer. And dispatching an officer? The ones I know wouldnā€™t be a damned bit of help with math homework! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/8 "2011-04-18T18:03:55Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Did it take place in the states? 'Round here, to the best of my knowledge, _every_ 911 call triggers an officer visit. Even if you were to call and tell them you were just checking to make sure your speed dial/alarm system worked, theyā€™ll send someone over to double check. It varies by jurisdiction. I used to work as a dispatcher in a shared center between three cities. One of them required 911 calls to dispatch an officer no matter what - the others didnā€™t. I hated that law. Iā€™m sure for that one in a million call, it might have been worth it, but in reality they had to maintain a lot of officers on duty to respond. Thank goodness for cell phones - when we got misdials and butt-dials, we didnā€™t respond since we didnā€™t have an address. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/9 "2011-04-18T18:06:47Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > Yep, we have a 912 area code, and people accidentally dial 911 all the time. Usually, thereā€™s a call-back, and if no one answers, then they dispatch an officer. But the Stonecutters told me that 912 is the _real_ emergency number! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/10 "2011-04-18T18:17:59Z")
I was waiting for some paperwork in my kidā€™s school office one afternoon when a bunch of boys, maybe third graders, were jostling each other by the phone. Itā€™s one of those dial 9 for an outside line systems, and around here there a half a dozen area codes, and youā€™ve got to dial 1 and the area code even if youā€™re dialing a number in the same area code as the phone youā€™re usingā€¦you see where this is going. So did the office receptionist. ā€œDid you dial 911?ā€ she asked the now nervously jostling boys. Yep, they admitted sheepishly. Her phone rang a second later (not the phone the boys were using, but the main office number.) ā€œYes, it was a studentā€™s mistake,ā€ she said into the phone, then she told the boys that if they call 911 by mistake they should stay on the line and talk to the dispatcher. Sounded like it was not an uncommon occurrence in the office. No police showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/11 "2011-04-18T18:58:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Operator: Alright, what the problem? LOL ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/12 "2011-04-19T01:26:20Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > I know firsthand this isnā€™t true in the Sacramento area. The area code here is ā€œ916ā€ and I fat-fingered it and dialed ā€œ911ā€. The 6 is two rows from the 1. You must have the fattest fingers ever. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-calls-911-for-maths-homework-help/578815/13 "2011-04-19T02:38:20Z")
Dumb kid he should have dialed 411 for information šŸ™‚