(New York) “How do I cook my turkey for Thanksgiving? “, “My fridge is too noisy”: the city of New York celebrated the 20th anniversary of its “non-emergency” call service, 311, by broadcasting its craziest requests among 525 million contacts.
Launched in March 2003, “NYC311 has become an indispensable resource for New Yorkers, when they want to complain about noise, report a dirt problem, find out if alternate parking is in effect,” praised Eric Adams, the Democratic Mayor. of the megalopolis of more than eight million inhabitants.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the service has released a nine-page study summarizing the main statistics of this “non-emergency” call number, distinct from 911, the one reserved for the most serious situations.
If the most numerous contacts concern parking, legal or illegal, noise or complaints about heating, the town hall has selected the 20 most unusual requests. “A cat is terrorizing someone through a screen door,” a 2003 call said, or “how long is a baseball game,” a 2008 question asked.
In 2022, probably in the fall, 311 was dialed asking if it was possible to “spray the trees with a spray to stop the leaves from falling”. “Could you transfer me to a UFO expert,” was asked again in 2023.