In Japan, Frivolous calls clog emergency lines

I thought the problem of idiots calling the emergency phone lines with stupid questions was limited to the United States. Well, apparently it is a problem in Japan too.

A recent article in the Daily Yomiuri Online stated that frivolous calls to emergency lines increased to 950,000 in 2007. Below is a paragraph from the article:

In one such case, a person called police in Yamaguchi Prefecture to ask them to get someone's phone number. In Kyushu, a person called to complain they were unable to turn on their new mobile phone. In Saitama Prefecture, a caller asked police to bring toilet paper as they were stuck in a public toilet without any paper. And in Shiga Prefecture, a person called to ask whether the police could help them get a job.

I agree these are some pretty frivolous calls. Except for the one where the caller asked the police to bring toilet paper as they were stuck in a public toilet without any paper. If you ask me, that is a true emergency.