The next time you feel a bit frustrated with council customer services, spare a thought for the chaps and chapettes at the other end who have to field some pretty strange calls at times, including: someone attempting to register the death of someone who is still alive; one caller to Surrey County Council wanted to know whether he was allowed to roll up a zebra crossing; a motorist in Sutton who discovered her car was in a different parking spot when she returned from a shopping trip asked if the car park was haunted.
The top 10 bizarre calls to councils:
1) 'Can I register the death of a person even though they aren¹t dead yet?' (Surrey)
2) 'I've tried the number given on your website for the library but it doesn't work.'
'What was the number?'
'0900 1800'
'I'm sorry those are the times the library is open between.' (Surrey)
3) I've heard there are dolphins in Cardigan Bay and we'd like to travel down for the day to see them. What time do they start?'
(Ceredigion)
4) 'Do you know where I could get an old bath that I could fill with custard?' (Sutton)
5) 'Can you explain the plot of 'She Stoops to Conquer'?' (East Dorset District Council¹s Tourist Information Centre)
6) 'Am I allowed to shoot a gun across a public footpath?' (Surrey)
7)'A local resident in Cologne, Germany: 'I am standing at a bus stop and the bus hasn't turned up what should I do next?' (East Dorset District Council¹s Tourist Information Centre)
8) 'Am I allowed to roll up a zebra crossing?' (Surrey)
9) 'Can you tell me the make of the guns your pest control officers use to shoot starlings as I'd like to buy one?'(Northumberland)
10) 'A local resident in South Korea: Can you order me a Christmas turkey from the butchers please?' (East Dorset District Council's Tourist Information Centre)
via
LocalGov.co.uk