Call 911 for mother-[expletive deleted] emergencies!

Here’s a personal thanks to WBZ anchor Joe Shortsleeve for brightening our day. We just tripped across his online report from the Channel 4 website yesterday that State Senator Jim Timilty of Attleboro has worked up legislation to punish people with a $1,000 fine and possibly a year in jail for calling 911 with non-emergencies.

Now, this is apparently a serious problem—the report says 911 operators field about 1,000 bogus calls a day—and we don’t mean to make light of it…but the example Shortsleeve’s report gives to illustrate the problem is really just outstanding:

911 Operator: “What is your emergency?”

Caller: “Well I just want to tell you guys (expletive) thanks a lot for telling us about the construction on 495. You didn’t put up one (expletive) sign and I am (expletive) sitting here in traffic (expletive) (at) 11 o’clock at night. I have kids in the (expletive) car. Thanks a lot.”

See, it’s about the children. Can’t you (expletive) at (expletive) 9-(expletive)-11 (expletive) understand that?