E-Comm 911 releases list of Top 10 nuisance calls of 2022

A desire to report somebody for not cleaning up after their dog does not constitute an emergency and neither does a person cutting to the front of the line at a car wash.

Those were two egregious examples on a list of the Top 10 nuisance calls of 2022 released by E-Comm 911.

At the top of the list was a person who called the emergency line because the nozzle at a gas station pump was not working.

"It is a common occurrence that does happen and obviously, as a call-taker, it is frustrating,” said E-Comm's Mark Kolomejac. “We do want to help out and that's our main job. But we're not here to answer general questions or be an information line."

Also on the list were calls about children drawing with chalk at a playground, someone using another person’s garbage can, and a broken windshield wiper.

Police can charge people with mischief for abusing the 911 system but generally only do so in malicious or chronic cases.

At a time when emergency services are already stretched thin and 911 callers reporting real emergencies can sometimes be left on hold for hours, nuisance calls can tie up valuable time and resources.

While E-Comm’s list might make some people chuckle, it’s no laughing matter for 911 call-takers handling one real emergency after another.

"The main reason I joined was that I want to help my community, I want to make sure that every day I'm helping somebody that is in need,” said Kolomejac.

Here is the full list:

1. The nozzle wasn’t working at the gas station
2. They had a flat tire
3. People were playing basketball on a public court at night time
4. Someone wasn’t picking up after their dog
5. Someone was using their garbage bin
6. Complaining about children drawing with chalk at a playground
7. Their phone was stuck in a bench
8. Looking for an update on a nationwide telco outage
9. Someone called 911 because they had a broken window wiper
10. Someone cut in line at the car wash