Manitoba RCMP have beef with woman who called 911 to complain about long Burger King lineup
'This is not a valid reason,' RCMP tweets in response to Steinbach woman's complaint
Manitoba RCMP are reminding the public that 911 is only for emergencies after a Steinbach woman called to complain about a long drive-thru line at the city's new Burger King.
Police took to social media Friday to condemn the non-emergency call that came in the day before.
"We realize you aren't you when you're hangry, but this is not a valid reason to dial 911," the tweet said.
It was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but RCMP media relations officer Tara Seel says it's rooted in a serious issue.
"When you call 911 for a non-emergent matter, that can tie up an operator who could be dealing with an emergency," she said in an interview on Friday.
REMINDER: 911 is ONLY for emergencies <br><br>Yesterday, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rcmpmb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rcmpmb</a> received a 911 call from a woman in Steinbach who was angry about the long drivethru line at the new Burger King. We realize you aren’t you when you’re hangry, but this is not a valid reason to dial 911. <a href="https://t.co/FBhhCzSZZi">pic.twitter.com/FBhhCzSZZi</a>
—@rcmpmbSeel says people should only call 911 in the event of an emergency, and a lineup at a fast-food restaurant doesn't qualify.
Another person recently called Manitoba RCMP to inquire about where they could find a Zamboni that weekend, another example of a call that shouldn't be made to 911, Seel added.
"At 911, we're there for you. We want to help you and this is not at all to discourage anyone from calling," she said.
"Just keep in mind the situation that you should be calling 911, and that is when there is an emergency situation where you need immediate assistance."
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With files from Rachel Bergen