Work life of a 311 operator in San Francisco

The SF Gate has a funny article about the weird calls that come into the City of San Francisco's 311 information line.

Kyle Sutton is one of 50 or so customer service representatives, or CSRs, asking this question 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The free service launched in March not just to funnel 2,300 government phone numbers into a single line, but to give the city more of a service orientation. About 6,000 calls come in every day, and program director Ed Reiskin says 311 is on track to answer 2 million a year.

Officially, the purpose is to supply a handy route to non-emergency government services and information. Unofficially, it's a glimpse into the funny inner mind of the city.

"Hello, how long does it take to build a cable car?"

"There's cocaine all over my clothes! There's cocaine everywhere!"

"My roommate has been passed out for two days."

"There's pig balls on the street."

Link (Thanks, Chris!)

[#1 posted by Dan B. , September 4, 2007 11:36 AM]

"Hello, how long does it take to build a cable car?"

I'm not sure, but it's probably less time than it'll take San Francisco to implement municipal wifi.

[#2 posted by no one in particular , September 4, 2007 12:47 PM]

I really want to know what "Penguin Loves Chowder", which is stencil-graffitied all over my Nob Hill sidewalks, means. But if the Internet doesn't know, I doubt 311 will. Does anyone have any ideas?

Mostly I just wanted to get that phrase on the Internet so that future people typing it into google won't mystified the way I was when not a single hit was returned.