©2004 The Media Desk
http://themediadesk.com
Thank you Mrs. K for another tip.
Well... this one is one of those in the: It Depends category. Are you talking about the 'rapist' -most likely that is a total hoax. As for the celpone call, see below.....
FIRST the email itself:
Bottom line on #77, or *677 or whatever. It does work in some places, and not in others. Call your local police non emergency number in the phone book or check their website to find out if your local authorities have some version of #77 service in place. The number may vary between jurisdictions. It is a citizens duty to be somewhat informed by things other than SPAM emails.
It is up to the local 911 centers and police agencies to work with cel companies to enable the feature. For instance. In New Jersey, #77 will call the State Police's Aggressive Driver Hotline. Chicago's Police Non-Emergency number is 311. The Louisiana State Patrol uses *577.
More numbers at Nextel http://www.nextel.com
However, 911 (#911 or whatever) works from most locations and the vast majority of cel companies do not charge for 911 calls.
Now for the other side of the email/almost hoax/SPAM. Some good advice from the Law Enforcement Community.
If an unmarked car is behind you with red (red and blue) lights going. Turn on your Right Turn Signal to indicate you've seen them (unless you've been driving with it on for the last three miles) and intend to comply. Then pull over at the Next Safe Area. If you are uncomfortable doing so, call 911 from your celphone and identify where you are and what's going on. If you don't have one, pull into a well lit high traffic area and honk several times to attract attention. A real cop won't mind the sideshow, a fake cop will most likely keep going.
DO NOT speed up and frantically try to get away from the unmarked car. That will only make things worse no matter whether or not the driver is a real officer or not.
Also, when you do stop and the officer approaches your car, sit with the driver's window down and have BOTH hands on the top of the steering wheel so the cop can see them. DO NOT be fumbling around in a purse or the glove box for ID or anything.
More advice on a traffic stop from: the Toronto, Ontario Police Department the advice works in the USA too...
so why don't the SPAMMERS check with the REAL COPS about these things?
Maybe because they're NOT The Media Desk?
Again, thanks for the tip… keep them coming.
Email almost-hoax/SPAM below as received.
*677
Ladies, please read -- men, pass on to the ladies that you know.
I knew about the red light on cars, but not the *677. It was about 1 PM in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. Lauren's parents have 4 children (high school and college age) and have always told them never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather wait until they get a gas station, etc.
Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called *677 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.
Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
I never knew about the *677 Cell Phone Feature, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a "safe" place. You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledge them (i.e. put on your hazard lights) or call *677 like Lauren did.
Too bad the cell phone companies don't generally give you this little bit of wonderful information.
*Speaking to a service representative at **Bell** Mobility confirmed that *677 was a direct link to OPP Dispatch. So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about *677.
Send this to every woman you know, it may save a life.
END SPAM
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