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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

When the alert went off, be honest, did you think the Russia had launched one?

217 replies

Tping · 14/08/2026 23:47

When the alert went off did you, for a fraction of a second, think Vlad had finally snapped and pressed the button?

Disappointing if he had because I if I’d known, I’d have added more loo roll to the Tesco delivery.

OP posts:
ilovesushi · 15/08/2026 01:02

We are close to a major forest fire. I thought it had spread closer to us.

moto748e · 15/08/2026 01:01

TalkToTheHand123 · 14/08/2026 23:56

I thought I had a computer virus.

Yes, me too, as a first thought!

SettledAndHappy · 15/08/2026 00:59

Nope, but my eldest did think it was a nuclear raid.

Vivi0 · 15/08/2026 00:45

I’m in London this weekend with my family, and thought it was a terrorist attack.

Before I’d even read the notification, I had mentally gathered everyone up and planned our escape route back to our hotel.

I had such a spike in adrenaline. My husband was completely unphased.

ErrolTheDragon · 15/08/2026 00:39

I thought it was the alert - it’s not the first time everyone has heard it, surely, they did a test some time ago. So I read it - I was expecting it to be something like this about wildfires in general.

roughtrenches2 · 15/08/2026 00:39

We live in central London I assumed it was a terrorist attack

Notbuiltforheat · 15/08/2026 00:38

No. I thought my phone had over heated of it was yet another amusing dick move from my kids.

hotmumshit · 15/08/2026 00:37

Yes! I am going to put together a go bag on payday!

lostdontknowwhattodo · 15/08/2026 00:37

I was in the pub. Lots of phones going off all at once. Someone said that means drinks are on the house!

Ayarreet · 15/08/2026 00:35

I shouted to my son to turn his laptop down (ASD and he watches videos of level crossings etc. on a loop)
"S'NOT EVEN ME!" he shouted back.
So we both pressed 'play' again.
And that was that.

PensionPTake · 15/08/2026 00:34

BambinaCucina · 15/08/2026 00:32

No, we panicked and thought there was something wrong with the car.

We got it twice and the second time we were in the car and I instantly looked at the dash thinking ffs what's it bleeping at now 😂

DogAnxiety · 15/08/2026 00:33

Mm yess I will admit a much more immediate and catastrophic scenario came to mind.

But then my brain is weirdly primed for high anxiety.

PensionPTake · 15/08/2026 00:33

No I thought there was a local wildfire

Lunalara · 15/08/2026 00:32

Before I read it, I did assume it was a missile. I was right next to my phone at home, so wasn’t worried about a terrorist attack. I then saw the word wildfire and assumed it was talking about my area. I then planned what to pack before realising it was a nationwide alarm.

BambinaCucina · 15/08/2026 00:32

No, we panicked and thought there was something wrong with the car.

CustardySergeant · 15/08/2026 00:30

No

Pollyanna87 · 15/08/2026 00:29

My first thought was ‘missile’, yes.

Samysungy · 15/08/2026 00:29

I thought it was a local alert. We have fires about 15 miles away each year on the moors. I assumed it meant it was a local alert and one had spread. I had to check online that there was no fire near me.

DyslexicPoster · 15/08/2026 00:25

It's the first time I have heard it. I was in dh's car with dd friends phone. I thought it was the car alarm. Then I thought my village was on fire when I read it on my phone

HundredAcreOwl · 15/08/2026 00:24

Oxo01 · 14/08/2026 23:57

I thought it was saying my phone was over heated as just fully charged it.

For a moment, I thought similar. Then remembered the sound, but expected it to be a local emergency alert.

Digerydont · 15/08/2026 00:23

nocoolnamesleft · 15/08/2026 00:18

Yeah, it sounded a lot like our bleeps sound for a crash call, so I can imagine some staff dropping everything and legging it before realising it wasn't that.

Show quote history

Cheers. I understand that now. I didn't get it until later on my phone. I assumed that there had been a multiple pile up on the M40, and I was about to be triaged.

Dangermouse80 · 15/08/2026 00:20

No, I thought it was a travel alert / warning. I do think setting this off dampens the seriousness / effectiveness of the alert. This causes a lot of panic when it is just not needed. This should be reserved for when you are genuinely in distance related danger of an incident.

MrCranky · 15/08/2026 00:20

I was sat outside a bar with my pint and one of those ‘your food is now ready to collect’ bleeping machines

I got up to go and get my pizza

Snippit · 15/08/2026 00:19

It frightened the life out of my dogs, and myself. I thought my ph had malfunctioned somehow, 😵‍💫

nocoolnamesleft · 15/08/2026 00:18

Digerydont · 15/08/2026 00:17

I was in the minor injuries clinic with a garden mishap, the alarm went off, and the nurse did a runner. Cheers Andy B, I had waited over 3 hours to get treated ....

Yeah, it sounded a lot like our bleeps sound for a crash call, so I can imagine some staff dropping everything and legging it before realising it wasn't that.