Ira Glass
In New York, like in lots of cities, you can call 3-1-1 for help with city services, but also for all kinds of other stuff. The most common calls they get are about landlords not heating apartments properly. But they'll also help you get hold of a W-2 form you need from 2009. They'll tell you what streets will be blocked off for a presidential visit, connect you with the gas company, and a stunning array of other things-- 55,000 calls a day.
Victoria Dusini
Actually, I had a call today.
Ira Glass
This is 311 operator Victoria Dusini.
Ira Glass
The woman said that her fiance died in their bed, and she was pregnant, and she wanted to identify his DNA in order to get social security benefits. So she wanted to know who to contact.
Angelique Pantoja
Well, a woman was cleaning her garage and she moved a box, and there was a crocodile. So I had to ask her, like a crocodile, like, big, with-- she's like, yeah, it's going snap, snap at me.
Ira Glass
She says that was an easy one, of course-- call Animal Care and Control. But she also helped with this call.
Angelique Pantoja
I had a woman who was-- I guess she had an unruly teenager. Even on the phone they were arguing. And she just couldn't take it. She couldn't take the disrespect, and she wanted help.
Ira Glass
That woman was given a referral for counseling services. The way all this works is that the operators sit at computers with a massive database of answers on thousands of different topics. They can help you locate where your car was towed. They can explain the changes in your property tax. They can help you find something you left in a New York City taxi, which, by the way, they can do even without the cab number now that taxis have GPS.