Lonely man drunk-dials police 1,483 times

A senior citizen living and apparently drinking alone in Chongqing has been so desperate for conversation he has drunk-dialed the police 1,483 times over the past year, media reported Wednesday.

Zhao often requests officers to come to his residence to help him resolve small crises.

"He called police after forgetting his keys on July 23. I contacted his ex-wife and had her go to his home," said an officer surnamed Xi, adding that Zhao sounded drunk.

After that initial conversation, Zhao began making multiple calls a day. He called police 29 times during the first week alone.

"He said he was lonely and wanted to talk after doing some drinking. We understand him and would always go out to check on him, but he keeps calling," Xi said.

According to his ex-wife, she and Zhao had been separated for more than 20 years.

Zhao has refused to live in a nursing home due to their strict no-alcohol policy.