Britains Emergency Alert system test.

 

 Britain is introducing it's new emergency alert system this month, on the 23rd of this month at 3pm there will be a test.

 The real question is why?  WTF do we need it for?  I'm just the right side of 70 and I've never needed an emergency alert.  Then theres the problems with it.

 First off it'll take over your phone and sound a loud siren, even if your phones on silent, then before you can use YOUR phone you  have to click an accept button to show you got the message (it sounds for 10 seconds) So tough shit if you were trying to ring for an ambulance or let the police know your being stabbed.

 Then theres the what if your driving?  Your on the motorway doing 69MPH listening to radio 4 and loud siren blaring,. inside your car. Scared shitless is putting it mildly, plus legally you cant look at or clear the message without breaking the law if your driving.  Thats without the fact that 50% of the motorists around you are in the same situation, the other 50% are now reading the message on their phone and not looking where they are going.

 That also leaves the law abiding motorist is a dilema, are you driving away from a crisis or towards it?  without checking your phone you cant tell, not that you can turn around on the motorway anyway.

 And God help if your a victim of domestic abuse and have a secret phone for calling for help, when the siren goes off your going to get a kicking if your unlucky.

 Then theres the what the fucks it for?  A school shooting? everybody in the school already knows, you dont want people outside alerted and going in to make more casualties.  A flood?  Well maybe, but for the most part locals know when flooding is likely.  A tidal wave, well yes, but this being Britain the warning will come after it's been on facebook and twiter and the waters over your house.

 Lets be honest, this is the UK we're talking about, the emergency services are the last people to know.  Any warning is going to be too little and too late, everybody in the local area will know hours before plod arrives.

 Then theres the nanny state.  It wont be just used for tidal waves or earthquakes, it'll be used every other bloody day, telling us a cat is missing 5 miles away, or drive with care theres a light drizzle in Norway 1.326 miles away.  Bullshit like that.

 Me I'm turning the bastard off, I'd rather take my chance with the terrorist than the government, the terrorist is more honest!

 And by the way thats the good news, you can turn it off in your phones settings.