How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing

Summary

Title: How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing – Detailed Summary

Podcast: Ridiculous History
Host: Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown
Episode: How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing
Release Date: November 21, 2024
Producer: Max Williams
Production Company: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In the episode titled "How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing," hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown embark on an informative and engaging exploration of the origins, evolution, and complexities of emergency call systems worldwide. Through a blend of historical anecdotes, expert insights, and lighthearted banter, the duo sheds light on how simple three-digit numbers like 911 and 999 became indispensable lifelines in modern society.

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Early Emergency Call Systems

Before the establishment of universal emergency numbers, individuals faced significant challenges in accessing emergency services. Communications were often cumbersome and inefficient, relying heavily on manual operator assistance. Ben Bowlin notes,

“In the earlier days, you would pick up the phone, you might not even have to dial 0. You would pick up the switchboard right there and name a thing or an extension” [12:35].

Noel Brown adds context by describing how telephone systems operated in large cities, where multiple fire and police departments each covered different jurisdictions. This fragmentation often led to delays in emergency response, as the wrong department might be contacted initially.

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Tragedies That Led to Modern Systems

Significant tragedies underscored the need for streamlined emergency communication. One such event was a devastating fire in London on Wimpole Street in November 1935, resulting in the deaths of five women. Noel recounts,

“Norman McDonald [...] tried to call the fire brigade but was put on hold in a telephone queue, leading to the loss of lives” [14:18].

This incident ignited public outcry and highlighted the inadequacies of the existing system. Similarly, in the United States, the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York City became a catalyst for change. The New York Times initially reported that 38 bystanders witnessed the assault yet did not intervene—a narrative that spurred national demand for a more efficient emergency response mechanism. Ben summarizes,

“The public outcry on the Genovese case [...] led to the creation of central emergency numbers” [34:37].

These tragedies served as pivotal moments, demonstrating the urgent need for a universal and easily accessible emergency number to prevent future losses of life.

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The Adoption of 911 in the United States

The journey to adopting 911 as the primary emergency number in the United States was influenced by both technological advancements and societal needs. In 1967, following recommendations from the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administrative Justice, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and AT&T collaborated to establish a single, memorable number for emergencies. Ben explains,

“They went with 911 because it was easy to memorize and worked with the telephonic systems at the time” [42:03].

The first official 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama, in 1968, marking the beginning of a national emergency response overhaul. The system gradually expanded, reaching 26% of the US population by 1979, 50% by 1987, and 93% by the year 2000. By March 2022, 98.9% of the US population had access to 911 services, though the remaining 1.1% largely resides in remote areas with limited infrastructure.

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Current Challenges in Emergency Call Systems

Despite widespread implementation, emergency call systems face ongoing challenges. Ben highlights,

“Depending upon where you live, 911 may be more or less responsive. It’s a common issue” [15:28].

Urban areas, while generally well-served, still grapple with high call volumes and the complexities of multiple jurisdictions. Rural and underserved communities often lack timely access due to sparse infrastructure and limited resources. Additionally, technological advancements, such as the ability to text 911 from cell phones, are continually evolving to address accessibility issues. Noel remarks,

“Every country with an emergency call system has encountered their own share of inane super out there wackadoo calls” [56:51].

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Misuse and Pranks: Anecdotes from the Field

The episode delves into various anecdotes illustrating the misuse of emergency services, ranging from accidental calls to deliberate pranks. One such story involves a burglar in Shelby County, Ohio, who inadvertently dialed 911 during a robbery, leading to his immediate capture. Ben humorously advises,

“Always have your phone on silence” [57:48].

Another notable anecdote discusses a man in Lincoln, Nebraska, who reported a burglary only to discover his own illicit activities, such as growing cannabis, inadvertently exposed him to law enforcement. These stories underscore the importance of responsible use of emergency services and the potential consequences of misuse.

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The Role of Good Samaritan Laws

Good Samaritan laws play a crucial role in encouraging individuals to assist those in distress without fear of legal repercussions. Ben defines,

“A Good Samaritan law offers legal protection to someone who helps another person in distress” [37:21].

These laws vary globally, with some countries imposing a duty to rescue, which legally obligates individuals to provide assistance in emergencies. However, enforcing such laws can be challenging, and Nevada Brown expresses concerns over the potential pressure and legal complexities they introduce.

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Technological Advancements and Future Directions

The evolution of emergency call systems is closely tied to technological progress. Modern innovations include the capacity to bypass traditional phone calls, enabling users to text 911, which is particularly beneficial in situations where speaking is not feasible. Ben enthusiastically mentions,

“The technology is continuing to evolve. We see all sorts of new innovations, like the ability to just text 911 from your cell phone” [52:53].

These advancements aim to make emergency services more accessible and efficient, adapting to the changing technological landscape and diverse user needs.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown conclude the episode by emphasizing the profound impact of emergency call systems on public safety and the lives saved through their implementation. They reflect on the historical challenges and the ongoing efforts to refine and improve these vital services. Noel encourages listeners to recognize the importance of community involvement and the role each individual plays in supporting and maintaining effective emergency response systems.

Additionally, the hosts share lighthearted anecdotes to provide levity, such as a cheeky story from producer Max Williams about an emergency call involving a mishap with a partner, highlighting the unpredictable nature of 911 interactions.

“Do not disturb his default. You know what I mean? Text in advance. If someone calls me today, I assume it's an emergency, someone has died” [57:50].

Finally, Ben and Noel express gratitude towards first responders and emergency call operators, acknowledging the immense pressure and dedication required in their roles.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Ben Bowlin [12:35]:
   "In the earlier days, you would pick up the phone, you might not even have to dial 0. You would pick up the switchboard right there and name a thing or an extension."

2. Noel Brown [14:18]:
   "Norman McDonald [...] tried to call the fire brigade but was put on hold in a telephone queue, leading to the loss of lives."

3. Ben Bowlin [34:37]:
   "The public outcry on the Genovese case [...] led to the creation of central emergency numbers."

4. Ben Bowlin [42:03]:
   "They went with 911 because it was easy to memorize and worked with the telephonic systems at the time."

5. Ben Bowlin [15:28]:
   "Depending upon where you live, 911 may be more or less responsive. It’s a common issue."

6. Noel Brown [37:21]:
   "A Good Samaritan law offers legal protection to someone who helps another person in distress."

7. Ben Bowlin [56:51]:
   "Every country with an emergency call system has encountered their own share of inane super out there wackadoo calls."

8. Ben Bowlin [52:53]:
   "The technology is continuing to evolve. We see all sorts of new innovations, like the ability to just text 911 from your cell phone."

9. Noel Brown [57:48]:
   "Always have your phone on silence."

10. Ben Bowlin [37:21]:
    "A Good Samaritan law offers legal protection to someone who helps another person in distress."

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Final Remarks

"How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing" offers listeners a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the development and ongoing challenges of emergency call systems. Through historical analysis, personal stories, and thoughtful discussion, Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown provide an engaging narrative that underscores the critical importance of accessible and efficient emergency services in safeguarding lives worldwide.

Transcript

[Ben Bolin]

Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you so much for tuning in. The call is. Is coming from inside the house.

[Noel Brown]

No. What does it mean?

[Ben Bolin]

It means it's time to introduce Our super producer, Mr. Max Williams.

[Noel Brown]

Is he the one calling from inside the house? You creep. Max, get out of my house.

[Max Williams]

No, no. I am the emergency call of the heart now.

[Noel Brown]

You sure are. That's true.

[Ben Bolin]

That's.

[Max Williams]

I don't know what it means. I don't know if it's bad or good, but that's just what I'm going with today.

[Noel Brown]

You're a regular emotional 911.

[Ben Bolin]

That's.

[Noel Brown]

I should find a different way to say that. Sorry.

[Ben Bolin]

That's our. That's our man, the myth legend, Mr. Noel Brown. They called me Ben Bolin in this neck of the global woods. And today we are looking at one of the few telephone numbers that everyone knows and that no one wants to call.

[Noel Brown]

Is it 867-5309?

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, Jenny, we got your number.

[Noel Brown]

It's on the wall. That's kind of. You know, I never really thought about what the implications of that until later in life. Does that mean it was written on a bathroom stall? Does it go into detail? Anyway, it doesn't matter.

[Ben Bolin]

Unclear. It may be a figurative wall. It may be the wall of true love. That is not the number we're talking about today. We're also not talking about one. 8. Blah, blah, blah, cars for kids. Although I do have another side project I'm working on with that. And Cars for kids, just so you guys know, is a conspiracy.

[Noel Brown]

No.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes.

[Noel Brown]

Is it as bad as kids for cars?

[Ben Bolin]

It is worse because it's real.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, exactly. Thank you for letting me down in a second. No, I mean, I said Max was an emotional 911 of the heart of the mind, the movie, the ride. You know, some people call it 9 11, I guess, but we know it may be more in the states as 911.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. Yeah, we all are familiar with the idea of 911. If you are a ridiculous historian who has been. Who has spent any time in the United States, in Canada, and as we'll see in Several other countries, 911 is one of the easiest numbers to call in not just the United States, but in Canada, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jordan, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, the Philippines. The list goes on.

[Noel Brown]

What about Macau?

[Ben Bolin]

Macau actually has a different number that does the same thing as does the.

[Noel Brown]

Uk which, if I'm not mistaken from my Britcom experience, it's 999.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes, and originally Parliament broke out in raucous laughter about it because it sounds like a German saying no three times in a row.

[Noel Brown]

You know what I'll always remember? You guys remember the Little Rascals movie from the 90s? I think there's. I'm pretty sure it's from that movie. There's a character, maybe Spanky or one of those other Little Rascals who says, what's the number for 911? Be careful with that joke. It's adorable.

[Ben Bolin]

Careful with that joke. It's an antique, as they say. I love it.

[Noel Brown]

It's barely a joke.

[Ben Bolin]

It's an observation.

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[Ben Bolin]

There are also other countries that may use, like we said, 999 or 112. 112 and 911 are the globally dominant emergency numbers now. But the concept, as we're saying, is always the same. A very short, simple series of digits that allow a caller to, in theory, immediately connect with emergency services. You'll get help on everything from forest fires to arson to car accidents to injuries to More we do want to start off by saying in this episode at the very top, sometimes people have different definitions of what constitutes an emergency. Don't call 911 for chisels and giggles, man.

[Noel Brown]

It's funny you say that. I was literally just googling. Is it really illegal to call 911? And there's varying degrees of what would actually be actionable. I think if you did it by accident, you hung up. Whatever I do remember, they'll call you back. They will call you because I was about to say, but what's been in the news a lot lately is this concept of swatting where people make These elaborate prank 911 calls reporting serious crimes that result in SWAT teams being deployed. And it is sometimes used to terrorize people to have their houses raided as some sort of doxing esque inter Internet, I guess. I don't know. Manipulation? Exactly. It's psyop is what it is.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, it's the other genres of that kind of aggression would be things like calling in a bunch of pizza orders to an address after you dock someone or another one. That's happened on the social media forum Reddit. Quite often Reddit has the option to report someone for suicidal ideation. And so when people disagree with each other on a Reddit forum, they will sometimes. Frank. I guess prank is too light a word, but you know what I mean, they'll. They'll report someone to get their account in trouble.

[Noel Brown]

Well, speaking of the Brits, one of my favorite British comedies of all time is Peep show, which I think you guys are fond of too. I love it. And there's an episode called Sectioning where the characters take various report each other for mental illness, which is what is referred to as having someone sectioned. Whereas in the East States we'd call it having someone committed, I guess. But the episode's all about them basically prank sectioning each other.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. Cause Peepshow is all about two really stand up guys who happen to be wholesome and supportive roommates.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, that's not right. But I see what you're doing. It's a great show and one of my favorite characters of all time, Super Han.

[Ben Bolin]

Super Han.

[Noel Brown]

Yes.

[Ben Bolin]

I'm still. I forgive you writers of Peepshow for confusing me. I've for years.

[Noel Brown]

Hands? You thought I was Hands?

[Ben Bolin]

I thought it was Super Hands, which.

[Noel Brown]

Would also be rad.

[Ben Bolin]

I thought it was the coolest nickname.

[Noel Brown]

I love that too. Because he's, you know, sorry to get too in the weeds about Peep show, but he and Jez, one of the other main characters, are in this kind of like failed fake techno band, like kind of trying to copy the Prodigy and Super Hands as a techno Persona. Name totally works.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah, it's a great show. I'll tell you folks, honestly, ridiculous historians, due to my past, I have a pretty strong stomach, but that's one of my weak spots.

[Noel Brown]

Cringe.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. I can witness tremendous acts of violence, like the kind of stuff you'd have to call 911 for. But show me social awkwardness and I am leaving the room. I don't know why it's such a trigger.

[Noel Brown]

It's so funny. I just saw. I've been. I don't know, I'm really fascinated by these terrifier movies, but I don't really want to watch them. So I've been listening and watching a lot of YouTub kind of recaps of them. And one person was like, you know, the most egregious thing in this new terrifier movie is not the dismemberments. It is not the bloodbaths. It is the one particular moment of cringe because I can't handle that.

[Ben Bolin]

Okay. I hope I wasn't the one posting that. But that's awesome because it also reminds me of the Key and Peele sketch that is descended from the terrifier, which is all about having a good attitude. I'll send it to you guys after we record.

[Noel Brown]

But 911. Actually, it's funny, we just talked about 999 and the Brits, a whole bunch. They figure heavily into the story of the creation of 911. But before we get to them, let us venture back in time to the United states of the 1960s when there was not a universal phone number for Americans to call if they needed emergency services. If I'm not mistaken, Ben, it was a matter of calling the operator. Like, I think you could still in those days, just dial zero. And I was actually gonna ask you, Ben, does that still work if you hit zero? Does it do anything? Because I don't even have a landline.

[Ben Bolin]

It depends on where you live and what kind of telephonic device you're engaging with. So there are, weirdly enough, there are still rotary phones that are in use in the United States now. They're typically more evolved than they were in the earlier days. Like you were saying, Noel, in the earlier days, you would pick up the phone, you might not even have to dial 0. You would pick up the phone, you would pick up the switchboard right there.

[Noel Brown]

Immediately upon picking up.

[Ben Bolin]

And then you would just sort of name a thing or an extension. There were also, as we noted in our previous episode on using barbed wire as phone lines. There were phone lines, a personal.

[Noel Brown]

It was like a. Like a party line for a community of farms and absolutely worth checking out because it's a good example of just good old fashioned American ingenuity. But in large cities this was tough because they'd get. These switchboards would get overloaded and I mean the switchboard system. I can I always. My mind Boggles at the logistics of these poor switchboard operators.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, think about Even in the 1960s, really, any city post World War II economic boom in the United States. There's more than one fire department. There's more than one police department. They cover different areas, they have different turfs in different jurisdictions. So if you call in an emergency, the wrong fire department, you're going to have to wait for them to contact the right fire department.

[Noel Brown]

A place like Los Angeles, for all intents and purposes is like its own country in so many, all these different municipalities with different governments and different emergency services, there is no one stop shop for any of that stuff.

[Ben Bolin]

And in this fashion, up until the, actually the late 1960s, the United States was pretty behind the global times. The world's oldest emergency call service is not American at all. It is British. It was launched in London on June 30, 1937, two years after a tremendous tragedy.

[Noel Brown]

London town. In a home on Wimpole street, there was a horrible fire that led to the death of five women. This was in November of 1935. Norman McDonald, not the comedian, he's with our buddy Norm. Rip was a dentist who lived in the house on the other side of the street. He tried to call the. Or as they might say in the uk, ring the fire brigade. And he was put on hold and put in a. In a telephone queue. And he essentially had to wait so long that these lives were essentially lost. And I do want to say that I only just recently, for the first time and probably ever had to make a legitimate 911 call here in Decatur, Georgia. There was a guy who bailed out really horribly on a dirt bike right outside my house and cracked his skull on the street. It was one of the craziest things I've seen. But I was on hold with 911 for quite a while. So let's not kid ourselves that things are like magically better in the big cities now just because of 911. Just want to get that out in the open right up front.

[Ben Bolin]

It's also a known problem with the system that depending upon where you live, 911 may be more or less responsive. It's a common issue. Unfortunately, it's one that people are still struggling to address in the United States.

[Noel Brown]

Certain areas, certain demographics. Let's just say there's perhaps a reticence to be quicker. You know what? That does imply intent on the part of law enforcement. Maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt.

[Ben Bolin]

It's a resource thing. It's a resource I think it is.

[Noel Brown]

That more than trying not to help certain people, but it is a thing that you do see on these maps where it's like, you know, people in underserved areas, minorities, maybe poorer areas, it sometimes is harder for them to get that support.

[Ben Bolin]

Right. You will be on hold. So our guy, Norman MacDonald, is livid. He is furious. He has righteous indignation and he. So he's calling about an emergency. People's lives are on the line. And then he gets held in what the British would call a queue. He's on hold. And as he's on hold as a result of this, five people die. So he writes a letter. He takes it upon himself to write to the paper of note, which is still a very big deal paper in the uk. The Times.

[Noel Brown]

The Times, yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Not the New York Times. That's JV stuff.

[Noel Brown]

OG stuff.

[Ben Bolin]

The Times, yeah. And this launches a full government inquiry. Public outcry ensues because McDonald's letters published in the Times and everybody who reads the paper, which is pretty much everybody at this point in history, they are joined with him. They agree. And so the UK government sets up a committee and says, let's make it so people don't have to wait at the switchboard or wait in queue when there's an emergency. We're going to have a number anyone can dial free of charge that will get us the opportunity to save lives.

[Noel Brown]

Mm. The aforementioned 999, which was their second choice after 666. They thought that was a little too on the nose for the conspiracy theorists of the world. I'm sorry. Had to put on my stuff. They don't want you to know. Have we talk a lot about, like, British conspiracies involving the, you know, the Crown still being in control of the United States and they're kind of one of the originators of a lot of these Luciferian Illuminati type conspiracies. So I do love the idea that when you see 999 on paper, it straight up is 666 inverted.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Just saying, just saying.

[Ben Bolin]

And this was a good number because at the time when they. When they cooked up this idea, there were only 3 million home telephones in the country. So the majority of people are going to be calling from these coin operated, the iconic red telephone booths.

[Noel Brown]

Does it light up at the time?

[Ben Bolin]

It did not.

[Noel Brown]

But the bat phone type situation, Situation room type situation.

[Ben Bolin]

I see where you're going. Yeah. But the thing is, they're rotary dials at home. And in these public telephone booths. So it was easy to customize the free use of this number, nine being one of the longer numbers to dial. But if you just did nine three times. Right, right. Then it would. The system would know that there was something amiss occurring.

[Noel Brown]

Well, it's funny too, when you think. And I realize what you're talking about now, but you're talking about those classic red British, you know, telephone boxes. Of course. Yeah, But I mean the physical thing, they're like so iconic. That's what I was about to say, Ben, though we think about it now, how easy it is, you know, beep, boop, boop. But back then, you had to really be committed to get all the way through a phone number.

[Ben Bolin]

Did you ever use a rotary phone? I have.

[Noel Brown]

I had. My granddad had one. Same. And yeah, they're wild. And you really kind of. It's easy to lose track. It's almost like communicating in Morse code or something.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. It's also kind of, you know, this ages us a bit. But one of the. One of the weirdest analogs to entering a phone number on a rotary phone that I can think about today.

[Noel Brown]

Numeric texting.

[Ben Bolin]

Any. Yeah, any gamer or anybody who has to log into an app on say like a PlayStation or something, you have to pull up the keyboard on the screen and you have to do bonk.

[Noel Brown]

But that's how texting used to be.

[Ben Bolin]

Bonk.

[Noel Brown]

Initially too, you had to use the numbers on your phone and for like A, that would be two and B would be two, two. And each letter number represented three possible letters. And depending on how many times you punch the button, you'd get that letter. So that's what I think of as well, Ben, that's super interesting.

[Ben Bolin]

Remember when. Remember when we first got the phone number for stuff they don't want you to know, and it made it this dumb sing along jingle. I totally misstep, dude. Because we still only say the abbreviation of the show. Std, W, Y, T, K. And we never told people the number.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

There's a code.

[Noel Brown]

It's branding, bro. It's branding.

[Ben Bolin]

There we go. Thank you for that.

[Noel Brown]

I couldn't even tell you what the numbers are. But there have to be seven of them, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Ben Bolin]

So we've got. We'll Fast forward to June 30, 1937. Sir Walter Walmersley, in addition to having an hilariously British name, is the Assistant Postmaster General. He says, look, we're going to. He goes to the house of Commons, which is the people who earned their parliamentary position. And he said, I walk down the street for that one.

[Noel Brown]

I love it, dude. No, no, no, let's go with it.

[Ben Bolin]

So he says, look, we're going to make this new emergency service. We are going to try it out. Kind of a P test run in London. And when he told them, or when it was announced that the number would be 999, the room burst into raucous laughter.

[Noel Brown]

Is this your theory, Ben, the German thing? Or did you read that somewhere?

[Ben Bolin]

This is historical speculation.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, this is so interesting. I didn't think the idea that maybe because of the embroilment in world affairs and all of that, at this point the Germans would have been front page News and saying 990. It's very. Yeah, I could picture that in a Hitler speech. In fact, it's happened. It's definitely 999.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, it has. Oh, that makes me remember the Hitler meme. Oh, gosh. I can't remember the name of the film, Noel, but you recall it's Downfall.

[Noel Brown]

It's the one. Downfall. That's the one with Bruno Gans playing Hitler. And it is fabulous. He was also in Wings of Desire. He's a fabulous actor.

[Ben Bolin]

There's this great clip that for years the Internet has taken and dubbed over to.

[Noel Brown]

He's in the Situation Room.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Reading the document, getting told bad news.

[Ben Bolin]

And he's complaining and everybody just changes what the bad news is. It's so niche.

[Noel Brown]

He gradually gets more and more enraged and it's one of those perfect things where you can escalate it and it's almost like the meme of the people sitting at like a table and saying, ask me about whatever or tell me I'm wrong.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. Yes. Change my mind.

[Noel Brown]

Very malleable. I love memes like that. See Gladiator 2 only in theaters November 22nd.

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[Noel Brown]

See Gladiator 2 only in theaters on November 22nd.

[Ben Bolin]

Don't miss it.

[Austin James]

Hey, it's Austin James. Yes, I'm living with diabetes, but it doesn't have to define me. Thanks to the Freestyle Libre, a three plus sensor, I get real time glucose readings throughout the day. The Freestyle Libre 3 sensor is small and easy to wear, giving me the freedom to focus on my life as a parent and a musician. Now this is progress. You can get a free sensor at FreestyleLibre US.

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

Offer available for people who qualify. Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply. Data ON FILE Avid Diabetes Care for prescription only Safety info found @freestylelibre us.

[Ben Bolin]

This episode of ridiculous history is brought to you by ebay Motors.

[Noel Brown]

Picture this. You're in the garage, your favorite room in the house, and you're tuning up your engine with parts you found on ebay. Every piece is just locking perfectly into place.

[Ben Bolin]

You step back to admire your work, hands covered in grease. And because you're committed to driving that thing further than the odometer can even handle, you start thinking to yourself, you know what?

[Noel Brown]

I could probably also use some new brakes, some shocks and struts. This baby deserves a new air filter.

[Ben Bolin]

So you head right back to ebay.

[Noel Brown]

You can find any part you need there. It is unreal. From wipers and headlights to cold air intakes, exhaust systems, and even that turbo you had on your mind.

[Ben Bolin]

Ebay is the stocked garage of your dreams. And you've got ebay guaranteed fit.

[Noel Brown]

Because eBay knows DIY fixes can be major and mods are always intense, so you need to know those parts are guaranteed to fit every time before you dive in.

[Ben Bolin]

Wrench first and in the off chance you order a part and it doesn't fit, send it back. Simple as that.

[Noel Brown]

You know what you love more than your car itself is driving it. You're serious when it comes to engine maintenance and locked in when you're headed into a build.

[Ben Bolin]

And that's exactly why you start with ebay. Minor fix or complete overhaul. You want to get your ride back on the road, and you've got eBay guaranteed fit.

[Noel Brown]

So eBay created my garage, where all you have to do is add your ride's info to get the exact parts that fit. When you see that green check, you're a click away from that part clicking perfectly into place.

[Ben Bolin]

So now that you know all that.

[Noel Brown]

Imagine standing at that open garage door looking at that car you love more than anything. Knowing that anything is possible. Whether it's keeping it on the road forever or turning it into something that's never been on the road before.

[Ben Bolin]

Because with ebay, your garage just got a whole lot bigger.

[Noel Brown]

Get all the parts you need at prices you'll love. Guaranteed to fit every time.

[Ben Bolin]

Ebay Things people love.

[Noel Brown]

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[Ben Bolin]

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[Noel Brown]

And here's something even more unique. Naturepedic offers fully customizable mattress options.

[Ben Bolin]

You can choose the feel that's just right for you, whether it's firm, plush or firm on one side and plush on the other. And even switch it up years later if your sleep needs change.

[Noel Brown]

With options for baby and kids too, the whole family can sleep healthier this holiday season.

[Ben Bolin]

Ridiculous History listeners can score Naturepedic's biggest deal of the year and get 20% off site wide plus a free pillow with any [e-mail] ridiculous don't settle for.

[Noel Brown]

Hidden chemicals where you sleep. Use code [e-mail] ridiculous to save better sleep awaits. This episode of Ridiculous History is brought to you by Mint Mobile.

[Ben Bolin]

You know when you discover a new binge worthy show and you have to share it with your friends so they can experience just how awesome it is.

[Noel Brown]

Boy do I ever been. And that's kind of what it feels like when you discover that Mint Mobile offers Premium Wireless for $15 a month when you purchase a three month plan.

[Ben Bolin]

I don't know about everybody else, but I like it when things are simple. When things are easily understandable. And that's why we can endorse Mint Mobile.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, when things just work. That's what Mint Mobile does. It just works. And it works at a great bargain.

[Ben Bolin]

Use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your phone number along with all of your existing contacts.

[Noel Brown]

To get this new customer offer and your new three month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month.

[Ben Bolin]

Go to mintmobile.com ridiculous that's mintmobile.com ridiculous cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com ridiculous $45 upfront.

[Noel Brown]

Payment required equivalent to $15 a month new customers on first three months plan only speeds slower above 40 gigabytes.

[Ben Bolin]

On unlimited plan, additional taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. This, however, does not become a countrywide system just yet. The initial nine operation or trial. It covers about a 12 mile radius originating from Oxford Circus, which is just to get in front of it for any Americans who haven't visited Oxford Circus, not a circus, it's a traffic juncture.

[Noel Brown]

Neither is Piccadilly Circus, probably a more famous one. And I for years truly believed that there were elephants and clowns and peanuts and Cracker Jacks and stuff.

[Ben Bolin]

I was hoping.

[Noel Brown]

Not the case. It's just like a big busy area, if I'm not mistaken. It's just kind of considered like a. Like a hub. But British listeners write us to let us know if we're getting what the idea of a British circus is. And do you call the circus the circus in Britain or do they call it a fun fair or something like that?

[Ben Bolin]

That's a slow horses question. The circus is also a term for intelligence operations.

[Noel Brown]

That's a good point. So.

[Ben Bolin]

So.

[Noel Brown]

The Joes. I love the Joes, man. God, this show is good.

[Ben Bolin]

Watch slow horses cover.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, blow a joke. That's me.

[Ben Bolin]

My.

[Noel Brown]

He's my Joe. He's my Joe. Sorry. It's so good.

[Ben Bolin]

Shout out Gary Oldman, man, what a great one.

[Noel Brown]

He doesn't need it, but we love you.

[Ben Bolin]

I'm actually. I ordered the books. I'm going to read the books too.

[Noel Brown]

There's more books that have yet to be produced. I believe too there's. You know, I'm sorry we're fanboying too much about slow horses, but please do do yourself a favor because I swear I don't understand why it still seems so under the radar. Those Apple shows, they don't give it any promo and I don't get why. Because it's some fabulous stuff on.

[Ben Bolin]

Amazing stuff. Yeah, shout out. Severance as well. So the public has to be taught how to use this thing, how to understand what 999 is. It's not just a German in denial. It's three. It's the three. It's the three digits you dial when something goes wrong. And they spend a great deal of time.

[Noel Brown]

Ad campaign of some sort. Right.

[Ben Bolin]

Trying to teach the public what constitutes a serious emergency. And the way they explained it back in the the Times, this is reported by our friends at the BBC, they said if, for instance, the man in the flat next to yours is murdering his wife. Well, you have seen a heavily masked cat Burglar peering around the stack Pipe bank building. So they say. They say you can, you can report suspicious characters, suspicious activity.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, that's great.

[Ben Bolin]

You can't. You, you shouldn't call just because you know you misplaced your keys.

[Noel Brown]

But also, if you're doing a Jimmy Stewart Rear Window kind of situation, it is definitely on the table. They might just think you're a kooky shut in crank and have not witnessed a murder at all. And you should just stop letting your imagination run wild and play tricks on you. Sorry. I recently watched Rear Window.

[Ben Bolin]

It's a real the eccentric who called wolf situation or cried wolf. Every country today, now, every country with an emergency call system has encountered their own share of inane super out there wackadoo calls, sometimes pranks, sometimes just really misled people. Favorite genre of this. We'll get to some of this at the end. Has been, at least in my mind, you guys. It's when people call to report that someone has stolen their illegal drugs.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, it's comical.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

I mean, just the level of boneheadedness, like, what do you think is going to happen, man? It's like you can't call if you're calling to report illegal activity that you yourself are a part of, you're basically telling on yourself like, oh, man, it's ridiculous.

[Ben Bolin]

But we know that, all right? We know that the kingdom led the charge on this. Other countries in the world started listening in. The first city in North America to use a central emergency number wasn't from the United States. They're still behind in the game.

[Noel Brown]

No, it was actually in Canada. If we're talking about the continent of North America, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1959. This again came from some pretty serious urging from a political figure, whether or not he was getting an earful from his constituents or whatever. Mayor Stephen Juba, which also for some reason appears to be a very quintessentially Winnipegian name, I'm just going to believe that. But like the UK, Winnipeg originally used 999 as well for their emergency number. But then they decided to walk in step with the US when they switched to 911.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And in the United States, we'll see a series of somewhat tragic events that lead, just like in the case of the United Kingdom, that lead to the creation of emergency phone numbers in the U.S. there was this push that came about post World War II, 1957, from the national association of Fire Chiefs, and they were saying, or echoing the same problem that we knew about, which is, how can you expect People in an emergency to have the number of their local fire department memorized. So they said, let's save some lives. Let's stop some fires. Let's have a single number at least for calling fire departments. And that people said, okay, that's a good idea. Nice one, buddy. But they didn't really act on it until, again, just as in London, it took a tragedy to push the idea forward.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. A little trigger warning here. We are going to talk about some sexual assault, some sexual violence. Not in detail, but if that's triggering at all to you, maybe just Skip ahead about 30 seconds or so. 1964 is when the sexual assault and murder of Kitty Genovese took the public by storm in New York City. It was an absolute scandal sensation, like OJ Simpson level galvanization of the public and subsequently the government to create a central emergency number.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And a lot of this came about because the New York Times misreported part of the story. They said everybody could hear Genovese crying for help, felt during the commission of these awful crimes, and that they. The people who heard her in New York City looked out their windows and watched or closed their windows and ignored it. Yeah, apparently. Well, the Times. The New York Times said that there were 38 bystanders who turned, turned their back on this innocent woman dying in such a horrific way. This would later lead to the concept of what we call the bystander effect, the bystander effect. Just for a side note, folks, the bystander effect is the inaction of people in groups when they feel that they are observers. That's why you can see it today when you look at public altercations or crimes and you're wondering, why isn't anyone helping? Why is everybody on their phone. Right. Just filming?

[Noel Brown]

It's that bubble effect. It's that sensation of being disconnected.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And it's. It's not that these people are necessarily malicious. It's. It's a version of the fight Freezer Fawn.

[Noel Brown]

Also true.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. So the best way to get around that, by the way, folks, we hope you never have to be in this situation, but if you are resuscitating someone or if you're trying to staunch a wound, you're in a public space. When you say call 911 to someone, never say somebody called 911. You don't know if anybody will. You point at someone, you make eye contact and you say you do this.

[Noel Brown]

Or just do it. And, you know, maybe there's also a sense with the bystander Effect of people not wanting to get involved for personal reasons. Perhaps they're concerned that it might get them in trouble or whatever. This led to the creation of these things called Good Samaritan laws that are essentially a micro version of immunity if you are participating in the reporting of a crime or someone being in danger.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, I love that you're bringing that up. A Good Samaritan law is something that offers legal protection to someone who helps another person in distress. It means that if you are voluntarily helping someone who is a victim of something, you cannot be later sued for doing the wrong thing. Also, speaking of our pals Mitchell and Webb, I want to shout out their excellent sketch and Mitchell, Webb, look, about Good Samaritans. Do you remember that?

[Noel Brown]

That one is not ringing a bell right off the rip.

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, it's. It's funny. You could tell David.

[Noel Brown]

They're always great. Oh, I love those guys. Yeah. If anyone isn't familiar, they are all the stars of Peepshow and they have a sketch comedy show called that Mitchell and Webb look that is also worth your time.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. Yeah. Ed, speaking of the time, we know that the New York Times, for one reason or another, got this story wrong or embellished it. And later historians would have a theory about this. They would say maybe people weren't calling police because it was so complex to do so. So any calls that you made to the police, if you knew the number, because there's not a 911 number yet, they would go to a local precinct, and any response that precincts could do would depend on whether there was an individual sergeant or other ranking personnel that might handle the call. Otherwise, they might say, oh, we've gone home for the day.

[Noel Brown]

Well, there's all, you know, anytime there's a sense of futility, you know, for an act like that, people are going to tend to not do the thing. Not to mention if it's complicated or involves, like, too much minutia or whatever. It's important for the barrier of entry for something as critical as reporting a crime or someone in danger to be as low as possible.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And this conundrum is part of the reason why there are different versions of Good Samaritan laws around the world. In some places, they have a thing called the duty to rescue law, which says that you are legally required to try to help someone. It's tough to enforce.

[Noel Brown]

Do we have that here? Is that a thing? I've always wondered about that, because it does seem like it would require a lot of legwork to prove that.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. We have. We have Good Samaritan here. Mexico has duty to rescue, as does a lot of Western Europe.

[Noel Brown]

But it's a lot of pressure is what that is. I mean, I'm not saying you shouldn't act, but I almost wonder if that would be, like, paralyzing to some people. People.

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, sure. Yeah. Especially if you are, you know, you're not trained up in things like CPR or the. I almost. The Heimlich maneuver. I almost called it the Van Helsing maneuver. That's a very different approach to this.

[Noel Brown]

The Jean Claude Van Damme maneuver.

[Ben Bolin]

Right, right. This. So this idea makes sense. Before, like you were saying. No. Before 1968, the only way to reach the police was by dialing 0, hitting the operator in the switchboard and hoping they were not too busy to transfer your call.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, exactly. There was a lot of opportunity for communication breakdown. But in 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administrative justice recommended creating one single number that could be used across the entire nation for reporting these kinds of emergencies.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And this was all based on the public outcry on the Genovese case. So the FCC won't let me be or let me be me. Kidding.

[Noel Brown]

The FCC went to something, something, something on MTV.

[Ben Bolin]

They went to AT&T. Private company, obviously, super. In bet with the government. And in November of 1967, the FCC and AT&T say, all right, we've got to figure out a number. Number that people can call whenever There's a crisis. AT&T. Not the US government, not Uncle Sam. AT&T chose the actual number, and they went with 911 because it was easy to memorize. And they were still working with rotary phones.

[Noel Brown]

That's right. So I'm wondering, do they, like, focus group this, do you think? Like. I mean, I understand what you're saying. I'm just wondering, like, why not. Why not one one, why not 12? Why not something that would require a few. But maybe it's what we were saying too, earlier. This is enough numbers where you couldn't do it by accident.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. They needed three digits, minimum.

[Noel Brown]

That makes sense, because otherwise, if it was just one, you miss dial, and then all of a sudden you're getting flooded with 12 calls. You know, I mean.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. Dialing 999 on a rotary phone physically takes longer. And putting 1 as the second digit in this pattern works pretty well with.

[Noel Brown]

Spatially.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. With the telephonic systems at the time. So they can use that pattern. That one is the second digit to help Prioritize things. But look, still, Bell systems, while a monopoly in AT&T, while definitely still a monopoly, they don't run everything. So independent phone companies are not in the emergency telephone plan.

[Noel Brown]

What's an independent phone company?

[Ben Bolin]

Not really a thing anymore.

[Noel Brown]

Exactly. I mean, I'm half joking, but it really is something. Even in our lifetime, I don't know that we had, you know, mom and pop phone companies anymore.

[Ben Bolin]

Just ma Bell. So some people chose to get ahead of the game. We've got to give the flowers to Alabama. The atc, Alabama Telephone company said, all right, we're going to do this, but we're not going to wait for the big dogs. We're going to go to Haleyville, Alabama. That's going to be our location for our 911 service. So the first US emergency call service is made in Alabama. It's a 911 service. And the first call is made in 1968 by the then speaker of the House, Rankin Fit fic names.

[Noel Brown]

I know, right?

[Ben Bolin]

And then it's a test call. It's in. Ohoeho.

[Noel Brown]

I was about to say, did they.

[Ben Bolin]

Say ahoy hoy to U.S. rep. Tom Bevel? And then later, same year, it's March 1, 1968. AT&T gets their system rolled out partially in Huntington, Alabama.

[Noel Brown]

That's right. In 1973, the White House's Office of Telecommunication issued a national statement that supported the use of 911 and pushed to take it even further by establishing a federal information center to kind of help with the logistics of all of it to assist government agencies in rolling this system out nationally.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. And again, we see some statements, but are those statements going to lead to action, or is it? Sound and fury signify nothing. A full national rollout of 911 would take years and years. And it's still, to our earlier point, unevenly distributed for much of this time. The city of Chicago had 911 service as early as 1976, but the Illinois Commerce Commission didn't let this get to the suburbs of Chicago until 1981.

[Noel Brown]

We're holding back the offer, offering 911 to customers.

[Ben Bolin]

That's crazy.

[Noel Brown]

That is a little bit nutty. See Gladiator 2 only in theaters November 22nd.

[Ben Bolin]

This film delivers thrilling action, a compelling story, emotionally charged performances, and spectacle on a scale unlike anything else.

[Noel Brown]

Only Ridley Scott could pull off a cinematic marvel at this scale. With sweeping storytelling and relentless action, Gladiator 2 stands out in the modern cinematic landscape with its immersive visuals, incredible score, and a gripping character driven narrative. The film stars an extraordinary cast including Paul Mezcal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen. Reprising her role as Lucilla. The fate of Rome rests on an uneasy alliance between Lucius and Macrinus who need each other to further their ambitions.

[Ben Bolin]

Gladiator 2 is a complex political chess game, action packed revenge story with a beating emotional core.

[Noel Brown]

You'll be on the edge of your seat as you experience the unexpected twists and turns throughout the film.

[Ben Bolin]

Get ready for an epic, immersive, visceral experience made for the big screen.

[Noel Brown]

See Gladiator 2 only in theaters on November 22nd.

[Ben Bolin]

Second don't miss it.

[Austin James]

Hey, it's Austin James. If you're like me, trying to live your best life while living with diabetes, you can relate to worrying if you're doing a good job managing your diabetes. I use the Freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensor to get real time glucose readings and see the impact of every meal and activity to make better decisions. The Freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensor can help me live life with diabetes on my own terms and it gives me more time for the things I love, like being a dad and a musician. Now this is progress. Learn more @freestyle freestylelibre us for prescription.

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

Only safety info found @freestylelibre us this.

[Ben Bolin]

Episode of Ridiculous History is brought to you by ebay Motors.

[Noel Brown]

Picture this. You're in the garage, your favorite room in the house, and you're tuning up your engine with parts you found on ebay. Every piece is just locking perfectly into place.

[Ben Bolin]

You step back to admire your work, hands covered in grease. And because you're committed to driving that thing further than the odometer can even handle, you start thinking to yourself, you know what?

[Noel Brown]

I could probably also use some new brakes, some shocks and struts. This baby deserves a new air filter.

[Ben Bolin]

So you head right back to ebay.

[Noel Brown]

You can find any part you need there. It is unreal. From wipers and headlights to cold air intakes, exhaust systems, and even that turbo you had on your mind, Ebay is.

[Ben Bolin]

The stocked garage of your dreams. And you've got ebay guaranteed fit.

[Noel Brown]

Because eBay knows DIY fixes can be major and mods are always intense, so you need to know those parts are guaranteed to fit every time before you dive in.

[Ben Bolin]

Wrench first and in the off chance you order a part and it doesn't fit, send it back. Simple as that.

[Noel Brown]

You know what you love more than your car itself is driving it. You're serious when it comes to engine maintenance and locked in when you're headed into a builder.

[Ben Bolin]

And that's exactly why you start with ebay. Minor fix or complete overhaul? You want to get your ride back on the road, and you've got ebay Guaranteed fit.

[Noel Brown]

So ebay created my garage, where all you have to do is add your ride's info to get the exact parts that fit. When you see that green check, you're a click away from that part, clicking perfectly into place.

[Ben Bolin]

So now that you know all that.

[Noel Brown]

Imagine standing at that open garage door looking at that car you love more than anything, knowing that anything is possible, whether it's keeping it on the road forever or turning it into something that's never been on the road before.

[Ben Bolin]

Because with ebay, your garage just got a whole lot bigger.

[Noel Brown]

Get all the parts you need at prices you'll love. Guaranteed to fit every time.

[Ben Bolin]

Ebay Things people love.

[Noel Brown]

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[Ben Bolin]

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[Ben Bolin]

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[Noel Brown]

With options for baby and kids too, the whole family can sleep healthier this holiday season.

[Ben Bolin]

Ridiculous History listeners can score Naturepedic's biggest deal of the year and get 20% off site wide plus a free pillow with any [e-mail] ridiculous.

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[Noel Brown]

By 1979, we had a pretty big boom time with 26% of the US population having access to 911. This continued exponentially over the course of the next decade or so as it increased to 50% by 1987 and then 93% by the year 2000. What's that extra 8% there or 10% there in 2000 that didn't have 911 in 2000?

[Ben Bolin]

Right, right. And then people are still working to improve the system. It is very much rural thing.

[Noel Brown]

It has to be just rural, right?

[Ben Bolin]

I mean, that's often. And so as of March of 2022, we're happy to report 98.9% of the US population had access.

[Noel Brown]

But where's that 1.1%? I got to know who these 1.1% of the population are that don't have access to 911 and are they okay?

[Ben Bolin]

We will never know.

[Noel Brown]

Guess not.

[Ben Bolin]

That's a terrible thing to say.

[Noel Brown]

They're truly the forgotten 1.1%.

[Ben Bolin]

Someone in the hinterlands of Alaska, maybe.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, there you go.

[Ben Bolin]

Very remote area.

[Noel Brown]

That has to be it.

[Ben Bolin]

And there are still vast swaths of the interior of the United States that don't have, you know, cell coverage. So that could explain part of it. Look, the modern system is a marvel of engineering and coordination. There is no question it saved millions of lives. The technology is continuing to evolve. We see all sorts of new innovations, like the ability to just text 911 from your cell phone. Like, have you ever done that? Have you ever. If you have an iPhone, you may have accidentally put the wrong emergency and it's like, do you want to make an emergency call?

[Noel Brown]

Whoops. I actually once said I but did that. And then I but said yes. And then I got a call from, from emergency services and I think I answered the phone and just apologize. But I did look up, like, where in the US do people not have access to 911? And of course, what comes up right away is parts of Alaska, Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Wyoming, north and South Dakota or Montana. But despite that, you did mention that some of these places are also Places that are going to have spotty cell signal. It's a little bit of a different game because of what you're talking about. The access through cell carriers to reach. To reach emergency services despite where you are physically.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. So the system continues to be improved upon. We hope you never have to call. We hope you do remember the numbers in your neck of the global woods.

[Noel Brown]

What's the number for 911?

[Ben Bolin]

I think it starts with a 2. We want to take a moment to thank all the first responders and 911 operators. Your service is often unsung. We know that. We have a loose abstract idea of how incredibly stressful this could be. And if you have ever worked in even a call center, a non emergency call center, you know that it can be a tremendously stressful job.

[Noel Brown]

And on 911, much like on these call centers, they're operating from a set of protocols as well. And so they might sometimes not react the way you would like them to when you're under duress because it is part of their mandatory date to go through this checklist of questions that might seem irrelevant. And maybe they are. Whatever, like whatever the nature.

[Ben Bolin]

Are you being threatened?

[Noel Brown]

That's right. But it's just they are trained to do that and they are being recorded and monitored. As we know, when we have a big public crime and we hear those 911 tapes. So these people are under a lot of scrutiny. I'm not saying there aren't operators, 911 operators out there that don't do a great job. That's certainly. We've seen plenty of cases of that with stuff they don't want you to know. But by and large, you're right, Ben. These people are doing God's work.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, I agree with you there. We also want to end this episode. We're keeping it a one parter with a couple of things. First off, thank you again to Norman MacDonald who almost a century ago out there in London decided something needed to be done about this problem. Writing and making your voice heard does make a difference. This guy made a huge difference. Something like this probably would have happened, but it happened the time it did because of this guy's strength of character.

[Noel Brown]

It's a good note for all of us to remember too that despite how things may feel sometimes, government wise, overwhelming. How can I possibly change anything? If you start small and make a suggestion at your local level, go to a community town hall or whatever it is, organize around a local commissioner, whatever to get something done. There are plenty of success stories of Things like that happening that oftentimes can spread outward to the bigger, greater picture of the country that you live in. Don't be despaired, y'all.

[Ben Bolin]

The way I always enjoy it is this think global, Global, Act Local 100% just because it rhymes.

[Noel Brown]

But people also say, like, think globally, shop locally. Or even I've seen people say meme locally. You know this guy I follow who does Athens, Georgia based memes. And his tagline on his account is think globally, meme locally, which I think is delightful. So, yeah, pee locally, poop globally, whatever. Well, that's. Or vice versa, depending on the day. But, Ben, you found a handful of really fun, pretty light hearted examples of 911 calls gone awry.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. This is the thing we want to add on here, just so we have a bit of levity, after thanking all the first responders and emergency call operators, we want to share with you just a few examples of how cartoonishly people can have a different definition of emergency. Your butt dial story stands out because there was a situation in Ohio, right? Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

A burglar in Shelby County, Ohio, was caught by police when he accidentally Butt dialed 911 while breaking into a home with the intent of robbing it. Making matters worse, when the cops showed up, he hid in a closet. And then charge your phone, bro. It went ding, ding. Or put that on silent, man. What a sloppy crook. Low battery alarm went off, which, you know, I mean, come on, man, it's 2024. Let's. Let's put our phones on silent.

[Ben Bolin]

Always have your phone on silence.

[Noel Brown]

It's just the right thing to do.

[Ben Bolin]

Do not disturb his default. You know what I mean? Text in advance. If someone calls me today, I assume it's an emergency, someone has died.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. So we're getting some of this from Reader's Digest. You can find some excellent threads across the Internet from first responders and 911 operators themselves. But again, we're just sharing some of the lighthearted ones to the earlier drug example. All right, there's this guy in Lincoln, Nebraska, who comes back to his house one day and he finds someone has robbed his house and they have, insult upon injury, stolen his favorite hookah pipe.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. And whilst you go ahead and laugh out there in ridiculous historian land, but people that are really into that stuff know those things can be very, very valuable. Very expensive, like really expensive glassware or whatever. It's a whole niche kind of, you know, market unto itself. And they may very well have been out a thousand dollars for the right kind of Bong.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And he clearly had an emotional attachment, so he calls 911 and the. The first responders, law enforcement shows up because it's a report of a burglary. Right. It's their job to show up. And then when they get there, Noel, they find that he grows a smell. Yeah, he grows a lot of cannabis.

[Noel Brown]

A lot of pot plants. Not legal in Lincoln, Nebraska. Also, this was in the era where it wasn't really legal most anywhere. But, yeah, he did end up kind of telling on himself. He must have been stoned when he made the call in the first place. He obviously back up Bong. Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, stoned and heartbroken. I bet he had a cute name for the hookah pipes too.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, probably. So. Bongi.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, we've got one. We've got another one from our own home state of Georgia.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, we do. And it's not pronounced Dacula, as much as we'd like it to be. It's. If you've ever driven around on i20 in the Atlanta area, like going towards. I believe it's on east, but you'll pass a place called Dacula. Count dakula. But it's DEA, GA. Or DEA.

[Ben Bolin]

Perhaps it's spelled like Dracula.

[Noel Brown]

It sure is. Yeah, it's. It's a spooky, spooky town, as evidenced by this tale of a woman contacting police when her Chevy van went missing. What could be spookier than that? At least it wasn't an odyssey. Right, Ben?

[Ben Bolin]

Thank you.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, thank you. Later that day, the woman called back to report that the vehicle had been found. Where was it found, Ben, where was the vehicle?

[Ben Bolin]

It was in her yard. She just had a really atrocious yard. So apparently she or someone parked it in their yard behind tall weeds.

[Noel Brown]

Or maybe she just hadn't driven it in a while and the weeds literally grew up around it over the span of, you know, I mean. Sure. So she was probably stoned too, when she made the call.

[Ben Bolin]

It feels like there's. There's a lot of story between the lines on that one. We'll end on this. There's a guy who. Okay. There is a known issue with some people, perhaps driven by loneliness, perhaps a mental situation, perhaps paranoia. There are people who are regulars calling 911 when there's not what 911 would consider an emergency, like not domestic abuse. It's just someone's a looky loo and they're consistently reporting things that they think.

[Noel Brown]

Are suspicious and there may be mental health issues at play here. So I would think that what I did look up in terms of when is it crossing the line to abuse or to misuse 911? And it is on a case by case basis. So I would imagine they would be able to be like, oh, poor old Mr. Wilson, he's calling again, asking for a pack of smokes. He doesn't mean any harm. And after a certain point, if it really is clogging up the resource, then something probably has to be done. But the thing is, though, you also can't like block them from calling 911 because they could eventually have a genuine emergency. You know, you can't take away people's 911 privileges.

[Ben Bolin]

And sometimes we see this happen in medical facilities as well. Somebody may just continually go to error with no discernible emergency medical situation. Right, yeah. So this takes us to one example of this. A guy in Canada, in a town called Lundar, made a bunch of calls to 911. And eventually, since we said it's a case by case basis, the operators say, okay, okay, bud, listen, you gotta stop calling. There are real emergencies. And every time that we are dealing with your frivolous stuff, we are risking the lives of other people. So if you call again, this is your last warning. If you call one more time, you are going to go to jail for exploiting this system. And then he said, well, if you're coming to get me, can you bring along some cigarettes? That's my real reason for calling. He called 911 the way people would call. Like a friend coming over or like the way a drunk person would ask the Uber eats guy to bring some stuff by.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, that's. Oh, man, poor guy. He's probably just lonely. Didn't have anybody that would bring him a pack of smokes. I mean, I can only imagine too that there are examples of people calling 911 as well, just to have some company. You know what I mean?

[Ben Bolin]

Like, the world can be a lonely place.

[Noel Brown]

Yes, it can. I'm sorry we said we were going to end on an up note, but. But here we are. It's true though, you know, hey, check on your folks. Check, check on your elderly.

[Ben Bolin]

And here's our up note. Here's our up note for this. We are a community and we're so glad you have joined us. You know, one thing I can say about podcasting, as imperfect and new a genre of media as it is, is that I think it does unite people, hopefully in a largely wholesome way.

[Noel Brown]

I would like to think largely wholesome. We try to keep it, Keep it largely Wholesome here on Ridiculous History.

[Ben Bolin]

Or at least medium. Wholesome.

[Noel Brown]

Medium.

[Ben Bolin]

Max, you had something on your mind?

[Max Williams]

Yeah, I wanted to just leave with a funny story to end this episode. So one of my best friends of all time, her name is Chelsea, she was a emergency call dispatcher for a number of years. Very stressful job. She eventually left because she's just like, I can't do this. Weird hours, stuff like that, that. But throughout the time, she would tell me some of the weirdest ones she got. And one one night, it was a call from a couple. They had, you know, been doing some things in the bedroom. And we're just trying to be very vague about what the problem was. My friend Chelsea's like, hey, ma'am, I really need to know what's wrong with your partner to figure out what it is. He's like, well, we were trying some. I'm going to try to get this a little cleaner, but let's just say something was stuck in his.

[Noel Brown]

Say, leave it at. But I think we.

[Ben Bolin]

We.

[Noel Brown]

We caught your. Caught your drift there.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. Cheeky, but I get it.

[Max Williams]

Very cheeky.

[Noel Brown]

And then the next part of that story is the attending physician at the er, you know, looking at a X ray with, like, a Lego.

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, God, why? How has that become a trope?

[Noel Brown]

It is.

[Max Williams]

Chelsea told me that they had to inject a good bit of muscle relaxers into him.

[Noel Brown]

Could have given him some poppers maybe. Gosh, we said we were going to keep it pg.

[Ben Bolin]

Well, as long that's fine. As long as we don't explain the poppers thing. So look it up on your own. Thank you so much for tuning in. Everybody stay safe out there. And again, the biggest thing for us to end on with is we've got a lot of ridiculous historians in the audience today who are first responders or who do work with the 911 system or another emergency call system, maybe a mental health system, things like that. Thank you so much much for your service. And while we're thanking people, let's roll some credits. Thanks to our super producer, Mr. Max Williams.

[Noel Brown]

Indeed, thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme, Christopher H. And Eve Jeffcoat here in spirit.

[Ben Bolin]

Big, big thanks to Gabe Luzier, first of his name. I don't know if it's true, but.

[Noel Brown]

I'm probably saying that maybe that's entirely likely.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. Let's see. Thanks to, of course, our rude dudes over at Ridiculous Crime, Elizabeth, Zarin and Dave. You can check out a couple of collaboration episodes we have with them. Oh, thanks to our pals at Daily Zeitgeist who started doing video episodes.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, good for them. Maybe we'll get there one day. Maybe we'll join the big leagues. Huge thanks to the Quizzter Jonathan Strickland. He will be on before the end of the year. Maybe definitely early.

[Ben Bolin]

We're going on record, I think we.

[Noel Brown]

Could say, but I think we do a holiday. Let's do a holiday episode with that old Quister. Also thanks to AJ Bahamas Jacobs the.

[Ben Bolin]

Puzzler, and thanks to Dr. Rachel Big Spinach Lance. Thanks again to you, Noel. This was a good ride. I think we kept it wholesome. We'd love to hear Everybody's favorite whimsical 911 call calls over on our Facebook page. Ridiculous historians.

[Noel Brown]

That's right. We'll see you next time, folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

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