Sometimes you can't get good information from callers because their accent is so strong, you just can't understand them. Sometimes you can't get good information from callers because of a language barrier. Try as you might, it just ain't happening. Sometimes you can't understand the caller because their crappy cell phone keeps cutting out. Sometimes you can't get good information from callers because they are just plain stupid. And every now and then the four types of difficult callers meld together to create a really, really frustrating experience. Like the call I got today. Imagine if you will a female, with a very thick accent, (doesn't really matter which kind), a horrible cell connection and definitely English as a third, or possibly fourth language.
Me: 911 emergency
Caller: I at is room for laundry. Come now. Brother not treating me well.
Me: What is your location?
Caller: Yes.
Me: I see you are calling from a cell phone. I do not know your location.
Caller: Yes.
Me: Where are you?
Caller: I [cell static] here.
Me: Where is here? What is your location? What address are you at?
Caller: I am in the room of laundry.
Me: You are at a laundry mat?
Caller: NO! (As if I am the stupid/unintelligible one.)
Me: Ma'am, I don't know where to send my officer. What address are you at.
Caller: My cross street is Glade.
Me: But what is your address?
Caller: The cross street is Glade.
Me: Ma'am without an address, the cross street doesn't help me. What is your address?
Caller: It is 360. Now send the polices.
Me: 360, is the street number, what is the street address.
Caller: Glade
Me: Isn't Glade the cross street???
Caller: Yes. Send the polices now, for my brother.
Me: What. Street. Are. You. On? 360.........
Caller: Reston!
Me: Good! OK 360 Reston. That is the Glade apartments. What apartment are you in?
Caller: Yes.
Me: What is the number of the apartment you are in.
Caller: I am not in apartment! Room of laundry!
Me: Are you in the laundry room of the apartment complex at 360 Reston?
Caller: Yes!
Me: OK. Is your brother there now?
Caller: He---[static]
Me: Please say that again, your cell cut out.
Caller: I said, he is not here.
Me: OK, can you go back to your apartment, and wait for the police?
Caller: What apartment?
Me: Your apartment.
Caller: I don't have and apartment.
Me: ... I thought you were in the laundry room of the Glade Apartment complex.
Caller: Yes.
Me: But you don't have an apartment there?
Caller: No, I am staying at a hotel nearby.
Me: [At this point, I know she is safe, I know where she is, I just don't even care to know why on earth she is doing her laundry at some random apartment complex.] OK. What is your phone number?
Caller: 4.
Me: What is the phone number for the cell that you are calling me on.
Caller: 2.
Me: [What the H#$*????] OK. Ma'am just wait there in the laundry room and I will send an officer to come talk to you.
Caller: You send the polices now.
Me: Yes. Please stay put.
Caller: OK, I will go there.
Me: No, I mean just stay where you are.
The officer arrived onscene and cleared "advised" within about 1 1/2 minutes. Big surprise.
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2 comments:
It is precisely because of language barriers that I have vowed that if I ever visit another country and someone asks me a question I do not understand, I will NOT say the equivalent of yes or no just to move the conversation along.
We have something we call HAFS here in Michigan.
I feel your pain. I love it when the blatanly stupid act as if we are the problem when we can't understand their idocies. Eduardo is my partner, so I deal with the HAFS all day long, but I would like to add that it is not just the females. The males are just as bad, but without the ululating.
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