[MR] Re: # 77 on a cell phone:

[TychoandBert at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/18/03 1:00:52 AM, sirzodiacdarkjester at msn.com writes:

<<  http://www.tafkac.org/ulz/phone77.html




SynopsisA criminal posing as a policeman in an unmarked police car is foiled
when his victim calls the police on her cell phone.

See the email here.

Is it true? Yes and no.

Why?No, the apprehension of a suspected rapist described in the email can't
be corroborated from news sources. The Urban Legend Zeitgeist could find no
reported incident that closely matched the events described in the email.

Yes, dialing #77 or *77 on your cell phone will call the highway patrol, but
only if you happen to be in an area that supports that feature. Not all state
police dispatchers can be called with #77 (or *77).

When?March 2002

CommentsSo does this email offer sound advice? Taken as a whole, the Urban
Legend Zeitgeist would have to say it could have been better done.

The email offers two pieces of substantive advice: calling #77 will connect
you to the state police and if pulled over in an isolated area at night, you
should proceed to well-lit, populated area.

Given that #77 is not universally available, better advice would have been to
dial 911.

Crimes have been committed by people posing as policemen in unmarked police
cars. And many police departments do recommend that if pulled over in
secluded area at night that you drive slowly to the nearest safe area. Police
also recommend indicating your intentions by turning on your emergency lights
or turn signals. But this advice gets short shrift in the email's dramatic
account but it's really the more important. It can be applied even if you
don't have a cell phone or are in an area where #77 doesn't work.

Of course a sober description of what emergency telephone numbers and advice
on how to handle being stopped by an unmarked police car would lack the
dramatic zip of the email warning. Urban legends - and their first cousins,
email scarelore - are often cautionary tales. And we're more likely to
remember a dramatic story - whether or not it's true - than unadorned advice.






----- Original Message -----

From: TychoandBert at aol.com

Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 12:05 AM

To: amtgard-l at amtgard.com; solstice-open at yahoogroups.com;
solstice-rpg at yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: # 77 on a cell phone:



An off topic piece of advice for all.

Tycho


<< This is good advise for those of us who drive alone all the time, pass


the word on to your friends and family I know I will remember it since I'm

always out alone. Feature #77 on your cell phone. I never even knew about

this #77 feature!



This actually happened to someone's daughter.  Lauren was 19 yrs old and in

college. This story takes place over the Christmas/New Year's holiday break.

It was the Saturday before New Year's and it was about 1PM 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 to a gas


station, etc. So Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and

promptly called #77 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 was a police car where she


was and there wasn'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 that bit of advice, 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 #77 like Lauren did. Too bad the cell phone

companies don't give you this little bit of wonderful information.  So now

it's your turn to let your friends know about #77. >> >>



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