Has anyone heard of *677?

This entire segment below was sent to me by a friend, has anyone ever heard of this? Is it just for 'Bell' or all cell phones? Is it just 677 or *677? This would be good to know if true, especially for our young ones driving!



MUST KNOW *677

I knew about the red light on cars, but not the *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 have always told them 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 and there weren't!

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 & 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 **Bell** Mobility confirmed that
*677 was a direct link to State Police Dispatch. So, now it's your turn to
let your friends know about *677.

Send this to every person you know; it may save a life.

Read this about urban legends:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_cellphone_677.htm

I have received similair emails on this several times.

Still, there is some good stuff to be gleaned there. Not a good idea for a woman to pull over in a desolate area. Good idea to put on flashers and dial 911 or 677 first, I think. Nothing wrong with it, certainly, provided she communicates with police about why she is not immediately pulling over. Of course, if she is speeding, she ought to immediately slow down, too! LOL!

The story is fictional, but I think it's safe to say the same precautions are true for men AND women in this day and age. Being a guy doesn't make you less vulnerable to an attack than a woman in the same situation.

According to the info about the urban legend, 677 works in Ontario. Nothing was said about it working in the US. So 911 may be what works for us here. In some states, #77 will reach highway patrol. Usually there are signs posted along highways referring to #77. Other states use other codes, but 911 is a constant, and we all already know that one.

We had a bluelight rapist here in Arkansas who was caught in 1997 after raping 3 women. He was sentenced to 80 years. I don't have to tell ya that we women were pretty concerned.

Locked doors and rolled windows may do no good at all against a determined criminal with a gun. So your best bet is to keep moving and dial 911. IF he really is a cop, the dispatcher can let him know you are not fleeing.

EVERYONE needs a cell phone for safety. I have a tracfone. I love it. I hate talking on phones, but I love the security of knowing if I'm followed or feel threatened on the highway, or if I break down, I can call someone. My tracphone works even in remote areas where other phones don't. And I pay as I go, so I don't have a monthly service charge. If anyone is interested, I can refer you and we'll both get 100 free minutes if you sign up with them. For about $35, you can get a phone and 120 minutes.

I think with any phone, whether you have minutes on it or not, as long as the battery is charged, you can dial 911 on it. So if you have one you haven't used in a while, charge it up and leave it in your car for emergencies. Sometimes if you even look like you're calling someone, you can scare off a would-be attacker.

BC

For fact and fiction on this urban legend and other related incidents, check out this site, snopes.com:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/fakecop.asp