Page 6 | Government alert?!?!

hotmumshit · 2026-08-14T18:02:54+00:00

Omg? First use of the government phone alerts, i think??

WhatHoJeeves · 14/08/2026 23:27

Jeez. It was an alert about a very real and immediate danger. We're a small island, wildfires are a huge threat in bone dry conditions like these. I can't believe people are so overdramatic as to turn the alerts off.

Therescathairinmybath · 14/08/2026 23:27

NCTDN · 14/08/2026 23:23

I think it’ss good idea, but would like to turn the volume down because I genuinely think if I had been driving that I would have crashed the car.
Can I turn it down on my iPhone rather than off?

There’s no option to receive the messages without the loud sound, which is why I’ve just switched the alerts off.

Starrylawn · 14/08/2026 23:27

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:25

@Starrylawn - it's been hot for ages. No rain, = more risk of fire. BBQ's were on sale until yesterday / today. Can't be only me who thinks this was stupid.

I’m pretty sure that if government regularly intervened in what shops sold and when it wouldn’t be viewed positively.

We are in an unprecedented time of extreme heat caused by climate change. There are no rule books. ‘Government’ are just people doing the best they can.

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:25

@Starrylawn - it's been hot for ages. No rain, = more risk of fire. BBQ's were on sale until yesterday / today. Can't be only me who thinks this was stupid.

NCTDN · 14/08/2026 23:23

I think it’ss good idea, but would like to turn the volume down because I genuinely think if I had been driving that I would have crashed the car.
Can I turn it down on my iPhone rather than off?

ChaliceinWonderland · 14/08/2026 23:22

Was driving ... thought the car had an oil fault!!!

PineappleSunrise · 14/08/2026 23:20

I think it was a great time to send out an alert. There are loads of idiots who were planning to head out with disposable bbqs or chucking ciggies around this weekend, now they can’t say no-one told them not to.

Starrylawn · 14/08/2026 23:18

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:18

Honestly, a 3 yr old could do a better job of running the country..

Outline that thinking please?

PensionPTake · 14/08/2026 23:18

Catpuss66 · 14/08/2026 22:47

In the 70’s there were loads of public information adverts, about ringing the coastguard , clunck click every trip ( seatbelts), swimming sure others will contribute, some of them as a child were really scary.

I think we should bring them back. A water safety one would have been useful this year and it could be put on insta, TikTok etc to target the young.

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:18

Honestly, a 3 yr old could do a better job of running the country..

XenoBitch · 14/08/2026 23:16

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:13

Not RTFT, too long, but I'm sure there's more than me who's surprised that the Govt has only just noticed that it's hot out there & we've had no rain.. what next, banning portable BBQ's?

Rolls eyes..

They could have sent an alert out about walking dogs in this weather... or leaving them in cars.
And also hosepipe usage.

cornflakecrunchie · 14/08/2026 23:13

Not RTFT, too long, but I'm sure there's more than me who's surprised that the Govt has only just noticed that it's hot out there & we've had no rain.. what next, banning portable BBQ's?

Rolls eyes..

JenniferBooth · 14/08/2026 23:09

inkymoose · 14/08/2026 23:01

I remember terrifying adverts showing gravestones and horrific apocalyptic landscapes to put people off sexually transmitting HIV "AIDS KILLS"

... and before that, there was the leaflet provided by presumably the same government department called "protect and survive" which showed you how to prop up a table at an angle against the wall in the event of nuclear fallout.

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Watch the New Tricks episode The Queens Speech They were basically telling ppl to dig their own graves

XenoBitch · 14/08/2026 23:07

inkymoose · 14/08/2026 23:01

I remember terrifying adverts showing gravestones and horrific apocalyptic landscapes to put people off sexually transmitting HIV "AIDS KILLS"

... and before that, there was the leaflet provided by presumably the same government department called "protect and survive" which showed you how to prop up a table at an angle against the wall in the event of nuclear fallout.

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Now, this is my special subject 😆
Yes, the AIDS ads.... they give me the creeps. I can not watch them when it is dark out 😂Don't die of ignorance.

And the Protect and Survive.. also how to bag up a loved one died and leave them in a bin liner outside with a tag. Great times.

Gribouille · 14/08/2026 23:05

Digerydont · 14/08/2026 22:50

Donald Pleasance as the Grim Reaper in Lonely Water.

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Yes, just saw that on that Ch 5 prog and thought 'Maybe they should do one now about lighting fires?' But maybe modern kids would react differently... (in any case, it was only us feeble or nervous kids who were scared - a lot of kids carried on regardless or were positively encouraged)...

I still think 'Jimmyyyy!' when I pass an electricity substation... ⚡️😁

Original poster

hotmumshit · 14/08/2026 23:05

Floatlikeafeather2 · 14/08/2026 22:58

I'm really interested to know where you are. Why is it in French?

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Ahh! Well, I'm not just a hot mum and gif addict you know 😏

Saturday Night Live Wow GIF by First We Feast

OP posts:

Cetera · 14/08/2026 23:03

I’ve had the notification 4 times in the last half an hour, ridiculous!

ERthree · 14/08/2026 23:03

powercats · 14/08/2026 19:04

I’ve had a couple before with storms. first nationwide though probably!

Not nationwide.

Pushmepullu · 14/08/2026 23:02

We were in a restaurant with friends and people thought it was the restaurant’s smoke alarm. Then there were a few comments from other diners and the four of us reached for our phones. By this point 40+ phones are going off. It was creepy and a bit end of the world type of feeling! Then it went off again on my phone when we left the restaurant.

XenoBitch · 14/08/2026 23:02

Periperi2025 · 14/08/2026 22:57

I was expecting to see a fire very nearby (terrace backs on to heathland), we all excited the house immediatly and stayed outside until we had the alert in English and new what the fuck was going on. Had DD already been in bed I would have woken her and taken her out with me.

Definetly not an appropraite use of the warning system.

Edited

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My phone did not go off, so I first found out about it on FB where some people were worried it meant that a wildfire had broken out near them.
I though these alerts were meant to be for the "oh shit" sort of stuff. Threats of bombs, take action now etc. It is no surprise that some people heard them and thought a nuke was coming their way. Not " don't do this".
If people think it is just going to be used to curb behaviours, and not actually alert them to impending danger, then can you blame them for turning the notifications off?

inkymoose · 14/08/2026 23:01

XenoBitch · 14/08/2026 22:57

There was a whole Gov department for that though... that is no more.

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I remember terrifying adverts showing gravestones and horrific apocalyptic landscapes to put people off sexually transmitting HIV "AIDS KILLS"

... and before that, there was the leaflet provided by presumably the same government department called "protect and survive" which showed you how to prop up a table at an angle against the wall in the event of nuclear fallout.

Seeingadistance · 14/08/2026 23:01

powercats · 14/08/2026 19:04

I’ve had a couple before with storms. first nationwide though probably!

Don't think it's nationwide. I didn't get it - and no need because it's been mostly pissing rain here.

Bluedungarees · 14/08/2026 23:01

SmallGoddess · 14/08/2026 19:06

I'm glad I wasn't driving.

I was driving and it really scared me. Weirdly I didn’t realise it was a government alert and thought it was my car and that the brakes had failed or something. Only for a second or two but enough to send my heart racing.

Gribouille · 14/08/2026 23:00

XenoBitch · 14/08/2026 21:26

A prolonged alert on your phone is not an everyday thing like sirens.
And if you are driving, you are not allowed to turn it off if it means touching your phone.

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Fair enough, good point...

Suntherebutnotthere · 14/08/2026 22:58

I think people are greatly underestimating the number of fires going and overestimating the number of people who watch adverts....