Thanks to Kevin of the Phone Force...

[kevin_standlee]

Heading to the office just before 1 PM today, I encountered minor slow traffic on northbound I-880 at Tennyson Avenue. A minor fender-bender happened about five cars ahead of me, but both cars made it to the shoulder easily. I have KCBS radio on voice-activated speed-dial, so I called it in. In the 1:08 PM traffic update, it was the lead item ("In Hayward, northbound 880 at Tennyson, a two-car accident on the shoulder. Traffic is slow past the scene up to Highway 92"), and I got my credit, too. Glad I remembered to put my headset on.

Comments

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

Very cool. I've always wanted one of those - but I don't go looking for traffic problems so I'll get one if I get one.

The closest I got was yesterday! My mom and I were driving and saw the beginnings of a grassfire at 680/Willow Pass in Concord. We called it in to 911 and it was mentioned on KCBS a little while later.

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

I have KCBS radio on voice-activated speed-dial

Um, why does that scare me? :)

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I also have 511 (automated traffic information) on that as well. I do have to push one button on the side of my mobile phone to start it, but then I hear the "Name, please" prompt on the phone. Otherwise, it's hands-free.

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

But that means that you call in to the station often enough to put them on speed dial.

I trust your ability to either multitask or use a hands-free unit.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. Yes, I probably call in an incident about once every two weeks. Most of them don't get used, though, either because they've already been reported or because there are too many incidents and they'll usually call the more important ones. The likely way to get a name check is to be the first person to phone it in and for things to be otherwise pretty quiet. It also seems to help if you call right after the traffic-on-the-eights so that they have time to prioritize it. figmo probably could tell us more, since this is one of the things she does professionally.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Glad I remembered to put my headset on.

'Cuz there's nothing more embarrassing than calling in an accident on your cell phone and rear-ending someone while you dial...

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

But he'd be the very first to report that second accident!