MBTA bus 1402 in Davis displaying EMERGENCY / CALL POLICE

[flexagon]

On my way home tonight (10:30? 10:31?) a bus passed me at the corner of Elm and Russell. Everything on the bus looked okay -- bored passengers -- but where it would usually have its number and destination it was flashing EMERGENCY / CALL POLICE. Also its number, 1402.

Did anyone else see this? Was there a hijacked bus... or some driver pressing the wrong button, or a malfunction? After failing to get an answer at the Somerville PD and walking home, I called the MBTA's emergency number and got a very terse, on-the-ball person who took my late report and hopefully did something with it.

Surely it's not okay for a vehicle to drive around with signage like that if there's NOT a real emergency. Others who are more experienced with emergency response services have probably called 911 by now.

Comments

[xuth.livejournal.com]

Many cities have made 911 the timely but non-emergency police number and do not have an otherwise staffed 24x7 phone number. Or in the case of some cities like Pittsburgh where I now live, it is the only city wide number for calling the police. It is confusing to the many people who were taught that 911 is strictly for emergencies and to do otherwise incurs penalties and fines, but it is what it is (especially since the first words out of the operators mouth is "what is the nature of your emergency?").