I want to kill Doug and Skippy.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

There's this local radio show hosted by, you guessed it, Doug and Skippy. Apparently, Skippy's hot water has been out of his house for a couple days. He called some big appliance company to get someone out to look at his water heater and see if it was the problem, and they told him they were really busy and it would be at least a week before someone could come out. Skippy, of couse, decided to put this on the air as he thought it was 'unfair' that he had to go without hot water.

So they ask listeners for recommendations on how to deal with this, and start taking calls. First guy who calls in gives them a GREAT IDEA.

This guy tells them smugly, "all you have to do is call your gas company and tell them you smell gas. they'll be out there within the hour. They'll tell you if it's you water heater that's broken or if it's something else that's wrong."

Luckily, the next guy who called in told them that the major repair companies always have backups. He recommended they call one of the smaller companies, or even an individual repairman, who would not only be grateful for the work, but would most likely be able to comeout with 24 hours.

Anyway, the first guy just pisses me off. Gas companies have that policy in place to protect people. Abusing it is just gonna make your gas prices go up, as they have to pay to send all these techs out to these bogus emergency calls.

[Jewels]

I don't see what calling the gas company would do. As soon as they realized that there was no gas leak they would be out of there.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Skippy wasnt sure if it was his water heater, which is apparently run by gas, was broken or if it something with the gas lines coming in, or what that was causing the problem. The guy told him if the gas company came out they'd be able to tell him whether the gas lines were stopped, or whether one of the appliances was malfunctioning.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I hope someone else called in and told them not to do that. In my opinion, that's kind of like calling 911 because your neighbor's music is too loud. It's an inconvenience, not an emergency.

Now, if ALL you have is hot water...I once turned on my sink and all I got out of both taps was scalding hot water. No hot water, I might shiver but I can still take a shower and brush my teeth and all those necessaries; scalding hot water, not so much. (I called the apartment office and I don't know if they did anything or if it just sorta fixed itself but an hour later it was fine. )

[ominousoat]

If your techs get called out on a fake gas leak charge you're lucky to even get your gas turned back on after they shut if off and investigate the leak. Especially if they're busy.

[powerboy]

In my opinion, that's kind of like calling 911 because your neighbor's music is too loud. It's an inconvenience, not an emergency.

If it is late at night, then yeah, I am going to call, and have before, when they play music, so loud, that a deaf person can hear it.

[JuniorMintz]

If it is late at night, then yeah, I am going to call, and have before, when they play music, so loud, that a deaf person can hear it.

You don't call 911 over loud music, that number should be for emergency use *only*. There is a non emergency police number that you can call for annoyances.

[Primer]

You don't call 911 over loud music, that number should be for emergency use *only*. There is a non emergency police number that you can call for annoyances.

8-10 years ago, when I still lived in town, I had to call on my neighbors noise several times. I would ALWAYS call the non-emergency number, and I would ALWAYS be re-routed (by their phone system, not by being told to call) to 911. The very first thing I would say to them was, "This is not an emergency" so they could disconnect me if they needed to.

Thank goodness I don't live in town anymore...now if I have to, I can just pull out my shotgun and take care of any problems myself! BTW, coyotes are the ONLY problems I have out here!!

[BookstoreEscapee]

You don't call 911 over loud music, that number should be for emergency use *only*. There is a non emergency police number that you can call for annoyances.

Yes. Just to clarify, I wasn't saying don't call the police, just don't call 911. And Primer, if you call the non-emergency # and it reroutes you, well, that's not your fault.

Years ago when my grandmother was living with us my mom got appendicitis and my dad called for an ambulance at like 5 in the morning. Around 9 he called from the hospital to let me know what was going on, and then I called my brother at work to let him know. I dialed his number and somehow got 911 instead. I was surprised and just automatically hit the off button on the phone without thinking. A little while later 2 cops come ringing the doorbell to see what was wrong, asking if anyone else was in the house, etc, since I was a bit upset because of my mom and being tired from being woken up so early didn't help. I told them what happened, and my grandmother was home but she was in the shower. They came in the house looking around all suspicious at first but after a few minutes were assured things were fine.

Moral of the story, if you do accidentally call 911...don't just hang up or they'll trace your call and come check up on you.

[TheRoo]

Back in the day when I managed the gas station, someone abandoned a bicycle there. I looked up the non-emergency number to the suburban police department, and called it. When I did, the lady who answered said I would have to call 911, because the way the system was set up, that was the only way they could dispatch an officer.

[JuniorMintz]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to hijack the thread, I was just repeating what I was told by my kid sister the 911 dispatcher. Maybe it's different here than in other areas... either way, I'm going to sheepishly slink away and go hijack some other thread for a while...

[HoppiLoco]

I would have to call 911, because the way the system was set up, that was the only way they could dispatch an officer.

Same thing happens where I live for the fire department... if you have a non-emergency need for help, they make you call 911 anyway in order to get someone to come out to you. I had a fire alarm in an apartment building fritz out (a full blown fire alarm, not a smoke alarm) at about 3am one morning when I was the only one there, and since I couldnt turn it off or get through to my landlord, I ended up with an entire fleet of fire personnel and trucks on my street trying to figure out how to make it shut off.

[Gawdzillers]

Now, if ALL you have is hot water...I once turned on my sink and all I got out of both taps was scalding hot water. No hot water, I might shiver but I can still take a shower and brush my teeth and all those necessaries; scalding hot water, not so much. (I called the apartment office and I don't know if they did anything or if it just sorta fixed itself but an hour later it was fine. )

Too bad.
You could have made a mean cup of hot cocoa.