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Original poster

This bloody emergency alert

403 replies

Random789 · 21/04/2023 21:07

It's going to be like when they test the fire alarm at work, isn't it?
You get more and more tense waiting for it, then three minutes before it is due to go off you forget all about it. Then it does go off and you scream like a lunatic and jump so hard that you dislocate something in your neck.

I'd rather just get fried in a nuclear attack and avoid all the stress.

OP posts:
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8
TeaserandtheFirecat · 23/04/2023 07:27

Random789 · 23/04/2023 07:00

However, we don't want to see you on MN after a disaster of some sort, moaning that you didn't have any advance warning!

Oooh, I love the idea of a post-apocalypse Mumsnet. There could be all sorts of threads about bunker etiquette and the best moisturiser for radioactive skin decay.

A post-apocalypse Mumsnet would be quite something! 😆

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 07:30

A question for all the people who are worried about this. Do you think that there shouldn't be any kind of emergency planning provision, in case the testing and exercises causes people to worry about what could happen?
I'd like to have the option of a text alert without the alarm, as surely that is better than turning it off entirely?

Plainspice · 23/04/2023 07:50

LeafyLaney · 22/04/2023 21:21

I think people are making a massive fuss about nothing, it seems that any potential drama bandwagon is just jumped upon now.

We were in holiday in Rhodes a few years ago, during a heatwave. We were at the beach. Suddenly mine and DD’s phones made a siren noise - no louder than the phone is when it usually rings and it didn’t last for very long at all, just like a siren ring tone would be - we heard a few other phones around us making the same noise, and we both got texts to warn about forest fires on the island.

That was it. We weren’t in an area where we had to be concerned- checked with restaurant owner - but the whole thing was pretty self explanatory, our phones had automatically connected to this and it’s a system they use there, pretty sensible.

This. Don't understand why people are so uptight about the alert. Other countries use them. People get anxious over anything.

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 07:55

The Samsung website says it will only work on 4G or 5G. My data is off unless I need it as the WiFi isn't great everywhere in the house and I don't want it switching and using all my data. So it seems I might not receive it anyway!

aberlot · 23/04/2023 07:59

@frozendaisy

I have turned it off. I'm not here to complain about it I was trying to explain to the oysters who think we all just need to 'get a grip' etc that some people have genuine reasons for turning it off.

aberlot · 23/04/2023 08:02

@Aslanplustwo

However, we don't want to see you on MN after a disaster of some sort, moaning that you didn't have any advance warning!

Well that's me told!

But really. Who would I complain about not having a warning for something when I actively chose to switch warning off?

Im not a petulant child im a grown adult trying to manage my life as best I can.

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 08:03

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 07:55

The Samsung website says it will only work on 4G or 5G. My data is off unless I need it as the WiFi isn't great everywhere in the house and I don't want it switching and using all my data. So it seems I might not receive it anyway!

Nevermind, it says it comes through WiFi too so will work at home. I am often out without putting data on though.

aberlot · 23/04/2023 08:05

@BarbaraofSeville

This. A question for all the people who are worried about this. Do you think that there shouldn't be any kind of emergency planning provision, in case the testing and exercises causes people to worry about what could happen?

I have absolutely no problem with the testing phase of this, it's the unexpected and invasive nature of it going forward. I have to minimise things like this, hyper vigilance is a bastard to live with as I have mentioned and I would be absolutely happy if they sent me a text. I can control that by having my phone on silent as I do.

aberlot · 23/04/2023 08:07

@Plainspice

This. Don't understand why people are so uptight about the alert. Other countries use them. People get anxious over anything.

I'm sure there are people in other countries who also switch alerts off. I think unless you have lived with certain conditions it is very easy to be dismissive. People with anxiety don't choose that. They live really shitty lives being anxious, even if it is over 'anything'.

blobby10 · 23/04/2023 08:08

Whilst I think the principle of the alert is a good idea, I don’t trust our government be it red, bkue, yellow, green etc to not use tongue stupid things like ‘Alert- it’s hot today take extra care’ or any of the nanny state warnings we have on media these days! So I’ve turned mine off x however I do live in an area where tsunamis or costal erosion, earthquakes and nuclear shelters are non existent.

User1794537 · 23/04/2023 08:20

I'm on holiday at the moment in Yorkshire and a lot of places we have walked have no 4g or 5g signal, some have no signal at all, so surely these places won't get the alert but aren't they the sort of places that might need an alert.

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 08:43

User1794537 · 23/04/2023 08:20

I'm on holiday at the moment in Yorkshire and a lot of places we have walked have no 4g or 5g signal, some have no signal at all, so surely these places won't get the alert but aren't they the sort of places that might need an alert.

The signal in my market town is poor, let alone more rural areas.

Aslanplustwo · 23/04/2023 08:58

aberlot · 23/04/2023 08:05

@BarbaraofSeville

This. A question for all the people who are worried about this. Do you think that there shouldn't be any kind of emergency planning provision, in case the testing and exercises causes people to worry about what could happen?

I have absolutely no problem with the testing phase of this, it's the unexpected and invasive nature of it going forward. I have to minimise things like this, hyper vigilance is a bastard to live with as I have mentioned and I would be absolutely happy if they sent me a text. I can control that by having my phone on silent as I do.

Does it not occur to you that by the time you saw your text it could be too late? Seriously, do you not understand that a disaster can happen very quickly and action needs to be taken immediately, not an hour or two later when you see your text??!!

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 09:00

Aslanplustwo · 23/04/2023 08:58

Does it not occur to you that by the time you saw your text it could be too late? Seriously, do you not understand that a disaster can happen very quickly and action needs to be taken immediately, not an hour or two later when you see your text??!!

Show quote history

Is that not better than nothing if it is switched off entirely?

User1794537 · 23/04/2023 09:10

It will be interesting to hear if people get this in poor signal areas, a lot of places we visit in our caravan only seem to have 3g, the site we are at at the moment is unusually a very good 4g signal but that is a rare thing, and a few posters on this thread have mentioned poor signal where they live. It isn't that good if it excludes a lot of the country anyway.

aberlot · 23/04/2023 09:24

@Aslanplustwo

Does it not occur to you that by the time you saw your text it could be too late? Seriously, do you not understand that a disaster can happen very quickly and action needs to be taken immediately, not an hour or two later when you see your text??!!

Perhaps it hasn't occurred to you that when I say I'm doing the best I can I really mean that. I have explained I have c-PTSD, I live in a hyper vigilant state and I am doing what I can to minimise my discomfort going forward.

Of course I am fully aware that there are times I don't always see my phone, like I said before, I'm not a child. I have made a conscious and deliberate decision to deactivate something which, on balance, I feel will cause me more harm than it will do good.

What I am really interested to know though, is why you keep coming back to counter everything I say rather than acknowledge and accept I am able to make the right decision for me? It's s bit tiring tbh and it doesn't really show you in a good light at all. I live in fear, I'm trying to minimise said fear, what part of that do you struggle to say 'oh yeah, makes sense'?

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 09:26

User1794537 · 23/04/2023 09:10

It will be interesting to hear if people get this in poor signal areas, a lot of places we visit in our caravan only seem to have 3g, the site we are at at the moment is unusually a very good 4g signal but that is a rare thing, and a few posters on this thread have mentioned poor signal where they live. It isn't that good if it excludes a lot of the country anyway.

I know a few people who don't have data or don't leave it on too. Not just elderly people either. One working age relative uses the phone to call and text when out and to browse on WiFi at home, and often goes out without the phone.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 23/04/2023 10:01

User1794537 · 23/04/2023 09:10

It will be interesting to hear if people get this in poor signal areas, a lot of places we visit in our caravan only seem to have 3g, the site we are at at the moment is unusually a very good 4g signal but that is a rare thing, and a few posters on this thread have mentioned poor signal where they live. It isn't that good if it excludes a lot of the country anyway.

The test is to move from a system where there's no widespread warning system to one which should cover the overwhelming majorty of the country a nd you're saying it's not that good becuase it doesn't cater for your friends who choose not to have data and the small number who live in a poor signal area?

Let's just not bother then, how would you suggest 100% coverage?

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 10:15

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 23/04/2023 10:01

The test is to move from a system where there's no widespread warning system to one which should cover the overwhelming majorty of the country a nd you're saying it's not that good becuase it doesn't cater for your friends who choose not to have data and the small number who live in a poor signal area?

Let's just not bother then, how would you suggest 100% coverage?

Show quote history

It's got to be a lot of places. My market town is in an area categorised as 'urban with significant rural' and there is extremely poor signal in town. I have data but it's turned off when I'm not using it. I'm not sure of it will work on anything under Android 11 or not, a news article I read said not?

Aslanplustwo · 23/04/2023 10:50

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 09:00

Is that not better than nothing if it is switched off entirely?

Show quote history

No it's not better than nothing! Are you really so ignorant that you don't understand what a disaster is? Honestly, I give up, if people are so stupid then they deserve anything which happens to them.

Aslanplustwo · 23/04/2023 10:55

aberlot · 23/04/2023 09:24

@Aslanplustwo

Does it not occur to you that by the time you saw your text it could be too late? Seriously, do you not understand that a disaster can happen very quickly and action needs to be taken immediately, not an hour or two later when you see your text??!!

Perhaps it hasn't occurred to you that when I say I'm doing the best I can I really mean that. I have explained I have c-PTSD, I live in a hyper vigilant state and I am doing what I can to minimise my discomfort going forward.

Of course I am fully aware that there are times I don't always see my phone, like I said before, I'm not a child. I have made a conscious and deliberate decision to deactivate something which, on balance, I feel will cause me more harm than it will do good.

What I am really interested to know though, is why you keep coming back to counter everything I say rather than acknowledge and accept I am able to make the right decision for me? It's s bit tiring tbh and it doesn't really show you in a good light at all. I live in fear, I'm trying to minimise said fear, what part of that do you struggle to say 'oh yeah, makes sense'?

Oh I do apologise, I won't bother you any more - mainly because I can't be bothered with the stupidity of some people on this thread (and before you come back to counter attack, I'm not refering to you). If a disaster should befall you then you go ahead and cope in your own way - or not cope, as that seems to be what will happen if you can't even cope with an alarm. As someone said on another thread about this subject, the UK can be weird.

Okunevo · 23/04/2023 10:57

Aslanplustwo · 23/04/2023 10:50

No it's not better than nothing! Are you really so ignorant that you don't understand what a disaster is? Honestly, I give up, if people are so stupid then they deserve anything which happens to them.

Show quote history

How is it not better than nothing? If the phone is nearby you may hear it vibrate straight away, or if it is in another room it may be 5 minutes or a few hours before you check it (I just heard DS's phone vibrate in the room above me just now). So it would reach some people quick enough to warn them. If people have it turned off as they feel they have no other option then it would reach none of these people. Some of a group is better than none, a delayed warning is better than none.

Scalottia · 23/04/2023 11:02

Never argue with stupid people @Aslanplustwo, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

Honestly some of the responses on this thread are beyond melodramatic. How do you people get through the day?

Loria · 23/04/2023 11:02

TeaserandtheFirecat · 23/04/2023 07:27

A post-apocalypse Mumsnet would be quite something! 😆

Show quote history

"One of my fellow bunker mates ate the rat's tail I had been saving for my twin SEN DDs. AIBU to go no/low contact?"

Loria · 23/04/2023 11:05

@Plainspice

This. Don't understand why people are so uptight about the alert. Other countries use them. People get anxious over anything.

Isn't that exactly how anxiety works though? That people are experience feelings of overwhelming fear and panic about things that are not life threatening etc and can in fact be "anything"?

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