To ask why you've phoned the police?

A few times.

1. 2 random men asleep in a car on my drive (they were waiting for a neighbour to deliver some bad news but got the wrong house).
2. People in the garden (turns out they were the police looking for someone).
3. Man shouting and waving a baseball bat in our street.
4. Woman off her face at 8.30am shouting and zig zagging about in the road outside our house, stopping traffic and scaring kids walking to school.

In all cases the police responded within a few minutes. For no 2 they rang back to explain. For 3 and 4 other people had also reported the incidents. They deescalated 3. The woman in 4 was taken away in an ambulance after much persuasion by ambulance staff and police.

I called 101 after my teen son was assaulted at the park by some shitheads. The police were great and liaised with the school to identify the perpetrators.

I called 101 for same reason and they said I should have dialled 999. Sheep not cows

I've called for a neighbour when her drunk son was trying to get into her house and hurt her. Several others had called as well, the mother eventually let him in and the dispatcher could hear her screaming.

I've also called for a man walking along a unlit stretch of dual carriageway in the dark using his phone as a torch. Apparently several others had also called then as well.

When I had covid in 2020 and was delirious and struggling to breathe (with hot red patches spreading up my arms and legs), DH was worried and asked should he call an ambulance. I mumbled no, try 111. He misheard, dialled 911, was diverted to 999 and when they asked which service, he blurted out PARAMEDICS! I had no energy to intervene and they arrived an hour later - they were lovely and so kind. They wanted to take me in due to tachycardia and reduced breath sounds on one side, but my oxygen levels weren't too bad (and there wasn't anything anyone could give me to make me feel any better) so I declined. Recovered about 10 days later.

Once when I was overtaken by two lads racing each other along a 40mph road at goodness knows what speed whilst they threw bottles and cans at all the cars they passed. I managed to get the make and partial registration numbers of both cars so hopefully they were caught.

Another time when there was a huge altercation just outside my flat where a man was screaming at his female passenger and banging his hands repeatedly on the steering wheel, telling her to go and pick the fucking kid up from school then he was going to punch them both. The police didn’t turn up for ages and they’d gone by then. Despite giving a full description of both people, the car make, model and registration number and the names of several other witnesses, the police said there was nothing they could do as there was no cctv footage!

I was once walking through town on my way home from a night out and saw a women being taken down a back alleyway by a bloke. She was very drunk and barely able to walk, he was big and had her completely in his grip. He saw me looking and we made eye contact. He quickly dragged her out of my site. I called 999 and stayed where I was - I was scared to go after them as this was a big menacing looking bloke. But wanted to be near as I would have gone if I heard any screaming. The police turned up very quick on foot as they were round the corner, they intervened and took the woman home. She was apparently there by choice and the man was let go, but I don’t think she had a clue what was happening, so was glad I saw her!

top of the range range rover illegally parked with the doors open, and a personalised number plate (can't remember what) that made me think it was gang related. according to local newspaper stash of drugs & arms were inside. It was a private road and they'd never normally turn up.

Spotted a gang of boys concealing something in the bushes next to my apartment - I suspected knives/guns etc.

Hearing threatening aggressive DV type argument in the street outside my home.
Hearing threatening aggressive DV type argument in the apartment next door.

Argument in the park between teenagers when I looked up & realised one of them was waving a machete type knife around.

Cyclist knocked off bike by large lorry.

101 for Unleashed dangerous-breed looking dogs in a park that was supposed to be dog free. they said it was a matter for the council, but coincidentally the police turned up and arrested about 20 people for drinking in a no-alcohol zone within about twenty minutes.

TBF - they've turned up pretty promptly for all of those.

Online report for one of those potential scams where a biker stops dead in front of you & claims dangerous driving - I posted on here about that one because I wasn't sure what to do.

I called a while ago when I couldn’t raise my elderly neighbour. He was a man who had a routine like clockwork so when he didn’t answer the door or phone at a pre arranged time I knew something was up.

They arrived an hour later, an hour after that they had a team there to gain entry and found him on the bathroom floor.

Sadly he passed away a few days later but I was glad he was found and didn’t die on his bathroom floor. He was 93.

Same here. I'm 70.

I called when I found a naked toddler wandering about 10ft away from a busy A road.

Once when I was collecting a supermarket order (in broad daylight!) two cars came to a sudden stop nearby - clearly there had been some altercation and both men got out, shouting at the other, but one had a meat cleaver he was wielding 😳😳😳
I had to remain in my locked car as I had my young son with me.

Another occasion where a male and female couple seemed to be having a drunken argument, but she seemed very upset and he was shouting obscenities at her.

I have also done 101 online for minor things like an abandoned car near our house.

On all occasions, the police were great.

101 when both our cars were broken in to as were many along our road and surrounding roads. It was a school holidays and before ring doorbells existed but a person on neighbouring street had CCTV and they were known to police and got caught very quickly.

999 when I was a student living in inner city Birmingham. A woman was screaming out of the top of her window, it was just the top bit that opened to call the police as he was trying to kill her. She was squashed up against the window and really screaming through the tiny gap. It was 30 years ago but I will never forget those screams, she was rescued by the police.

I was working at a university and a student called me as another had texted her saying he was going to commit suicide. She was desperate and didn't have his address, which of course I did on student records. I called police and an ambulance who went to do a welfare check. He ended up getting the help he needed. So proud of the girl for having the thought to phone us.

Called twice.

1. We heard a domestic dispute with some neighbours over the road, kids screaming and crying and parents hurling abuse at each other. Police arrived within 5 minutes.

2. my DS who was 2 at the time locked himself in the bathroom of our maisonette - I asked for Police thinking they would break down the door but Fire Service came with specialist equipment as the lock had broken. I was in a state as he was crying.

A few times, mostly for traffic accidents but a couple of others

I can’t remember if I called or someone else, but an elderly woman drove straight across the crossroads of a main road. I left one car length of skid mark and hit her car.
‘Luckily’ I pushed her car forward and she also hit the car waiting on the other side of the junction, lucky because she ended up tipped up wedged in the air between our cars, otherwise may have flipped her over into the adjacent field
All services attended
She was cut out by the fire brigade, and I was told later that she was fine but shaken up
I broke ribs (crushed by my seatbelt locking me in place)
The police officer was almost less lucky - I had handed him my car folder for insurance etc, and he arrived at the back door of the ambulance to return it, just in time for me to point out the face at the back window as they were about to reverse out

One crash that I witnessed in front of me left a wheel and suspension flying off and landing just in front of me
While waiting I was stopping and directing traffic to turn around or wait. (It also turned out that a friend was on the opposite end doing the same)
In front of me were car parts spread across the road blocking access to the side road that I was about to rake, and behind me as I turned to leave a bus decided to attempt a multi point turn and blocked that way out getting trapped by roadside bushes and trees, eventually managing to turn by knocking down young trees

The worst was breaking into a friends flat to find her body.
With a paramedic car arriving first, promptly followed by an ambulance then police, the paramedic either took my word or looked enough to see that there was nothing to be done, so kept out at the doorway (preserving any evidence) until the ambulance arrived, then took me away to their car to deal with me for shock
This was on the exit ramp of an urban carriage way, and they had pulled up to the end of it facing the wrong direction (complete with blue flashing lights) just after we got in we were greeted by the screech of brakes & tyres as a car arrived directly in front of us, the paramedic remarked that “they weren’t looking where they’re going”
When the police came to my home for a formal statement they had all the call logs with time points - what seemed to take forever alone was a matter of minutes

A ‘fun’ final one is the body in the bush. (Happy ending) I was at a comicon as a trader with friends. As she pulled out of the exit she was sure that she saw something in the bush, so did a u turn driving back.
I hopped out (and was joined by another trader who had also seen from her van - dressed as Lara Croft Tomb Raider)
There was a body in the bush, laid back with his head tipped backwards.
He was very drunk and passed out, presumably heading to the nearby bus stop but sat down or fallen over.
For a while we had no reaction, unsure of breathing but did manage to get the occasional grunt, with me poking his ears, nose and slaps eventually we got some level of response and finally got him to sit up
We cancelled an ambulance but kept the need for the police - there remained the danger that he was unfit to stand and could fall into the road if not back into the bush
A motorcycle instructor / ex police stopped and agreed to stay until the police arrived
The guy had some mint collectible figures in a bag clutched on his chest - they were no longer mint and a little crushed

Whilst waiting with some signs of life I was trying to deal with him without letting him attempt to stand, and Lara Croft was stood obstructing the view to allow for some dignity of being stared at by traffic

Only once when I worked at a newsagents and got held up at knifepoint (after they left).

I really sorry for some of the awful experiences some of you have had.

That sounds terrifying. I hope you and your son have healed from your trauma and that your son’s dad has got the medical treatment he needed. Wish you the best

I’ve never phoned 999, only the non emergency 101 due to my abusive ex over his threats on my life (over messages; if it was in person, it would have been 999).

I listen to a lot of true crime and the saying is ‘see something, say something’, even if you think someone else has contacted the police, please do it yourself as well just incase. If you think something is off and you have a gut feeling, call the police and they will investigate if it is or not. You have nothing to lose than being safe, if things turn out to be nothing then no harm is done - if it’s something you may save someone’s life.

When my husbands car got stolen from our driveway in the middle of the night.

When a van driver rammed me up the back on a motorway and didn't stop.

Had to call 999 as next door was being broken into. Initially thought it was the guy who lived there locked out trying to get in. DH stuck his head out the door and realised it was a guy with a hammer trying to get access. Initially called 101 but then as he couldn't get in he attacked neighbours car and then went round the back and managed to smash his way in so changed to 999. Armed police arrived very quickly, presume as he had a weapon (hammer). Really glad we called as we were in a terraced property and the guy had smashed up all of the interior and then opened all the gas hobs to try and blow the place up!

When I stupidly let my son's dad in the house, not realising his psychosis had got worse and he was hearing voices that made him want to kill me and our son. Luckily we escaped, he ran away, but the police found him and he was sectioned.

Police and ambulance. A teenager had been beaten up. They were crap. He was conscious , walking and talking but was covered in blood, especially his poor face and I wanted him checked in case of head injuries

101 but a man had followed me home. I lost him and grabbed a black cab but he was behaving oddly and it took a while to shake him off. He was definitely following me, I'm certain of that. I wanted to give a description and location In case he tried it with someone else

I have only called them once when my car broke down on an exit lane from the motorway, no hard shoulder

Oh and at work when a drunk employee stormed off site to drive home. They went to her home address and caught her as she arrived.

When I came home and tried to get in but the door chain was on inside. Took me a few seconds to realise the house was being burgled and they were in there. The had gone out the back door by the time help arrived.

Also when a neighbour was having a mental health crisis, threatening people in the street.