There are several versions of this story on the Internet. The basic story, retold in my own words, is this:

A sweet, young woman is driving all by herself down a lonely road and suddenly, she sees what appears to be an unmarked police car following behind her, red light flashing. The young woman, believing that she has done nothing to warrent being pulled over, and very aware that she is all by herself on a lonely road so could easily be the victim of peril if the cop has ill intent, calls either #77 or *677 from her cell phone and talks directly to the police. And with amazing similarity to another urban legend, made famous in that scary older thriller "When a Stranger Calls", the police inform the sweet, young woman that she is in immediate peril--that the stranger in the unmarked police car behind her is not a cop at all. She is told to stay calm and keep driving and help is on the way. And sure enough, just a little farther up the road, she and the other car are surrounded by police and a very bad man (usually a convicted rapist) is arrested and the sweet, young woman is saved. Thank goodness she had a cell phone! And thank goodness she was not only sweet and young, but also intelligent enough to know the secret number #77 or *677!

But is it true? Well, yes and no.

As far as I have been able to determine, none of the stories circulating on the Internet have been directly verified. In fact, the Canadian version of the story (which uses the number *677) is mostly cut and pasted together from the United States version of the story (which uses the number #77). Therefore, the actual story itself appears to most likely be an urban legend.

However, the information contained within the story is at least partially accurate. In Canada, *677 can be used from a cell phone to reach the Ontario Provincial Police. But although the number works, it is still recommended that if a person is concerned that they might be in danger, 911 is the best number to use. In America, #77 is used in some places, but not in all. So, again, it is recommended that we call 911 if we feel we need help.

So, how much potential danger are we in here--especially us independent women who might actually like driving around by ourselves? And how about those of us who don't carry a cell phone at all? I realize that we non-cell phone people might be in the minority, but we'd still like to be able to feel safe on the road. So, how much danger are we in from these wolves in cops' clothing?

The unfortunate truth is that there is some danger. True, there isn't a lot. But over the years, there have been cases of women being sexually assaulted by people posing as police officers (and sadly, a few cases of women being sexually assaulted by actual police officers). So, it does pay to be prudent. Police officers advise that we pull over as soon as we can safely do so, keep our doors locked and only open our windows a crack until we see the police officer's ID and feel certain of their identity and intentions. But, of course they are going to say that! If the cop is legitimate, then a motorist would be perfectly safe in their presence while they prove their identity. But what if it's a bad guy? I don't know about you, but I'm not really interested in being up close to a bad person, even with my car door locked and a thin little car window between us. Bad guys carry weapons. And that window doesn't offer much protection if they really want to get inside the car.

So my advice is to follow your instincts. Weigh your options. If you are driving alone on a lonely road and you just don't feel comfortable pulling over for someone, don't. Signal to the officer that you have seen them and that you intend to pull over by slowing down and turning on your hazard lights, and get to the nearest lighted public place you can find. If you have a cell phone, dial 911 and try to establish some sort of communication with the officer behind you so they know what is going on. Yes, doing these things might annoy some officers, and you might even get a ticket. But I'd like to think that most would understand. And ultimately, your well-being and safety is what really matters.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ MORE:

Highway Emergency Numbers--A site with a United States map showing the emergency cell phone numbers in each state.

Safety and Security for Women Who Travel (Travelers' Tales)--A book about all kinds of travel, not just vehicular. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my wish list now.