I share your dislike for the automated Beck interface. I've had to summon a lot of Beck cabs recently, and I can confirm that selecting O will let me bypass the automated robo-voice and speak to human dispatchers. The humans see my address on the screen and ask whether I am me. When I assure them that I am, they usually get a cab to my building within five minutes or so, even during rush hours. (Service has seemed better recently than it's been in years--probably thanks to Uber and Lyft keeping Beck somewhat on its corporate toes.)

Sympathies on the long trip to and from the doctor's. Traffic in this city is consistently hellish.