Why Do Some People Think Its Funny To Prank Call Helplines?

[autism-bpd]

pie and toaster, how can u tell a prank from a genuine person who is experiencing real difficulties

[Lily-Bee]

Sometimes you cant tell them apart so you take them seriously unless it becomes really obvious,like if they laugh and call you names.

[piuma]

what lily said, although even when we know it is a prank call, like someone singing down the phone or ordering pizza, we have to accept and go along with itand keep reflecting back to them, and usually they get bored and hang up or swear etc,

[chorse_70]

I did my fair share of prank calls as a kid too but never to a place like that it was more random numbers and groceries stores. "Excuse me but do you happen to sell Dads root beer? You do! O well you better give it back he's getting mighty pissed" Stuff like that we said never anything to freak people out.

So I'm from USA what is 999? is it like 911 here for emergencies?

[toaster]

sometimes the pranks become serious

sometimes the serious become pranks

ive been taken in by people who have genuine problems but who arent calling for the reasons they say they are - saying they want help when really they just wanna wank down the phone its highly embarrassing and somewhat degrading when u realise you have just 'helped' someone' achieve their goal'...but you have to laugh about it

ive had people scream down the phone at me, i hate that the most. ppl whispering, so u ask them to speak up so they scream at you. i HATE being made to jump, i mean i FUCKING HATE IT...but i gotta deal wiv it

i cant take it personal, people are doing this for whatever reason

some days, when i have a lot of very distressed people call then i have someone pissing about, i might get angry. i never get angry at the caller, but i will rant to my leader or my colleague. but we are trained for this stuff as well as the other.

i dont hate the prank callers. my job is to try and understand as much as possible. not there to judge.

[Honeyflower]

I did my fair share of prank calls as a kid too but never to a place like that it was more random numbers and groceries stores. "Excuse me but do you happen to sell Dads root beer? You do! O well you better give it back he's getting mighty pissed" Stuff like that we said never anything to freak people out.

So I'm from USA what is 999? is it like 911 here for emergencies?

yes

[Corpsewithpulse]

I'm a Samaritan

I don't VOLUNTEER there to trigger people - I am trained to listen, you can only be triggered if those issues are already there

Thinking you are saving people from being triggered seems a bit of a cop out to me, an excuse for childish behaviour

however

You are entitled to call Samaritans any time you want and we will be there for you, especially seeing as you seem to have some issues that clearly need working through

I wasn't ragging on Samaritans as, like I've mentioned, I think they offer a service which for many is invaluable and I commend the work of the Samaritans for the most part. They have helped me in the past over the phone and whilst using a walk-in service.

However, I was not interested in talking to Samaritan at the festival but they were meandering and approaching people. When I was approached, even though I was trying to avoid a conversation, the second question I was asked was "Have you ever felt suicidal?" which is clearly enough to trigger somebody who has been spending 2 years dealing with and improving on these issues.

I was put on a severe downer after this which took over 5 hours and a break from the festival site to get out of. I feel I had every right to be totally furious and that my motivations for trolling them were completely legitimate.

I don't normally take issue with you and I hold you in positive regard for the majority of the time. However, I must say I found that last sentence to be quite disappointing, most sanctimonious and highly patronizing.

[toaster]

well that one person isn't the entire samaritans cwp, hence why i took offence! u say u hounded the sams for the entire wkend cuz ONE person triggered u - if u werent feeling them feelings in the first place, it wouldnt have triggered u. someone else can be asked that question an feel fine. or someone else may feel relieved they have been asked.

u didnt have to talk to the samaritan. u could have said u werent interested. people cant trigger u, only u can be triggered. is it ok for me to say u triggered me by having a go at samaritans?! thats me point.

i hate ppl blaming others for 'triggering 'them. we own our own feelings. ye ppl can have an impact, all that grey murky area but ur triggers r not the responsibility of other ppl yet u chose to hound a helpline which may well have been of some useful service to u at that time. they didnt know uve spent 2 yrs dealing with stuff. i get triggered by pink floyd, is it ok for me to send him letters chatting shit merely because his music reminds me of an abuser? tell them to piss off if u must, but u seem to take amusement in what u did. so ye. u might be disappointed in my response but only because im disappointed in ur childish response to this post - fml was already wound up an u seemed to take some enjoyment from making a reply that was of NO HELP at all.

[carlylight1]

Goddamnit. I missed a fight

Not read the thread and not that interested in the fighty bit but figured I'd offer my gobsworth...

I think that winding up the emergency services (the police don't count here) is really shitty but the waywardness of youth is only just about a legitimate excuse.

In terms of say the Sams. As much as they were a good distraction as opposed to a positive influence in my darker days, I do respect their phone/text service.

However, last month when I was at a festival, I was looking at a phone charging stall which just so happened to be next to a Sams tent. I ended up getting approached by one and being a polite individual, I naturally engaged in conversation. I really didn't want to delve into the depths of my being but the conversation dictated a course in this direction and as a result, I was triggered to severe fuck. Consequently, what was a neutral mood swiftly turned into one of terminable fantasies.

For the rest of the weekend, I trolled the fuck out of the Sams by presenting them crisis stories of both epic and absurd proportions depending on who I was talking to.

I did this purely out of spite and even having had nigh on a month to think about my actions, I still feel fully vindicated and do not give the slightest fuck because whilst it could be argued that I was preventing good charitable work being done, I was also preventing somebody from being unnecessarily triggered.

i'm in two minds about this. can fully understand people needing to avoid their triggers as much as possible until they are ready to deal with them (me included).

but. to hound someone who unintentionally triggered you, who probably had a lot more important things to be doing, for a whole weekend, out 'of spite', is just mean.

[Corpsewithpulse]

I feel like I've been misinterpreted here but I fear that explaining myself would only inflame so I'm just walking away from this one.

[CaTsEyEs]

((((CWP))) Sorry I think the main point has been missed also and I don't think that is your fault.

[Corpsewithpulse]

It's cool.

People just have different opinions and interpretations. It's no big deal and I'm happier leaving it where it is :)