ON CALL Buckle in, dear readers, for an extreme installment of On Call, The Register's reader-contributed Friday column in which we share your stories of superlative tech support scenarios.

This week, meet a reader we'll Regomize as "Solomon" who sent a story from his time working for a county sheriff's office.

"I usually arrived early in the morning to get my daily stuff done before the phone calls started," Solomon told On Call. "One morning I found the Major waiting for me. He told me to follow him. I said I needed to clock in. He replied that he'd already done that for me."

That told Solomon time was of the essence, an impression that proved correct as the Major broke into a jog and led him to a waiting patrol car in which the officer explained that Solomon was coming along on a raid that might need someone with IT skills to mop up afterward.

"We sped through streets, with no lights or sirens," Solomon wrote. "The Major didn't say anything except 'You're a good man.'"

That's when Solomon noticed the Major was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a belt that held a few extra magazines of ammunition.

At which point he became more than a little worried.

His mood didn't improve when the patrol car came to a sudden halt and the Major told him to stay in the vehicle – no matter what happened.

Solomon did as he was told and soon noticed several other patrol cars arrive and heard a disconcerting increase in radio chatter. So many personnel appeared he wondered if a full-blown SWAT team might be needed for the job.

"Just then, two tactical vehicles came roaring down the street from behind me and sped around the corner," Solomon told On Call.

Then he heard a lot of shouting, and his mind started to race.

"I need a bulletproof vest and a fully automatic rifle. I haven't been to church for years."

About 20 minutes later, the Major returned and told Solomon he wasn't needed.

"No computers here," the Major said, explaining the situation with a cryptic "Things moved faster than expected."

Some of the officers who worked on the raid invited Solomon along to lunch after.

"The burger I ate that day was the best I'd ever had in my life, I was so relieved," he told On Call.

What's the most dangerous situation you've encountered while delivering tech support? Be brave and click here to send On Call an email so we can help other readers partake of your peril in a future column. ®