Sylvia is 19 and attends a state college 200 miles from her home. This incident occurred during spring break. It’s about 2 P.M. on a Saturday afternoon. Sylvia is on her way to visit a friend who’s home on spring break from an out-of-state college. The girls are best friends since high school.

Suddenly an unmarked police car pulls up behind Sylvia and flips on its blue lights. Sylvia’s parents have told her all along, "Never pull over for an unmarked police car." That’s what they taught all of their girls once they got driver’s licenses. "Wait until you get to a gas station or some public place before you stop your car," the parents preached.

Guess Sylvia was listening, because she doesn’t pull over. What she does is dial *HP on her cell phone — that’s the quickest way to reach the Highway Patrol dispatcher. She tells the dispatcher she is afraid to pull over for an unmarked car.

The dispatcher says he knows of no patrol car in the immediate area. The dispatcher tells Sylvia to stay calm, "just keep driving, help is on the way."

Sure was. In less than eight minutes two marked Highway Patrol cars are in view. One trooper gets in front of the "blue light special" and the other trooper drives close to the guy’s rear bumper until the "outlaw cop" is stopped.

Within minutes the guy is face down on the ground and cuffed. Later, we find that the driver is wanted for similar acts in the past. He is an ex-con with multiple convictions for sexual assault.

Cell phone companies should give more publicity to the "cop calling" feature — calling police dispatchers. In South Carolina you can call the Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (highway patrol). In some states the number is *SP (state police).

Make it your business to find out the correct number where you live or travel. One more thing. Turn on your hazard lights (flashers) to let the guy know — whether he’s a cop or not — that you know he’s there. Now, lock the doors and stay calm.