NEW YORK (AFP) – New York’s non-emergency hotline is largely intended for noise complaints, rat sightings and enquiries about much-loathed alternate side parking rules.
But the 311 number has, in its 20 years in operation, also received its fair share of obscure enquiries that operators may have struggled to answer.
“Can you tell me the steps for boiling a live chicken?” one caller asked, according to a list released on Thursday to mark the service’s 20-year history.
Another wanted to know whether their dog could be claimed as a dependent on their taxes.
“Can you check if my boyfriend is married?” was another request, as was, “Can you transfer me to a ufo-ologist?” One caller wanted to know who won TV talent show American Idol while another informed the city that “a goat is tied to the stairwell in my building”.
