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The Bar => The Lounge => Topic started by: Miss Mia on April 07, 2009, 08:07:26 PM

Title: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Miss Mia on April 07, 2009, 08:07:26 PM
Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weird-news/story/989280.html)

 HALTOM CITY, Texas --  A woman called 911 to report she didn't get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Fort Worth-area restaurant. Police on Tuesday released the taped emergency call, in which the customer is heard telling the dispatcher, "to get a police officer up here, what has to happen?" The customer also said: "He didn't even put extra shrimp in there."

The upset customer was gone when an officer arrived Monday afternoon.

Restaurant workers said the woman had been denied a refund after leaving with her order, then returning to complain.

Cook June Lee said there was nothing wrong with the meal, and that "some customers are happy. Some are not."
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: seabelle on April 07, 2009, 08:11:10 PM
Aren't they going to start fining these people?  Lots and lots of money, I hope.  :mental:
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Chris_ on April 07, 2009, 08:12:55 PM
With all of this prescedent, I think it's about time that we started calling 9-1-1 about our missing ponies.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Chris on April 07, 2009, 08:13:00 PM
NOOOOOOOOOO!!! :sad1:

Maybe they'll lock her up with the Chicken McNugget woman.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: thundley4 on April 07, 2009, 08:16:33 PM
Aren't they going to start fining these people?  Lots and lots of money, I hope.  :mental:
At least 1 city has considered it.  I can see charging for these idiots calls, or even in any non-emergency situation, but for real emergencies, no.
Ventura to consider $50 fee for 911 calls (http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jan/26/ventura-to-consider-50-fee-for-911-calls/)
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 08:54:29 PM
At least 1 city has considered it.  I can see charging for these idiots calls, or even in any non-emergency situation, but for real emergencies, no.
Ventura to consider $50 fee for 911 calls (http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jan/26/ventura-to-consider-50-fee-for-911-calls/)


Be careful with that one.  A couple of years ago, my wife was coming home from work after 2:00 a.m. in the morning.  Her car broke down in a "not so good" part of town.  She couldn't find her AAA card.  So she called 9-1-1, immediately stated that "this is not an emergency".  She explained her problem and merely asked if they could help her get in touch with AAA.  The 9-1-1 dispatcher stated "ma'am you did the right thing in calling", do not exit your car. We will contact AAA with your location."

As I recall, they sent a squad car by to make sure she was ok and the cops waited until an AAA tow truck showed up.

Should she have been fined for making that call?
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Miss Mia on April 07, 2009, 08:56:56 PM
Be careful with that one.  A couple of years ago, my wife was coming home from work after 2:00 a.m. in the morning.  Her car broke down in a "not so good" part of town.  She couldn't find her AAA card.  So she called 9-1-1, immediately stated that "this is not an emergency".  She explained her problem and merely asked if they could help her get in touch with AAA.  The 9-1-1 dispatcher stated "ma'am you did the right thing in calling", do not exit your car. We will contact AAA with your location."

As I recall, they sent a squad car by to make sure she was ok and the cops waited until an AAA tow truck showed up.

Should she have been fined for making that call?


Why didn't she just use information?
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Lord Undies on April 07, 2009, 09:02:53 PM

Why didn't she just use information?


Why would she want to?  She was a woman alone in a potentially dangerous situation.  That's what 9-1-1 is for.  She did the right thing. 
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: thundley4 on April 07, 2009, 09:03:46 PM
Be careful with that one.  A couple of years ago, my wife was coming home from work after 2:00 a.m. in the morning.  Her car broke down in a "not so good" part of town.  She couldn't find her AAA card.  So she called 9-1-1, immediately stated that "this is not an emergency".  She explained her problem and merely asked if they could help her get in touch with AAA.  The 9-1-1 dispatcher stated "ma'am you did the right thing in calling", do not exit your car. We will contact AAA with your location."

As I recall, they sent a squad car by to make sure she was ok and the cops waited until an AAA tow truck showed up.

Should she have been fined for making that call?

That doesn't quite fall into the category of calls that we've seen on this board in recent months.  She had a legitimate concern for safety in that case.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: ReardenSteel on April 07, 2009, 09:21:58 PM
I'm getting really tired of these kind of stories and their lack of follow up. Does the place put more shrimp in the fried rice now? Is that particular McDonalds less likely to run out of McNuggets from here on out? (etc etc) :sarcasm:
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 10:07:06 PM
That doesn't quite fall into the category of calls that we've seen on this board in recent months.  She had a legitimate concern for safety in that case.

But you said for any non-emergency call.  That is why I posted "be carefull with that one".

Unintended consequences of poorly written, defined legislation could result in folks like my wife making the call she did being fined.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: thundley4 on April 07, 2009, 10:09:28 PM
But you said for any non-emergency call.  That is why I posted "be carefull with that one".

Unintended consequences of poorly written, defined legislation could result in folks like my wife making the call she did being fined.

Depending on the city and neighborhood, I'm not sure that your wife's call would have been a non-emergency.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 10:14:08 PM

Why didn't she just use information?


She was in a bad area...  One that her car had been broken into in broad daylight previously a few weeks prior.

She was a woman alone in the middle of the night, in a bad area of town and she was scared.










Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 10:17:36 PM
Depending on the city and neighborhood, I'm not sure that your wife's call would have been a non-emergency.

You are making my point for me.

Who decides what qualifies as an emergency?

Was she under attack?  No. 

Was she in immediate fear for her life?  No.

Was she in potential danger and scared?  Hell yeah.

What is an "emergency"?
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: thundley4 on April 07, 2009, 10:19:33 PM
You are making my point for me.

Who decides what qualifies as an emergency?

Was she under attack?  No. 

Was she in immediate fear for her life?  No.

Was she in potential danger and scared?  Hell yeah.

What is an "emergency"?


Running out of chicken nuggets/shrimp or any other food stuffs, are definitely not emergencies.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 10:23:13 PM
Running out of chicken nuggets/shrimp or any other food stuffs, are definitely not emergencies.

I agree.

But you mentioned fines for anybody that makes a non-emergency 9-1-1 call.

All I am trying to point out that any such legislaiton needs to be very carefully worded.

Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: thundley4 on April 07, 2009, 10:27:44 PM
I agree.

But you mentioned fines for anybody that makes a non-emergency 9-1-1 call.

All I am trying to point out that any such legislaiton needs to be very carefully worded.



I agree, but unfortunately as long as politicians exist, words will always have more than one meaning, and laws are open for interpretation.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: rich_t on April 07, 2009, 10:29:11 PM
I agree, but unfortunately as long as politicians exist, words will always have more than one meaning, and laws are open for interpretation.

That I will not argue against.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: The Village Idiot on April 08, 2009, 01:22:35 AM
Aren't they going to start fining these people?  Lots and lots of money, I hope.  :mental:

apparently no law was broken
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Chris_ on April 08, 2009, 07:40:01 AM
Why would she want to?  She was a woman alone in a potentially dangerous situation.  That's what 9-1-1 is for.  She did the right thing. 
She could have dialed 0 and gotten an operator.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Lord Undies on April 08, 2009, 07:54:14 AM
She could have dialed 0 and gotten an operator.

She could have called 1-800-DOMINOES and ordered a pizza.  What's the point?
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Chris_ on April 08, 2009, 08:00:17 AM
She could have called 1-800-DOMINOES and ordered a pizza.  What's the point?
An operater could have given her the same information and summoned a police officer just as quickly and without tying up the 911 system needed for emergencies.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Lord Undies on April 08, 2009, 08:07:59 AM
An operater could have given her the same information and summoned a police officer just as quickly and without tying up the 911 system needed for emergencies.

The operator would have gone to the 9-1-1 system to summons the police officer, so it still would "tie up" the system, only it would have taken longer. 

The lady was in what she perceived to be a dangerous situation.  She did the right thing.  That's what the system is for.  9-1-1 is not just an "after the fact" emergency number.  It's suppose to be there for all of us when we make a personal decision that life and/or property are in danger or jeopardy.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Oriole Fan on April 08, 2009, 09:20:58 AM
Aren't they going to start fining these people?  Lots and lots of money, I hope.  :mental:

They should. Some cities don't have a problem fining a homeowner for false alarms on security systems.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: dutch508 on April 08, 2009, 09:25:32 AM
They should. Some cities don't have a problem fining a homeowner for false alarms on security systems.

I think they need to stop playing the audio of these calls. So far, all the vocal traits point to a very strong stereotype...

 :fuelfire:
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Chris_ on April 08, 2009, 11:10:09 AM
The operator would have gone to the 9-1-1 system to summons the police officer, so it still would "tie up" the system, only it would have taken longer. 

The lady was in what she perceived to be a dangerous situation.  She did the right thing.  That's what the system is for.  9-1-1 is not just an "after the fact" emergency number.  It's suppose to be there for all of us when we make a personal decision that life and/or property are in danger or jeopardy.
Actually the operator would likely have called the non-emergency police number, not 911.  There was no life-threatening emergency.

That said, better safe than sorry.
Title: Re: Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Post by: Lord Undies on April 08, 2009, 11:18:51 AM
Actually the operator would likely have called the non-emergency police number, not 911.  There was no life-threatening emergency.

That said, better safe than sorry.

No, an operator would not have risked the liability.  Phone company employees do not have a hot line to the police station.  A telephone operator would have put the lady through to 9-1-1.  That's how it works.  Phone company employees don't make judgments on emergencies.  The lady did the right and speedy thing by calling 9-1-1 herself.

By the way, the last time I dialed "0" it was answered by a women working in a call center in St. Louis.  I assume local operators are a thing of the past.