Let me just say up front that I don’t know what we would do without cell phones. Or at least, I don’t know what I would do without my cell phone, other than go crazy. During the weekdays, I have my cell on me pretty much 24/7. Literally, it is with me when I sleep because I use the alarm function to wake me up in the morning. When I wake up at around 4am (I always wake up around then) I actually take the cell off the bedstand and shove it under my pillow so alarm will wake me up, but won’t cause my husband to have to peel me off the ceiling. I grab it on my way to wake up my daughter and shove it in my purse, so it’s pretty much on me where ever I go.
On the weekends, however, I’m not so vigilant. I often leave it on the bedstand because I sleep in and my daughter usually wakes up before I do. My cell phone is mainly with me so that no matter where I go, my child can get in touch with me. On the weekends, she’s pretty much with me all the time, so the phone gets forgotten.
I’m going to try and change that after Memorial Day!
So, my husband was mowing the lawn and I was getting ready to start the grill when I realized that we were out of propane. He went into the garage and grabbed the empty tank (which we will not have soon…June 1 means the start of hurricane season, which means two propane tanks at full for the duration) and put it in my car and gave me directions to the Circle K where he buys the gas.
In a hurry, I went inside, turned off the oil I had heating to saute the mushrooms and shot out the door to get the gas so we could eat before 9pm (it was already 8pm, later than usual.)
I had the tank exchanged for a full one…no problem. But as I’m driving home, my attention is drawn to the side of the road where a white Camaro (or some such car) is parked in a lot of a day care and a man and woman (I so want to say boy and girl, but they were older…just not nearly as old as me!) Late teens, early 20’s. They’re fighting. He has his hands on her.
Alarm bells go off in my head.
So what do I do? Double back, of course.
I cruised by and they are shouting and angry, but he’s not touching her anymore. I notice there is a third person with them, but he (judging by the hairy leg) is in the backseat of the car and not getting involved. I think, maybe, this is just a little lover’s spat, but damn, cars are slowing down all around me.
I notice another blue SUV doing the same loop as I am. I decide to grab my phone in case I need to call 911…only it’s not in my purse.
Ugh.
I circle around one more time…she’s calmly walking away. Shew! She’s okay. She has her purse and she’s heading toward a convenience store. I’m thinking, surely, she’ll pull out her cell phone and call someone else for a ride, right? But she never does…and as I’m turning around and thinking I can go home soon, I see the guy take off after her and grab her arm.
Jerk.
I’m too far away now to do much, but the other SUV pulls up beside me and the guy in the passenger seat asks if I’d seen what he’d seen. I said yes, then told him and the female driver that I’d left my cell phone…could they call 911? They didn’t have a chance to answer before the light we were at changed, so I decided that if this were my daughter and she was in a fight on the side of the road with a guy who was manhandling her, I’d want some kind stranger to make sure I was okay.
But I was alone, with no phone and the guy was way bigger than me and probably drunk.
Luckily, my cousin lived a few blocks away. I drove to her house and called 911 and then her husband and I went back to see what was going on. The blue SUV was still circling around (this was a very busy street and not easy to do) when two patrol cars showed up. My cousin’s husband and I drove around one more time and watched the deputy start giving the guy what looked like a sobriety test. I’m not sure, but I knew, at the very least, the girl was safe.
I dropped my cousin’s husband off at his house and then started home when I remembered something…I’d left a pot on the stove.
Yes, I’d turned off the oil, but I’d left a pot of water on for steaming the beans. And you know that when you steam, you don’t put a lot of water in the pot. My daughter was in the house alone, enraptured by her Wii…would she notice if the pot started to smoke? Would she go outside and get her father or try to do something herself and end up hurting herself?
AND I HAD NO CELL PHONE!!!
I’ll admit right here that I drove like a maniac to get home and I broke several laws (though luckily, the deputies in the area were busy with something else) to get home in two minutes. Luckily, my husband had finished the lawn and had come in and noticed the pot. It had less than an eighth of an inch of water left. He then realized I should have been home by then and called my cell phone…and wasn’t happy when he heard it ring in the bedroom.
So…lessons learned. Keep cell phone. Don’t leave the house in a rush (nothing ever good comes from this…both car “accidents” I’ve had…both of which happened in my driveway, happened when I was racing out of the house.) Check stove. But also, get involved.
I don’t know that the girl was in any danger, but it took ten-fifteen minutes out of my night to make sure that if she was, she had a way out.
What would you have done? Do you keep your cell phone with you at all times? Have you ever used it to report an emergency or call 9-1-1?
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold nearly thirty books to three publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her husband, daughter, spoiled dachshund, enormous guinea pig and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
3 Seductions and a Wedding
Hot Number
Play With Me
Wild For Him
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I’ve never had to all 911, thank God, but I think especially for single women or women who are alone a lot, it’s an important thing to have your cell phone with you. It’s just another way to be safe.
I think you were right to call 911 – who knows what could have happened to her and you can help without getting hurt yourself. Good for you for not just driving by and ignoring it. Instead of letting her be a possible statistic, you could have possibly saved her from who knows what.
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Good for you for getting involved and caring. So many people would just turn a blind eye rather than do that. And bad girl for forgetting your phone! That will teach you. I do it all the time when I am just running out to the store and usually regret it, so I always try to have it handy.
I have no problems calling 911 and have done so many times. The most recent was following a very drunk or tired driver on one of the highways here and tailing him until the cops could get there. He was all over the place, all 3 lanes of traffic. what amazed me is that no one else was doing anything. Must be because I come from a family of cops, I don’t sit back and watch.
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Speaking of having so many cops in the family, one of my cousins was forced to shoot and kill a guy in a domestic abuse situation on Monday night. He was holding a knife to a woman’s throat, cut her and came after Terry (my cousin). They found no wrong doing on his part and he is back at work, but I can only imagine what he is going thru. When he graduated, he was top of the class. His brother is also a Trooper along with another cousin who’s father is a retired Trooper. I think this is the first time any of them has had to use deadly force.
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Ev, please give your cousin a big hug for me. He did what he had to do and I’m betting the woman he cut is grateful. She owes him her life.
I’ve always been someone to get involved when a situation is bad and it floors me when people don’t. However, in this case, it was a tough call because it really did look like a lover’s quarrel, but nowadays, those things can turn into murder in a split second. Maybe it’s always been that way, though, and we’re just all more aware.
In Florida, we had a case where a woman was kidnapped. A woman in a car saw her begging for help (she was beaten and thrown into the back of a car, if I remember) and the witness/driver called 911 and followed the car for quite some time. It was dark and a dangerous situation. The driver gave the operator a description of the car, license plate, etc. and followed for as long as it was safe…but then the 911 operator mishandled the call and the woman was murdered and the police never came.
That haunts me. The good Samaritan is utterly incensed and has been very vocal about how if the 911 operator/police had acted, that poor woman would have been rescued.
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I always have my cell phone with me, and it is my only phone. I would have done the same thing you did. WTG Julie!
I’ve had to call 911 a couple of times. Once, I called on a car that sideswiped 2 other cars and kept going. He was swerving all over the road and I called in his tags to 911. The operator said I was the 3rd person to call on the same car. I also have called on a domestic dispute situation happening in the parking lot of my apartment complex. The 2 people were fighting so loud they woke me up. I looked out the window and he was hitting her. I called it in and found out later that this was about the 5th time this same couple was involved in this type of situation.
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I am attached to my cell during school days because I am a stay at home mom teachers call me in an emergency (and yes, they have had to use it because little boy has gotten sick at school). I can’t imagine life without it. Babysitters have also had to use it to get a hold of me running errands.
Big hug to Ev’s cousin. I can’t imagine.
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Hi Julie – wow, what a situation. Thank goodness you got involved. I personally have never had to call 911, and thank God for that. I almost always have my cell phone with me – I almost feel naked without it.
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Julie, you absolutely did the right thing. I’m proud of you! If more people got involved I think we could really make a difference and maybe even change the world. That’s horrible about that woman in Florida, not to mention scary!
I’ve used my cell phone once in an emergency. Last year right after my harp recital my MIL popped her artificial hip out of joint. I called 911 and soon we had a firetruck and ambulance arrive to help her. That was the first time I had talked to a 911 operator so it was a good experience.
I generally keep my cell phone in my car unless it’s being recharged. I don’t like leaving the house without it just in case something happens. If the three of us go to the mall for instance, I will have my cell with me in my purse so I can call my husband or daughter if we decide to separate to shop. When I’m out of town, like at national or something I keep it in my purse, so if I want to I can slip away someplace quiet and give my family a call. Otherwise, there is a phone in nearly every room in our house. Our master bath even has a phone. We’re definitely a “connected” family!
Have a good day all. The sun is back today after two solid days of rain. Rain is good and we needed it but I’m glad the sun is back. Yay!
Cher
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Ev – Sending good, healing vibes to your cousin. Yes, it’s their job but I still don’t imagine it’s easy when they have to take a life in the line of duty.
I kept thinking about the country song by Mark Wills, “What If She’s an Angel.” There’s a line that says something like, “There’s a lot of noise coming through the ceiling and it doesn’t sound like harmony….you can sit there with your TV turned up while his words and anger flies, but tomorrow when you see her with her shades on can you look her in the eye? What if she’s an angel, sent here from heaven and she’s makin’ certain that you’re doing your best to take the time to help one another, brother are you gonna pass that test?”
It’s so hard to know when to get involved and when to let the people involved handle it themselves. But if he was drinking who knows what he could have been capable of. It sounds like you did the right thing!!
As for the cell, I’ve had to use it several times to report accidents, and I try to keep it with me at all times, so that my kids can always get in touch with me (especially since my oldest doesn’t live at home). But, yeah, in a rush I do forget it sometimes. Note to self: Never leave home without it!
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Wow! I’m glad you called 9-1-1. I’ve had to use my cell phone to call 9-1-1 a couple times.
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I’ve been known to turn around and go back to get my cell when I leave it at home (I remember the days before cell phones and no, there were no dinosaurs wandering). I’m retired from both the the fire service AND law enforcement. I’m on a first name basis with the dispatchers in my home town and I speak “first responder” when I have to call while in a different locale. I have gotten involved, I do call 911 and I have to tell my favorite hubby story. I’ll try to keep it short…
He’s a retired army officer and attorney. He’d gone in search of a special battery for the camera belonging to a Korean exchange student staying with us. A pimp and one of his girls came into the national chain drug store to get a pregnancy kit. The pimp put hands on the girl. My husband took offense (I started to say “umbrage” as that’s really what he was feeling *chuckle*). The pimp reached behind him to snag what was probably a gun from his waistband. My husband, in his best Jack Nicholson face and voice, quietly took a step toward the guy saying, “Don’t make me kill again…” The pimp left with the working girl. The little old lady in line in front of my husband had a basketful of $1 sale items and she started scooping them out and throwing them to the counter as fast as she could and the pimple-faced assistant manager who had done nothing to intervene couldn’t check her and then my husband out fast enough.
This story has entered the realm of family lore and we *gigglesnort* whenever it gets told. My hubby is a big guy but pretty much a gentle giant and much prefers using his brain over his brawn.
Thanks for getting involved, Julie, and you remembered the first rule – your own safety. Cops don’t need multiple victims. Just making the 911 call and staying to be a witness is sufficient unless a bystander has special training.
And I’m about 2/3’s of the way through Phantom Pleasures. OMG! I carry it with me everywhere and read it in checkout lines because I don’t want to put it down and I can’t put life on hold to just do a marathon read! I burned dinner (well, scorched a little) last night because I got caught up in it. :wub:
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Thanks, Silver! I’m glad you’re enjoying the book…and LOL on your husband’s story. I would have loved to have seen that!
I would not have put myself in harm’s way, trust me. If he’d started beating her or something, I probably would have just hit him with my big SUV!!
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I think there is some law in the universe that says that the day you don’t have your cellphone with you is the day you really need it!
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Ev-Hugs to your cousin. My bil is a police officer. He has never had to use deadly force, but was almost run over by a drug dealer about 3 months ago. My bil was throwing th spike strips and the guy crossed 3 lanes of traffic to try and take him out. Now he is up on drug charges and the attempted murder of a police officer. Luckily, my bil wasn’t hurt to badly, but he just had his 2nd surgery on Friday and is still not back to full duty.
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What a timely topic. My youngest’s school called it (and I put it on low with vibrate, but it didn’t go off, that sounds so bad) and had to go pick him up. I don’t know how my mom ever was a parent without one. She told me a story of how she left us with my grandma (we were sick home from school), she had to take a bus downtown to take a final exam (she was in college part time at the time) and ‘trusted’ my grandma (which was fine to trust her, but we were sick). For some reason, even using a pay phone was really expensive, so she couldn’t even check in with us!
Julie: I can imagine you ramming him with your SUV (I would have, too, with my mini van). My sons would have been very confused about that one.
I think a lot of us (and I am just talking about society as a whole, here, no body in particular) just don’t do anything when they see something not right. I think it is amazing that that other car circled the scene also. Kudos to you two!
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I’m glad there are people like you out there, Julie. I’d like to think I would do the same thing, but I’ve never been in that kind of situation.
The only time I’ve had to call 911 was the first night I was home alone after dropping my parents off at the airport for their trip to San Francisco for my mom’s high school reunion. After getting home from school, I was sitting in the living room unwinding when I heard gunshots outside. That is something that never happened in my neighborhood and hasn’t since. But, when I heard the shots, I moved the blinds on the window aside to see someone standing in the street even with my driveway with a gun shooting it into the air while looking up the street. I called 911 right away and later had to ID the person the police had caught. It was definitely not the way I wanted to start a 6-day stint of being alone at the house.
As for my cell phone, I always have it with me. I even have a charger in my car in case I forget to charge it and need to charge it on my way to work or something. I also have a few spare chargers, one that never leaves my backpack so I’ll always have it when traveling.
Silver, that story about your husband is great. It’s no surprise it has made it into family lore.
Ev, I’m sending positive thoughts to your cousin.
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I wish that there were people in the world that would take the time to get involved.
Cheryl you are so right at the law of the universe and cell phones.
I have 911 and a direct line to the Highway Patrol on speed dial on my cell phone. I have actually had to use these numbers at one time or another.
Another thing to place into your phone along with 911 is “ICE.” You set up numbers of people to contact in case of an emergency under the word “ICE.” It helps emergency personnel in contacting people you want to notify in case of an emergency.
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Yes, Ardie…they recommend that you have at least TWO “ICE” numbers (for two different people at least). Hubby thinks I am silly for having two ICE numbers of two different people (hubby in town and my mom in Seattle). She’s probably the one to check on me. Hubby doesn’t answer phone calls from me at work.
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I always have my cell with me, 24/7. The few times I’ve forgotten the thing I did nothing but worry about what if I needed it. And yes, I’ve used it to call 911 before, drunk drivers on the road, really drunk, weaving into the other lanes and such, as well as an accident.
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When I am gone from home my cell is almost always with me. I rarely use it but have it if I need it. I’ve never had to call 911 but I have been the voice at the other end when a person calls 911! It is a heavy responsibility & not my cup of tea. That ended up not being the job for me. Being a dispatcher gave me a great respect for cops & what they deal with. It was/is a small town but they still deal with a lot. Domestic fights/situations are some of the most dangerous situations that cops respond to as the tempers are flaring & emotions involved.
Ev, kudos to your cousin for doing his job. It is not easy to have to take a life even though it is necessary.
Julie, good for you for being a good person and doing the right thing. So many people don’t even notice that another may need help. Glad you were able to help the woman.
I’m still without my computer and I miss coming to visit the Plotmonkeys everyday. Hopefully I might have it back over the weekend.
Take care, I’ll come check in when I get the chance.
Donna M
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Hurrah for getting involved. So many people don’t care.
I take my cell phone with me when I leave the house. I have never called 911, but have loaned it to a lady whose car broke down so she could call her husband.
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A little side note, and I might be the only person that didn’t know this (up until about a month ago) – but it is recommended you program your emerency contact number in your phone under “ICE” (which stands for In Case Emergency). This is where emergency personnel will look to find your emergency contact numbers in case you’re in an accident.
I didn’t know that until very recently and wanted to post it here in case there might be others that didn’t know it either. Sorry I thought about it so late in the day!
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I’ve heard about the ICE thing, but I’ve never done it…will do it today. Of course, I’ve heard the police will automatically look for any listing that says MOM. I have that one. :giggle:
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Way tot go Julie,
i try to always have my cell phone with me when I am in the car and away from the house.
Lately I have even started carrying it when ever i work in the yard.
i live in the country and you never know when you might need help.
I fell in a hole that was in front of my dock and I though I had fractured my leg. I was so far away from the house no one heard my cries for help. Had I had my cell phone I could have called for help/
i have called to report bad accidents that have happened out here in the country.
I haven’t experienced the roughness that you saw the girl experience but i hope that i would call the police and report the situation.
That was a good thing you did.
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Good job, Julie! I would classify a 911 call as a mega-big random act of kindness! I’ve had to
call 911 a couple of times, once for a female body we spotted one night and once for gunshots
in our area. I can only hope that if I am ever in need of assistance, someone will call in. God
willing, I hope that need never arises!
Pat Cochran
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:yikes: I had to call 911 on my cell phone I was terrified, I saw a old woman driving the wrong way down a major hwy like nothing was wrong and cars were having to swerve around her , I felt so bad for her because the look on her face she wasn’t doing anything wrong. They actually told me several others had called also Cell phones do come in handy and could mean saving someones life.
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