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I wonder...

I just saw this on the BBC news site:
"Police are summoned through 999 more than 10 million times a year, and not always for the right reasons - hoax calls, trivial incidents and people sitting on their mobiles among them. These nuisances aside, new figures show many forces aren't coping too well with the rising demand.

The lady was clearly hysterical. What to do? She felt she needed some serious assistance. So she dialled 999. After all, it was an emergency.

Her call was answered. The operator asked what the trouble was.

"It was basically a lady who had called up and requested police attendance because there was a spider in her bath," recalls the operator, a former civilian employee with the Metropolitan Police."

I wonder whether people have fewer and fewer community options to sort out their problems. Maybe the days when you can call a neighbour are over for many people. The police for some are the new friendly fix it man from next door...

And I wonder how many of our neighbours would call the police before they tap on our door to sort out arachnid issues?

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