A teen in Canada was cautioned about the proper use of 911 after police said she called the emergency number and expressed dissatisfaction with her parents' choice of vacation venue.

CBC News reported the 15-year-old called 911 last Tuesday to "complain that her parents forced her to go on vacation with them" and she didn't approve of the rental cottage in Toronto that they selected.

Officers came to the cottage to make sure everyone was safe and cautioned about the misuse of 911.

"This appeared to be a case of a teenager being a teenager," Northumberland  Ontario Provincial Police Const. Steve Bates told CBC News. "Although she perceived this as a real issue, it was not an appropriate use of 911."

No charges were filed, but the teen was given a lesson in proper emergency number usage. "Calls such as this tie up police resources which could impact the safety of others in the community who are in real need of assistance," Bates told CBC News.

At least in this case, it was someone actually talking after a study found that 30 percent of calls to 911 are butt-dials.

About the Author

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff