MILNET Opinion
 The Traveler and the Dispatcher,  2005
"Ten minutes later four police 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."

Prior to the advent of cell phones, the ability to talk to the police or roadside assistance from your automobile was limited to those with radios (CB or Amateur Radio Operators) or those with expensive car phones (also expensive radio equipment).  Even as cell phones became more popular, the majority of contacts between law enforcement radio dispatchers and travelers were the likely those between professional communicators such as two truck drivers or again, the radio amateurs who practiced their skills often.

Today, more and more dispatch operations find themselves talking to average citizens on the road in need of not only "routine" assistance, but handling what the professionals would call emergency traffic.  Below we provide one such incident, not confirmed but which might start you to thinking about checking your own cell service's "dispatch calling code". 

MUST KNOW *677

It was about 1:00 p.m. 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 had always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather to wait until they get to a gas station, etc.   Lauren had actually listened to her parent's 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. He told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up  on the way.

Ten minutes later four police 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, or the the idea that you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe and quiet 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 my phone company confirmed that *677 was a direct link to Dispatch.  So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about *677.  (See note below)

Note:  Of course *677 may not work on all cell services, so the best thing to do is call you cell operator (dial zero) and inquire about the shortcut number that can be dialed to reach your local highway patrol, state trooper, etc. dispatcher.  A good way to do this conversationally is to dial zero and ask, "Hello, I am inquiring about the phone number that I can use if I should find an unmarked car with red lights on me -- something like the bell systems *677 to radio dispatch  No, this is not an emergency, I simply want to be prepared."

It is very likely the operator won't have a clue, but that is nice to know as well.  And obviously if the operator DOES know, you will have yourself a number to call in such an emergency.  While you are at it, you might find out if there are other such numbers, like a shortcut number for roadside assistance, to report an accident, etc.  Put these down on a little card and attach it to the underside of your sun visor or on the underside of your center console.  While your are at it, make sure your interior lights work and that you can get at the card easily and read it while driving (not a great practice, but in an emergency, it could be a lifesaver).  Also make sure you have a flashlight handy so that if you are in an accident and your battery gets whacked, you can still generate some light.

OnStar on GM cars can also provide a similar function, however, you should ask them about it before hand, again, to be better prepared. 

If you have a GPS enabled phone, that will also help matters. You should also check your local law enforcement agencies -- it is not at all clear that all states, counties or cities will be happy with you continuing to drive to a gas station when their people want you to pull over.  Knowing the rules before hand is certainly a good idea and again being prepared could make all the difference in the world.

With many rural freeways in the U.S., the advice not to pull over seems logical and your life may well be worth a small additional fine if you proceed to a public place before pulling over.  Of course, explaining your choices to a judge may also result in no fine. 

Gas Stations are great simply because at least there should be someone there to be your witness should even an honest cop do something untoward (while rare, that does happen too!).  The roadside signs with gas, food or lodging should be noted on your journey or your daily travel so you can remember if you are near one of these very public places.

Here is some general advice when you do speak to an aid agency when on your cell phone:
  1. Practice a few sentences before you dial.  "My name is xxx and I have been in an accident/I am being trailed by someone/An unmarked car has its red lights on and I am way out in nowhere..."
  2. Look around you and find some landmarks.  (Just past the xxx exit, heading toward [city name] on highway xxx.
  3. Speak in a normal voice, don't whisper, don't yell, don't panic
  4. Some people start by requesting, "May I have the law enforcement/roadside assistance dispatch for highway (name your highway) near (name the nearest city).
  5. Give your  name, why you are calling, where you are.  You may have to repeat these several times if you are passed around, so be patient and play the game politely, don't get angry.  Some people ask "May I have the law enforcement dispatch for highway (name your highway) near (name the nearest city).  This may get you to the right people faster.
  6. Be prepared to request someone to stay with you on the line if you feel you are in danger. Tell the person on the other end you feel in danger, that will motivate them to stay with you  Our recommendation is not to hang up, keep talking until someone hangs up on you.  While dispatchers are busy, you are the best person to keep them informed of your situation until marked law enforcement or aid vehicles are within your visible range. If the Dispatcher needs to hang up they will tell and that will probably be the next thing you hear before the call goes dead.
  7. NEVER shout, curse, or otherwise give the person on the other end any reason to be angry or act defensive with you, that will not help the situation and can result in their hanging up on you.
  8. Always use thank you a lot.  Very polite people get better service especially when those on the other end of your call are busy and under pressure -- you can assume the closer you have gotten to the person talking to law enforcement people on their car radios, the more busy they are and they deserve your utmost courtesy if you want prompt and reliable help.
  9. If you are NOT in danger, but worried about being in a remote location, call roadside assistance first, and then ask for a non-emergency number for the nearest law enforcement.  They will most likely respond to a worried motorist late at night or in a known trouble area -- let them decide, that's their job.  If you get a recording and now way to get to a real person, then hang up and resort to the emergency number and explain the non-emergency answering machine is not acceptable.  All these numbers should be provided by your cell operator.  You probably will not have to resort to telephone information service.  Even a roadside problem is an emergency for them.
  10. Finally, take the time to prepare as we have suggested.  With as much time as we all spend on the road, it only makes sense.  If you feel you are especially vulnerable, then by all means take the time up front and practice your lines before ever having the opportunity to use your new communications skills.  This will help you deal with a real situation a bit more calmly and understandable, keys to getting yourself out of trouble.
© Copyright 2005, Michael Crawford for MILNET