Cryptic symbols and mystery ribbons on the freeway
Jul 26, 2018, 7:59 AM | Updated: 8:41 am
(File, KIRO 7)
(File, KIRO 7)
You drive by abandoned vehicles on the side of the freeway every day. Many are all marked up with cryptic messages. What does it all mean?
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At their most basic, all those symbols and ribbons do is simply tell emergency responders that a vehicle has been checked and entered into the computer system, and they don’t need to worry about it, Washington State Trooper Rick Johnson says.
“If there’s a ribbon on the vehicle, it’s been checked, and we know about it,” he said.
Trooper Johnson said the different colors don’t mean anything special.
“The ribbon itself is what we are looking for,” he said.
As for the numbers and checks, some responders put the time of day, date, agency, or other notes so others know who actually checked the vehicle. Trooper Johnson said they used to put more on abandoned vehicles a few years ago.
“You would write the date and time, and there was a sticker that you put on the vehicle that had your badge number, your name, and the time you checked it,” he said. Now, it’s usually just a ribbon on the antenna.
I asked Trooper Johnson what you should do if you find yourself stuck in your car on the shoulder, maybe over-heating or without gas. His best advice is to avoid walking to the nearest gas station to get some gas. Just call 911 and explain your situation.
“Call us,” he said. “Don’t walk off the freeway. There are times where I will just give people a ride to the gas station and give them a ride back to their car.”
Incident Response trucks also have gas to help you get on your way.
You can also call your own towing company and leave your car as long as you let the state patrol know. They’ll tag it, get it in the system, and leave it alone until the tow takes it away.
