Lifestyle

If you call 911 by accident and tell the operator “sorry, I didn’t mean to dial you,” will they still send someone out?

It was last Thursday, about 10 am. I was in the men’s room, and my phone rang. I didn’t know the number, so I nuked the call. It quickly rang again.

I answered, and it was the local PD responding to my 911 call. I told them I didn’t call 911. Their system said I did, so I must have. Well, I didn’t, my phone was in my pocket, and you need a pass code to do anything. I assured them that I was ok, and I don’t know how the call was made.

After we disconnected, I checked my call log. No calls at all, let alone 911.

So someone else may have called, the computer somehow read my number, and someone elseay have needed help that was not forthcoming due to a glitch in the matrix.

So at least in my case, 911 did follow up. It just wasn’t to the correct number.


Some yrs back I accidentally pocket dialed 911 while pumping gas. I kept hearing “hello, hello”. I grabbed my phone and saw it was connected to 911. I talked to the lady and explained my phone was in my pocket and accidentally dialed. She asked if I needed assistance and if I was ok. I said I didn’t need assistance and was fine. We ended the call and that was that.


If you call 911, don’t panic and hang up like a guilty child. If you do, they might send a car to you (depending on where you live) because your address is attached to the number.

BUT, if you calmly explain — like an adult — that it is a test or an accident, then it will be fine.

I once had to do an essential 911 functionality test for work, and it was all over quickly and easily.

After two years, this answer is still getting lots of attention. I wonder why.


Not necessarily. I was cutting grass in my field when I heard my phone trying to call out. So I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen and saw it was calling 911, so i quickly hung up. And received a call for them from a different but local number. I answered it and they asked if I needed help, and I told them that my I has my phone in my pocket while I was weedeating. And it was a pocket dial. And they never came outm

Related Posts

Now that manufacturing is back in America, is it time for Europe to buy all American?

I’m a recently retired CEO of a small US-based hard-tech manufacturing company with a global customer base, and a global supply chain. I’ve lived and breathed this stuff…

If it is true that the ICE Agent who shot Renee Good suffered internal bleeding, does that prove she did hit him with her car?

“OK, I’m just going to say it straight up. “I don’t care. I didn’t know her. No one I know knew her. Her death means absolutely nothing to…

Do dogs really want to be petted?

Yes, but probably not the way you’re doing it. I used to think all dogs loved head pats until I started really diving into canine body language. It…

Why do Teslas not have manual door handles in case of emergency and really hard-to-find release latches during an emergency? What design issue was solved by doing that?

I took an industrial design course and the instructor told us the first day that if we didn’t learn or remember anything else from his course he wanted…

Has a surfacing submarine ever captured something on its deck?

While on patrol in the central Mediterranean on a fast attack one day in the early 90s, we were coming to periscope depth to get a satellite fix,…

What is the funniest Irish joke?

An Irishman goes into a bar and orders a drink. After a bit of friendly chat, the bartender asks, “ Are you a Catholic or a Protestant?” “Neither,”…