77 from a Cell Phone??

[WDW2002]

My mom sent me an email (she is very gulable when it come to "warnings" she get in her email) about dialing 77 from a cell phone to "notify" the police if you are moving to safe place if they are trying to pull you over. Now I do not believe anything I get like this in my email. My question is what really happens if you dial 77?? Or is this just someone with a very active imagination??

Copy of said email
Cell Phone 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. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her car and put his lights on. She knew 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. She 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.

 

[gepetto]

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

 

[jfulcer]

In at least in some U.S. states, #77 on a cell phone will immediately connect you to that state's highway patrol, that code is not universal. Some states use #77, but others use *55, *47, or *HP, and some don't have any special code at all. Rather than frantically try to figure out which one will work in the area you're in, get around the problem by going straight to 911.

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

I found this article.

 

[WDW2002]

Believe it or not, while the story can not be verified dialing 77 from a cell phone (in certain areas) may actual connect you to the police. I think I will stick with 911, since there is no way to tell if the code will work in your state/area

Guess I should have done a bit of research before I posted....

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

Originally posted by WDW2002

Guess I should have done a bit of research before I posted....

Nah... ... I'm addicted to Google searches anyway and this way we all learned something we didn't know before.

 

[nativetxn]

I tried dialing 77 on my cell phone and nothing happens. So, I suppose that in my area, at least, this won't connect you with the police.

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

Katholyn, I do believe it's #77 (as in "pound sign" then 77) not just 77, but I'm not sure I want you re-trying it just in case it DOES connect to the police!