'McDonald's wouldn't open': Here are B.C.'s 10 worst 911 nuisance calls of the year

What do overripe avocados, stinky cologne and misplaced phones have in common?

Generally speaking, none of them warrant a call to 911.

That's the message from E-Comm – the company that handles the vast majority of 911 calls in B.C. – which is once again urging the public not to occupy crucial emergency lines unless they're experiencing actual emergencies.

On Monday, E-Comm shared its annual list of the 10 worst nuisance calls of the year, in which people dialled 911 for the following:

• To report a neighbour wearing too much cologne
• Because a dry cleaner stained their shirt
• To request directions to a Shoppers Drug Mart that's open 24 hours a day
• To report that a “McDonald's wouldn't open” its doors
• Because they purchased a box of 38 avocadoes and discovered they were rotten
• To request technical support
• To complain that their power was out
• Because they left their phone in an Uber
• To request help removing a wasp nest
• Because they saw a domesticated-looking bunny in a park

"We understand that some of these situations might feel urgent to the individual in the moment, but 911 is not the appropriate number to call if your power goes out or you require tech support," said Laura, an E-Comm call-taker, in a news release.

"We must treat every call as an emergency until we know otherwise, and each second we spend responding to a call that does not belong on 911 is time we could be getting help to someone in a life-threating emergency."

Calling 911 is appropriate for situations that require "immediate help" from police, firefighters or paramedics, E-Comm said. Examples include situations in which someone's life is in danger, a crime is in progress, or there has been a serious motor vehicle accident.

A list of alternative phone lines and online reporting tools for non-emergencies is available on E-Comm's website.

People experiencing real emergencies should not text 911 or post 911 on social media, the company said.

Anyone who calls 911 by accident should also stay on the line to let a call-taker know what happened.