Calling 911 for Pepperoni Pizza Delivery, But Why?
Updated: Aug 13, 2019
Phone Conversation of 911 Operator (reference Reddit user Crux1836);
Officer : â911, where is your emergency?â
Caller : â123 Main St.â
Officer : âOk, whatâs going on there?â
Caller : âIâd like to order a pizza for delivery.â
Officer : âMaâam, youâve reached 911â
Caller : âYeah, I know. Can I have a large with half pepperoni, half mushroom and peppers?â
Officer : âUmmm⌠Iâm sorry, you know youâve called 911 right?â
Caller : âYeah, do you know how long it will be?â
Officer : âOk, Maâam, is everything ok over there? do you have an emergency?â
Caller : âYes, I do.â
Officer : â⌠And you canât talk about it because thereâs someone in the room with you?â
Caller : âYes, thatâs correct. Do you know how long it will be?â
Officer : âI have an officer about a mile from your location. Are there any weapons in your house?â
Caller : âNope.â
Officer : âCan you stay on the phone with me?â
Caller : âNope. See you soon, thanksâ
(Officer) As we dispatch the call, I check the history at the address, and see there are multiple previous domestic violence calls. The officer arrives and finds a couple, female was kind of banged up, and boyfriend was drunk. Officer arrests him after she explains that the boyfriend had been beating her for a while. I thought she was pretty clever to use that trick. Definitely one of the most memorable calls.
Another case which happed in UK ;
The call went something like this:
Operator : Police Emergency Caller : Hello, Iâd like to order a curry please. Operator : Youâre through to the police Caller : Could you deliver it to â123 Streetâ Operator : Madam, this is the police, not a delivery service Caller : Could you deliver it as soon as possible? Operator : (starting to realize something is fishy) âMadam, are you in a situation where you cannot talk freely? Caller : Yes. Operator : Are you in danger? Caller : Yes. Operator : Okay, Iâm arranging help for you immediately. Caller : Could you make it two Naan Breads? My husband is really hungry. Operator : Iâll send two officers.
This transcript is purely based on memory from a police officerâs memoir. On the police response, a very angry man was arrested for domestic violence. There was obviously the risk that the operator could have hung up on a âtime-wastingâ caller, but once they realized something was wrong, they changed scripts immediately.
Can you actually call Emergency Services and âorder a pizzaâ as a tactic for help?
The answer is "No", there is no such 911 pizza call "code". Police and 911 operators say thereâs no such secret code, and that your best option if youâre afraid of someone in the room overhearing your call is to text 911 with your location and the type of emergency.
However, a meme has been circulating on social media reads: âIf you need to call 911 but are scared to because of someone in the room, dial and ask for a pepperoni pizza⌠Share this to save a lifeâ
Here is what LAPD tweets,