Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

911 Dispatchers Describe The Times They Actually Had To Contain Their Laughter On A Call

911 Dispatchers Describe The Times They Actually Had To Contain Their Laughter On A Call

911 dispatchers have fast-paced and hectic jobs. Emergencies can pop up at any time, so the job can become very tense and stressful on very short notice. In many cases, the lives of the people on the other end of the line depend on the dispatcher's quick thinking and actions.

But there are also silly and pointless calls to break up that stress. Many of these are hilarious, even ridiculous, because people call 911 for the weirdest reasons.


Dispatchers shared their stories with us after Redditor HOW_TO asked the online community:

"911 dispatchers, what was a time you had to contain your laughter?"

"Got a call..."

"Got a call from one of the managers at a bowling alley complaining that their ice machine was broken and it’s a really busy night and how if someone doesn’t come out to fix it, there will be no cold drinks."

blue_13

When do you draw the line of giving them a citation and how much would it cost? I would crack myself up so hard if I got this call.

"I definitely..."

"I definitely laughed when a woman called to tell us that her husband kept leaving the toilet seat down."

[deleted]

"A woman called 911..."

"A woman called 911 demanding that a man sitting on her favorite park bench be removed by the police. She was told misuse of 911 is a crime, but she called back two more times. Not sure whatever became of her, but I would imagine she got a big fine."

drygnfyre

We would hope so. People who misuse 911 are something else...

"When I was dispatching for the police..."

"When I was dispatching for the police, there was this one time where this guy called in and said that he was being chased by a chicken. I tried my best to keep a straight face, but I was laughing so hard on the inside."

Beginningtheinfluence55

Did all those Family Guy episodes about the rooster just spring out into the real world?

"Teenager..."

"Teenager attempted to get police because there was a 'monster chicken' walking around behind a gate at someone's house. Turns out he didn't know what turkeys looked like."

moosesanddave

Okay, this is hilarious. You'd think he would have figured this out if he'd ever celebrated Thanksgiving...

"I once again said..."

"Some lady called me asking if we could have a unit "house-sit" for her while she went on vacation for a week. I told her we don't do that, she'd need to hire someone or ask family to help out."

"She got all angry and huffed and puffed at me saying I don't understand anything. She simply wanted them to stay in her house, watch the dogs, and make sure no one tried to break in as an off-duty job."

"I once again said we don't do off-duty work in civilian homes and she angrily hung up on me."

"I still think back to it and laugh. People are weird."

NoCalligrapher

Wow. Imagine being that entitled. I can't.

"Woman called 911..."

"Woman called 911 requesting an ambulance because she had taken two of her son's weed gummies on an empty stomach and "felt like she was floating in slow motion.""

"Also requested that I send the police to arrest her. My favorite part was her son in the background going "Mom, you didn't seriously call 911. For the love of god, hang up the phone. You are fine.""

[deleted[

Okay, this is hilarious. Poor woman, though. We are sure it felt like a very odd experience.

"Man called in on a pay phone to advise us that he was taking a s*it in said pay phone. Was in hysterics for a long while after that one."

Zouct

At least he warned you, not to mention the clean-up crew...

"All the time..."

"All the time, however it’s not so hard because there is a highly utilized mute button."

Aloeplant9

Ah, yes, the mute button! How could we forget?

"I had a 911 open line..."

"I had a 911 open line where I could absolutely hear a young man and his lady friend having some vigorous, um, fun. But because I couldn’t get either of them to actually pick up the phone… I had to send a pair of officers to their RapidSOS location."

Gaudy_Tripod

Well, that's definitely one way to kill the mood.

911 dispatchers' jobs can be stressful, but it's good to know that they also have plenty of time to enjoy a laugh on the job!

But seriously, people: Don't call 911 for silly stuff. That's a good way to get yourself into trouble.

Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Piers Morgan; Russell Brand
Piers Morgan Uncensored/X

Russell Brand Struggles To Find Bible Verse During Ultra-Cringey Piers Morgan Interview

Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Rape, Performative Christianity

In 2025, Russell Brand pleaded "not guilty" to multiple charges of rape and sexual assault against him in London and Bournemouth and said he "welcomed" the opportunity in court to "prove his innocence."

Keep Reading Show less
Marissa Bode
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic-Gettz Images

'Wicked' Star Marissa Bode Speaks Out After She's Turned Away From Boarding Flight Due To Her Wheelchair

Marissa Bode is well-known for her role as Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba's sister and the Wicked Witch of the East in last year's Wicked.

Now, she's becoming well-known for her TikToks about travel gone wrong, and it seems some airlines haven't gotten the memo about accessibility. Bode has even joked on the platform that it's become a "space to complain" and "a space to s**t post" because of the bad luck she's had on various airlines due to poor accommodations and low accessibility standards.

Keep Reading Show less
Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler leans over a desk in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Courtesy of NBC

Season One Episode Of 'Law & Order: SVU' Goes Viral After Fan Notices Prophetic Detail Written On Binder

Folks, as you know, you don’t get to call anything a coincidence on the internet anymore—especially when a decades-old TV episode, a pause button, and one very loaded last name collide.

When Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted in 1999, no one was freeze-framing scenes looking for hidden meaning. Nearly three decades later, that’s exactly what viewers are doing, and one background detail from the show’s second-ever episode is suddenly under a microscope.

Keep Reading Show less
Dana White attends the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026.
Taylor Hill/WireImage via Getty Images

UFC CEO Reveals Why He Didn't Follow Orders To 'Get Down' During Correspondents' Dinner Shooting In Bizarre Interview

Of all the reactions to a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, UFC CEO Dana White’s stood out for just how out of step it was.

In an interview with USA Today, White recalled tables being “flipped over” as law enforcement rushed in and ordered those in the room—including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Cabinet members—to “get down.” Seated near the head table alongside top administration officials, the longtime Trump ally said he ignored those instructions entirely.

Keep Reading Show less
Nathan Lane
The Howard Stern Show/YouTube

Nathan Lane Opens Up About The Devastating Thing His Mom Said To Him When He Came Out As Gay

There are two types of people when it comes to first becoming acquainted with Nathan Lane: they either immediately assume that he's gay, or they assume he is a really good actor.

With some of his top achievements being The Birdcage, The Producers, Modern Family, and The Lion King, Nathan Lane is both. He's an incredible, immersive, and funny actor, but when it comes to his being gay, he's said in interview after interview that it's something he just assumes "everybody knows" about him.

Keep Reading Show less