Just stepped in another steaming pile of domesticated animal waste? Is that sea foam green Hyundai blocking your driveway again? Do you feel frustrated, angry, and helpless? Not any more, thanks to 311, a phone service that can now be found in many cities nationwide. 311 is a response to concerned citizens who want to voice their opinions but don't know where to turn. 311 is designed to be the non - emergency alternative to 911, it's a call in system that features live operators ready to take your call and make sure you get a tracking number so you can follow up. You might call 311 if you want to report a loose animal, a pothole, loud noises, or even if you would like to voice your opinions to your local mayor.

Its first use for this purpose was in Baltimore, Maryland, where the service commenced on October 2, 1996. 311 is intended to connect callers to a call center that can be the same as the 911 call center, but with 311 calls assigned a secondary priority, answered only when no emergency 911 calls are waiting. This system is intended to extend the system such that true emergency callers are answered quickly, without ringing or busy signals (Wikipedia.com). On December 20, 2005, the first day of the 2005 New York City Transit Strike, 3-1-1 received over 240,000 phone calls, setting a new record for the city. (Mayor Bloomberg, Press Conference, 21 Dec 2005)

311 offers people a voice, without making them feel like they're burdening the police department with petty problems. It offers a results oriented service to put residents back in the community's driver seat. The multi-lingual setup of 311 gives everyone an opportunity to voice their opinions, eliminating alienating cultural barriers that oftentimes can result in a destructive backlash. After all, who doesnâ€^TMt want to feel like someone is listening?