Toronto and Peel police officers have shared two prime examples of ridiculous calls that waste emergency resources: an e-bike rider on the Gardiner Expressway and a man calling 911 to complain about a hotel room.
E-bike rider stopped on Gardiner Expressway
On Wednesday afternoon, a delivery driver on an e-bike was pulled over by Toronto Police on the Gardiner Expressway near Spadina Avenue. Another e-bike rider was spotted a few hundred metres ahead, both heading westbound on the highway.
“Police responded to a hazard call at 1:27 p.m. on the Gardiner Expressway and Spadina Avenue,” said Toronto Police spokesperson Shannon Eames. “There were reports of an e-bike rider on the shoulder. Officers attended and located the e-bike and he was escorted off the highway.”
It’s unclear if charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act or if a warning was issued. A witness said both e-bikes slowed traffic on a stretch already known for congestion near the Rogers Centre.
911 call about a bad hotel room
Peel Regional Police Const. Tyler Bell-Morena highlighted another absurd call on social media on July 8, 2026. In a post, he played a 911 call where a man complained about his hotel room.
“We rented a room and it’s really, really bad,” the caller said. When the operator asked what he meant, he replied, “It’s horrible. There is no ventilation.” The operator asked, “You are calling 911 to call about the hotel room you’ve gotten?” The caller responded, “No, I am calling because they are not refunding our money.”
Bell-Morena commented, “That’s still not a reason to call (911) … Imagine being under your bed right now and you can’t get 911 because someone like this is calling over a motel room? It’s ridiculous.” The emergency operator told the caller to contact the manager, not the police.
Impact on emergency services
“While we can laugh at the absurdity of it, the reality is that tying up 9-1-1 for a bad hotel experience puts actual lives at risk,” Peel Police said in a social media post. The column notes that such frivolous calls contribute to delays for legitimate emergencies like stolen cars or break-ins. No charges or injuries resulted from either incident.
