Bena Mae’s Kitchen: 911 calls that can make you laugh

I’ve had to call 911 twice in my lifetime. Once was for a bad cut on my arm that went all the way to the bone and the second time was when I had a heart attack.
Both times the 911 operator was quick and efficient. EMS were at my door within three minutes of the call and they hurriedly loaded me into an ambulance and raced to the emergency room. I have nothing but good things to say about them for their professional and dedicated attention.
All 911 calls that come in and are fielded by these public servants are taken seriously. But the operator never knows what to expect when a call comes in. Sometimes they get a call from out in left field that taxes their brain among the more serious calls for which the 911 number is there to help in drastic cases.
And sometimes a call can be handled by a person with a sense of humor and a genius for helping the caller. Case in point and a bouquet of roses for this imaginative advice given by an EMS operator.
“I once fielded a call from an elderly gentleman who lived in a trailer park. He informed me that his trailer was ringing and buzzing as well as the palate in his mouth. He said he couldn’t take it anymore. Thinking along the lines of a possible electrical problem or maybe some nearby outside interference I started questioning him and he immediately told me that he knew where the source of this ringing was coming from. He stated the ‘spiders on Mars’ were sending radio signals to him and this has been going on for quite sometime. He asked me if there was anything I could do for him. I told him to stay on the line and placed him on hold. I waited a few seconds and returned to him. I told him that I just sent a radio signal back to the spiders telling them to knock it off. He told me the ringing and buzzing had stopped and he thanked me for my help. I dispatched an Officer to his trailer to check on his well being.”
Now this next one tickled my funny-bone and I really believe it happened:
Sometimes the calls can be humorous. Such as the sweet little old lady who called 911 to report her male neighbor was exposing himself through his bathroom window, which faced her bathroom window. When the officers arrived she took them to her bathroom window and showed the officer. Sure enough her male neighbor was shaving, bare-chested, but was only visible from the chest up through the window. The officer told the lady that sure the neighbor should use a little more discretion, but he was hardly exposing himself deliberately. She says, “Oh, really officer?” Just stand up on this toilet seat and see what I see.
I have nothing but disdain for the following caller and I hear calls like this are very common.
The call that Reginald Peterson in Jacksonville, Florida made to 911 after not getting the correct sauce on his sandwiches at Subway was pretty crazy. He then called 911 again to complain that the police weren’t getting there fast enough to fix his order. The police eventually got there and arrested him for making false 911 call.
I say give him his sauce. And make it hot, hot, hot.

This recipe was submitted by Eva Henry Hughes, a native of Williamsburg. This recipe was given to her by Miss Muriel King, the sister of Mrs. William Henry (Lela) and sister-in-law of Reverend William T. Henry, one time pastor of the Williamsburg Christian Church.

Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon flour
2 whole eggs, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 stick melted butter

Mix all together.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes in unbaked pie crust (or until done).