There's places where a phone won't help you at all. On the other hand, just screaming will. Screaming, like not yelling, screaming. Helped me out exactly three weeks ago today, when I was getting coercively shepherded by supermarket guards, into the supermarket, because the cashier accused me of not paying. But they weren't interested in seeing my receipt. Just in harassing me. Fortunately Jessica at the Farmacias Manríquez (near Merced and José Miguel de la Barra in downtown Santiago) across the street heard me scream "I want you to call the real cops! You have no right to do this! Look at my receipt!" (in Spanish of course) and called my people, whom I couldn't reach because I left my phone at home. And they showed up, asked what the fuck, and I talked to the lawyer extensively about it, he agreed it was harassment and coercive threats.
Who knew, screaming calls attention? And I couldn't use a phone because my hands were full, I was carrying glass bottles home that way because I didn't want to pay for a plastic bag. If I dropped them, they would say since they accused me of stealing them that I destroyed the merchandise and was a thief for sure. And then taken me to the ground and beat me up, that's their job basically.
Thanks Jessica of Farmacias Manríquez!
So phones? Not always a big help.