Prank callers misuse toll-free numbers
21 December 2009
Toll-free numbers like 113 and 112 have become a pain for police stations and hospitals in the eastern dzongkhags with increasing number of prank calls.
113 is a toll-free service in police stations to report crime, fire and road accidents. 112 is a toll-free service in hospitals to report accidents and other medical emergencies.
According to police officials in Trashigang police station, they get around 50 to 60 prank calls every day. They arrested one person from Kanglung and another from Khaling Gewog recently for making prank calls. They were imprisoned for six months.
The police said such calls affected people, who were really in need of help. “There are definitely some genuine callers that we might mistake for prank callers,” said a police officer.
In 2008, an unidentified caller called up 113 saying there was a road accident in Rolong. Immediately, the police rushed to the spot with an ambulance. But they did not find any accident in the reported area even after several searches.
The police officer said such calls were irritating, especially when they were in the middle of discussing serious cases in the office with limited manpower. “We have to attend calls when we are engrossed in more important cases. When we receive calls, we would hear things like ‘Hey, a dog just broke its leg; you should come and pick it up right away,” said the police officer.
Trashiyangtse police station too has troubles with abusive telephone calls. However, the police officials said they try to explain the prank callers not to misuse the services. Mongar police station has stopped the 113 service for mobile phone users after they received increasing number of prank calls from cell phones. The police officials said the number of prank calls increased after the introduction of cell phones in the country.
According to the police stations, girls and children made most of the prank calls. “People are least embarrassed on the phone,” said a police official in Trashigang. “Especially girls give abusive telephone calls,” he said.
Festivals like losars are a worst time for the police officials. “Prank callers will be calling for the whole day just to say ‘Happy Losar’,” said the police official.
Meanwhile, Trashigang General Hospital has disconnected the emergency number since 2008 because of prank calls. According to a hospital official, the number had to be disconnected because it interrupted and disturbed the staff and patients in the ward.
“Sometimes, the ambulance had to be sent to check certain places because some people report fake cases. When genuine cases arise, we would not have the ambulance,” said the official.
By Tempa Wangdi
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Loading ...Zakar for Friday July 30 2010
20th Day of the 06th Month - Iron Male Tiger Year
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I am shocked to hear this misuse of emergency telephone services particularly in Bhutan and more by girls too! Has the Buddhist ethic been diminishing lately?
We have a lot in the UK but it seems there are more of these per capita in Bhutan – can this phenomenon be explained by any sociologist in Bhutan?
It is really bad that people misuse these services. But we can expect it to die down after some years. Right now, people are experiencing this ability to call any one from anywhere for the first time in Bhutan and they are too excited to try it out. And what better way to try it out than free calls!
Still I don’t mean we have to condone such acts. We need to educate people about why it is wrong to misuse these services. And yes, even punish them to teach a lesson to other would-be abusers.
i think such callers should be punished in such a way that they will not even think of doing such pranks next time..it is really annoying and irritating to hear that girls are more over involved..are this people not educated?..when it comes children, parents are responsible for this kind of acts..they should know how to teach lessons to such children otherwise bhutanese will never grow..
its sad to know that we r facing this problem…and even more sad to know girls r outnumbering….this actually should’nt be happening…but i don’t think imprisoning them would help…instead why not the govt. impose fine on them as the caller can be tracked down…
i am requested for to you please give me tollfree number