When you might be in trouble, it’s good to get ahead of the story. We’re not sure whether that’s what led a woman in Tampa, Florida to contact the authorities when a restaurant allegedly served her an uncooked waffle. Did she call the health department, or the Board of Breakfast Foods (which should be a thing)? Nope. She dialed 9-1-1.

People really enjoy calling emergency services for non-emergencies. Of course, what seems like an emergency to someone right this minute may not objectively be one. The police department in Tampa has decided to fight non-emergeny 9-1-1- calls with a tool designed to reach the widest spectrum of people possible: YouTube videos.

They released the waffle video yesterday, and it was an instant hit. It’s silly, and it’s also very fun to say “raw waffles.”

As far as any sober person can determine, the caller was having a disagreement with a restaurant employee over whether she should have to pay for an uncooked waffle.

In the recording, she tells the dispatcher:

I told him I don’t want the waffles, could he take it off my bill, he’s all, ‘oh I can’t take nothing off your bill, ma’am’, but you sold me something that was uncooked, I’m already paying for the whole waffle that was uncooked, you want me to pay for the half a waffle too that was uncooked? No, he’s all ‘well I’ll call the police, you been drinking alcohol’, well come on bring me a breathalyzer and everything, I am ready.

9-1-1, ever-helpful, sent over a police officer to help mediate the waffle dispute. The operator reminded the woman that serving raw waffles is “a civil matter,” not a crime, though.

How about when your car alarm fob doesn’t work?

Tripping over a wire is not a crime.

This is why it’s good to store the non-emergency police number for the town or city where you live in your phone’s contacts. You might need to use 911 to reach emergency services while out of town: that is the reason for the nationwide number, after all. For gosh sakes, though, try not to.

Or you’ll join these other members of the Misusing Emergency Resources Hall Of Fame:

Do Not Call 9-1-1 To Request Beer Delivery
McDonald’s Customers, Employee Call 9-1-1 On Each Other Over Missing Hash Browns
Calling 9-1-1 Will Not Convince Mall Security To Push Your Wheelchair To The Apple Store
Police Arrest Woman Who Called 9-1-1 Six Times To Complain About Bar Full Of Drunk People
Calling 9-1-1 Won’t Help You Find The Red Jell-O When It Disappears From The Fridge
Do Not Call 9-1-1 When You’re Overcharged By A Penny For Beer
Blogger Admits He Maybe Overreacted By Calling 9-1-1 To Report Cell Phone Use In Theater
McDonald’s Customer Arrested After Calling 9-1-1 About Mixed-Up Order

LISTEN: Woman calls Tampa police over uncooked waffle [WFLA]

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