In New York City, 14,000 callers responded before the lines were closed.

Joe Pogge, promotions director for the station, said more than 100 callers responded in one day.

After the caller told of the robbery, the dispatcher repeated the information and the caller responded, "Yes, ma'am, thank you for your time."

"I don't think you'd ever have me, Ms. Quinn," the caller, who also said he is a registered nurse, responded.

Callers ask where they can buy gasoline and ice, and other callers respond with the answers.

Some callers responded that such crimes happen everywhere.

The caller responded that she did, and wanted to know "what strengthens someone?"

After supplying both correctly, the caller responds to a series of computer-generated comments to select a transaction and a dollar amount.

But that's the question callers were responding to, as if to a telephone poll.

The 540 lines will be interactive programs, which allow callers to respond to questions and elicit information by pushing buttons on their phones.