I'll sue you for calling 911 for me!

[PepperElf]

You did the right thing.


You cannot always know if it's a bluff or if his anger is sufficient enough for him to have a medical issue.

Like one of the video games I use to play (and volunteered on). Sometimes players would get so mad they threatened to kill themselves. Even if we thought it was a drama-bluff we had to take action - send it up to the official staff where they'd use the player's IP and billing information for the 911 call.


because sometimes it's not a bluff.
and it's better to freak someone out by responding than it is to ignore it... and find out it later that ... it wasn't fake, and the company's being sued.

[Pixilated]

So your friend is Jerry from the State Farm commercials?

Don't EVER let him borrow your car!

There was a story some time ago, out of a major Canadian city, of a woman who'd totalled her landlord's car. She hadn't had a licence in some time and was prohibited from driving -- but she kept asking people to borrow their cars -- and they kept letting her. I've lent my car to people once or twice but at least I knew they had up-to-date licence and insurance ...

You did the right thing.


You cannot always know if it's a bluff or if his anger is sufficient enough for him to have a medical issue.

Like one of the video games I use to play (and volunteered on). Sometimes players would get so mad they threatened to kill themselves. Even if we thought it was a drama-bluff we had to take action - send it up to the official staff where they'd use the player's IP and billing information for the 911 call.


because sometimes it's not a bluff.
and it's better to freak someone out by responding than it is to ignore it... and find out it later that ... it wasn't fake, and the company's being sued.

Yes, it's best not to take chances. Can't recall if I've posted this before -- when I still worked at the paper we got a call one night from a guy threatening to shoot himself. So we tried to keep things running at the paper while trying to get his name and address and he kept dodging the issue. Meanwhile we're getting closer to deadline. Finally get his name and address and call the cops.

They call us back shortly thereafter to tell us (1) He's drunk as the proverbial skunk, and (2) he doesn't even OWN a gun. I said they might want to go back to that address in about two and a half hours -- the cop asks why and I explain what had been going on for the past hour or two, adding that the guy doesn't have to worry about killing himself -- I will do it for him, for putting us through this solely for his own entertainment. Luckily the copy had a sense of humour and just laughed.

And 10 minutes after the police hang up, guess who calls back ...

"I'm still gonna shoot myself!"

[Treasure]

They call us back shortly thereafter to tell us (1) He's drunk as the proverbial skunk, and (2) he doesn't even OWN a gun. I said they might want to go back to that address in about two and a half hours -- the cop asks why and I explain what had been going on for the past hour or two, adding that the guy doesn't have to worry about killing himself -- I will do it for him, for putting us through this solely for his own entertainment. Luckily the copy had a sense of humour and just laughed.

And 10 minutes after the police hang up, guess who calls back ...

"I'm still gonna shoot myself!"

"Sir, would you like us to run that in any particular section of the paper? I think we might just have time get it in this issue"

[rose_metal_nz]

Oooh I had a lovely but (I didn't realise at the time) very melodramatic lady tell me a customer was going to shoot himself ... At the time I was sitting opposite my manager's desk, and I loudly & clearly repeated her words back to her... I've never seen him leap so fast to grab the "listen in" headset (forget what it's called).
Yeah, she was just being melodramatic. Some people! *shakes fist*

[Moosenogger]

What a doofus. :/ You don't tell someone over the phone "I'm having a heart attack!" and then immediately hang up without explaining yourself. It would be just as stupid as getting angry or upset and telling someone you're going to "come back with a gun." Of COURSE they're going to take you seriously and call the authorities.

I hope that SC got a nice talking-to from both his wife and his attorney.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Anyone else hearing Fred Sanford hollering "I'm coming for you Elizabeth!" while reading this?

[Teefies2]

Anyone else hearing Fred Sanford hollering "I'm coming for you Elizabeth!" while reading this?

No I didn't, but I can totally see that!

[tilly101]

Hahahaha ohhhhhhh how customers like this make me LOL

I've *almost* had the same thing happen before, the difference being medics were not dispatched

This was back when I worked for a bank, I mostly did loans [as in, approving etc]
It was my job to call this guy to let him know we were declining his application for a personal loan, and for a very good reason, I might add - he had recently [in the past few mths] taken out a MASS of credit all over the place, and not repaid a SINGLE CENT of any of it. Defaulted on it all.

So I called him and let him know he had been declined, cue the usual outrage and WHY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KNOCK ME BACK< blah blah blah
I calmly explain he has been declined on the basis he has NUMEROUS defaults

He then started panting into the phone, lowered his voice, and said he can't breathe. He thinks he is going to faint. He continues with the panting but doesn't respond to me when I talk. The I hear a THUD, and the line goes dead.

So naturally, I run over to grab my supervisor, she starts to call emergency, and I try and call him back. I get the voicemail, and I left a message just stating that I am calling to advise in case there is anyone else there that emergency services are being called etc etc

About 30 seconds after I hang up our centre gets a call back form the guy and he is FURIOUS
Says how dare we call emergency services, there is nothing wrong with him, he wanted to just freak me out and make me feel like I had KILLED HIM and so then I would feel guilty for the rest of my life

All because I was the one calling to advise him loan declined as you default on everything

[downforit2008]

In this case, if he really was having a heart attack, you should've never called 911! If he dies, he can't come back to you as a ghost screaming, "I'm dead because you didn't save me!"