That 911 call for medical emergencies will cost you

The situation in Tracy, Calif., is not quite as bad as the local news made it out to be. (Damn those sound bites!) Yes, you residents will have to pay the city $300 if you call 911 -- but only if you call because of a medical emergency. Phew, right? That could have been so bad!

Well, it's still pretty bad, if you ask me. While city officials have been fielding calls nationwide since a local news crew led with the $300 fee (it's $400 for non-residents, by the way), explaining that, no, you won't have to pay $300 to have police come if you're being attacked by someone in a homicidal rage; but if you're close to dying from a heart attack, here's some more arterial stress to the tune of a hefty bill in the mail.