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    The Sideshow

    Man calls 911 after gluing plastic cups to head

    "Only call this number in case of emergency"A man who "accidentally" glued five plastic cups to his head put in a desperate call to 911 seeking medical attention. But that's just one of the more ridiculous non-emergency calls being highlighted in the Shields region of England.

    The Shields Gazette has posted a list of the more unusual Northeast Ambulance Service (NEAS) calls the region has recently experienced. The glued cups to the head takes the ribbon, but some of the other contenders include:

    - One woman dialled 999 because she had the hiccups

    - A rabbit owner called because her pet had a sore leg

    - A caller phoned in because a contact lens had become stuck in his eye

    It's also worth noting that unlike in America, but perhaps to the delight of Herman Cain, British emergency calls are placed to "999."

    "All 999 calls are treated as an emergency. That means a call-taker has to go through a series of questions to establish the facts of an incident," said a NEAS spokesperson. "Handling requests which are clearly not an emergency means a call-handler is tied up, when they could be dispatching an ambulance to someone genuinely in need."

    The NEAS said they received nearly 1,200 emergency calls on "Black Eye Friday," a 20 percent increase over the usual caller traffic. The NEAS has been publicizing the non-emergency calls to help educate the public on when it is appropriate to request immediate medical assistance.

    "Speed is of the essence when dealing with a true emergency, and we need to make sure that people in need can get the help they require," the spokeswoman said.

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    • Breadman  •  4 mths ago
      If there ever was a need to have a relevant picture with the article, this is it...
      • Gino 4 mths ago
        You deserve all the thumbs up you got!
    • spongebob  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  4 mths ago
      I want to see a photo of the five cups glued to the head of that idiot.
      • Tlyna 4 mths ago
        When I was younger I was in the ER to have a bad cut on my head stitched when a guy in his 20s walked in hunched over and wrapped in a blanket. He was taken in almost immediately and a few minutes later I saw a nurse come out of his room and run down to the desk where she burst out laughing. I snuck up to listen and heard her tell the other staff the guy had a lightbulb stuck up his arse. It made me laugh and actually not hurt so much. To this day I wish I could have seen it and also asked why he had done such a stupid thing.
      • shoop da woop 4 mths ago
        I bet he could light the bulb when he farted.
      • Amber 4 mths ago
        OMG that is too funny! I've never understood why people feel the need to shove inanimate objects up their backsides.
    • Cookie  •  Joplin, Missouri  •  4 mths ago
      You just can't fix stupid
      • Arc Burn 4 mths ago
        This is why there should be a claw hammer in every delivery room.
    • Annoyed  •  4 mths ago
      Imagine the stories 911 operators could tell about calls here in the U.S.
      • Mark S 4 mths ago
        Here is Hawaii: When officers arrived, patrons were holding 45-year-old Gregory Haas of Kailua-Kona outside the establishment. He had reportedly assaulted four men with what is believed to be the femur bone of a cow.
      • Rebekah 4 mths ago
        There's actually a book out about that; it's hilarious.
    • FRANK S  •  4 mths ago
      Five cups...by accident?
      • Joe 4 mths ago
        The first time was an accident. The next four times were pure stooopid.
      • MilitaryRetiree 4 mths ago
        You sound as thought you don't believe his story.
      • Linda 4 mths ago
        I'm thinking ... hmmmm .... the contents of the cups went in him before the cups got glued onto him.... lol
    • mighty m  •  Dover, Delaware  •  4 mths ago
      as a retired member of the Baltimore City Fire Department calls like this are called " good intent"
      and yes we get them everyday. I would rather go to one of these then to have someone hurt or dead.... as we say... a good day for a fireman is when he never has to leave the firehouse...all is safe
    • Al B Taken V  •  4 mths ago
      His cup is half fool.
    • Bobbi T  •  San Francisco, California  •  4 mths ago
      And why would you glue plastic cups on your head to begin with???
    • jonmoatz  •  4 mths ago
      Just goes to prove the US is not the only country with mentally challenged goofs running lose.
    • Big Uncle Fester  •  Chico, California  •  4 mths ago
      If he had strings attached to each cup, maybe he was creating his own network.....
    • Jerry  •  4 mths ago
      Im voting for this guy in'12, makes as much sense as they do.
    • Jerry S  •  4 mths ago
      A nitwit. He will go far in life.
    • Wildgraywolf  •  Montoursville, Pennsylvania  •  4 mths ago
      To be honest I only came for the comments and I wasn't disappointed! Thank you all for the clever comments and the laughs!
    • Carley  •  4 mths ago
      I would think having a contac lens stuck in your eye, might be an emergency, with the eye tearing so you can't see to drive. It would depend on how it is "stuck". If he had no one to take him to the dr., I can see how he might need an ambulance.
    • Jessica  •  Miami, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      I just HATE when that happens! Cups should really come with a warning label. Or maybe glue should. But something must be done about this!
    • 3¢worth  •  Toronto, Canada  •  4 mths ago
      Which head?
    • Quackem Jackem  •  4 mths ago
      Five... thats all he could get on there. I could do at least seven or eight! Watch.
    • Carlton W  •  4 mths ago
      I am guessing many posters have not seen the movie "Idiocracy" - this is our destiny which we are approaching about 450 years ahead of what the movie predicts...
    • WYZ1  •  Austin, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      There is no way anyone could accidentally glue cups to their own head.
    • Jesse P  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 mths ago
      He's lucky it wasn't an athletic cup.
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