*999 is a roadside assistance telephone number in Chicagoland for reporting crashes and other roadside situations by cell phone.
When you dial that number, you should reach an operator who will connect your call to the correct agency to handle your call. Let's say that you want to report a traffic crash.
Dial *999. Tell the operator where the crash is. She or he will connect your call to a nearby police agency. Give them the complete details, such as location, direction, number of vehicles, likelihood of serious injuries, etc. Stay on the line if requested.
I use it to report obvious motorist needs for assistance, such as an occupied vehicle stopped on the inside shoulder of the Tollway against the guardrail. That is an emergency waiting to happen, especially if the driver leaves the vehicle and/or attempts to run across 3-4 lanes to the outside shoulder.
Sure, many drivers have cell phones and can call for help on the own; many do not. On the Tollway I just dial the direct number for the Tollway headquarters and dispatcher, which is 630/241-6800. You might want to add this number to your cell phone directory, if you travel the Tollway frequently. Just punch "0" when the phone is answered to reach an operator 24/7. Ask for a dispatcher.
*999 should be answered 24/7 and promptly; however, during rush-hour expect a delay. The other night I was on "hold" for 5+ minutes and gave up. I guess I could have dialed 911 to report a three-car, rear-end accident. The middle car got sandwiched, and the back end was really crunched. Maybe I should have stopped, but other drivers were standing around and no one appeared to be assisting any injured driver in the middle car. The safest thing was to keep going and not stop on the shoulder where emergency responders might want to stop.
When you stop in traffic, how close to the car in front do you stop? Right on its bumper? Think about what will happen if you are rear-ended! Pow! Right into the car in front of you. So then you have damage on the back and on the front. And maybe additional injury. Your neck and back won't like getting slammed into from behind, and they won't like it any better when you hit the car in front.
Do drivers frequently stop close behind you? Allow even more room in front of you. Have you noticed how, when you do that and then slowly roll forward to gain space behind you, then the jerk behind you rolls right up on your bumper again?
There oughta be a law...
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
5 comments:
So you use this number to get the police to pull over you tailgaters or the jerks that stop close behind you? What a waste of service.
ace, there are a couple of good eye doctors in Woodstock. You might want to visit one of them and then take a reading course.
Where did I write that? I didn't. I have all the area PD phone numbers in my cell phone speed-dial. The next time you tailgate me, there won't be any delay in getting the cops. I don't go through a middle-man.
Chill out, man. Stopping further back might save the front of YOUR car.
oh, don't worry, i have perfect vision unlike you. so when i do tailgate you, you piece of crap wont go fast enough so you can get the license plate number, i'll already have parked in the driveway and listening to the police find your wild goose. hahaha
theres some good psychotherapists in the area, why dont you make a visit.
As many readers know, I moderate the comments that are submitted.
There is a particular reason that I passed this one and permitted it to be published. "ace" seems to be a police officer or perhaps a firefighter who owns a police-frequency radio scanner. He apparently believes that he is intimidating me, which he is not.
When I get his license plate number, there won't be any wild goose chase at all. The police will show up and ticket him. I'll be in court to testify against him. And his name will be printed here. If he is a law enforcement officer (police or sheriff's dept.), his employment will be published, too.
I'm already a step ahead of you. Think a little harder. The mere fact that you have to post to your two fans to show I dont intimidate you just proves the opposite. Your obsession with anyone that disagrees with you or just can't stand you bugs you.
good luck getting a license plate number when you are sluggin along in the beetle. -aight?
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