h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3923949.stm

Last time they did this was to tell us about a nuclear attack.... somehow I'm not filled with confidence.

Local authorities regularly do Emergency Planning drills. One of the benefits of First Aid training is that people become more conscious of the causes of 'accidents' and so they tend to have less of them. So this may be an attempt to make the public more aware of the need to prevent terror attacks, and to be on the altert. I see the pamphlet has sections on both.

I have the feeling that many people will simply put it in the bin. I know from experience that if you have learned something, the pressure of an emergency can turn your mind blank.

Young people will laugh and bin it, the ultra cautious will clear the supermarket shelves and the rest of us will carry on as normal.

BUT - have they thought of the fear it will strike in the hearts of the older generations who have gone through two World Wars

I saw the effect the Falklands War, and the Gulf War had on some of the elderly. A third world war is their ultimate dread. I will reserve judgment on the leaflets until I have seen them.

At the moment I will be most surprised if "every home will have one" - they don't seem to be able to do anything else right so why should this be any different?

The excerpts I have heard so far would be useless in a nuclear attack, a chemicals or gas attack. The recent "mock incident" trial in Birmingham was a fiasco, and if they can't get it right when it's planned what hope is there in a surprise incident

Another fine mess, if you ask me and a waste of

Websailor

Ah well, as long as it's only two cents, then it hardly matters, does it?

Wait a second, it said £8m...why is there no £8m symbol?

There's a downloadable leaflet on the article - I downloaded it and had a look, Websailor. I wouldn't buy in cans of food anyway as I'm trying to cook with more fresh food, although I do have a store of dried beans.

I didn't notice the reaction of older folk during the Falklands and Gulf wars.

Not watching the news much, I didn't see anything about the mock trila in Birmingham, however I do know that one of the uses of practice alerts is to bring up shortcomings, so maybe it did highlight that there were things to pur right and that has to be a good thing.

The Australian government issued every household with a booklet that was short on actual information, and a fridge magnet with spaces to write in the phone numbers of the local emergency services. Most people I know simply sent it all back. I know I did, after I wrote something disparaging on it.

The slogan was 'Be alert, not alarmed', which led to speculation that the government was panicking, but not alert.

I bet you're all jealous about the magnet.

Ivan.

Wanna magnet. Wanna magnet.

At least your government gave you something that had an additional use, Ivan. Oh, perhaps we can do origami with our leaflets? Or paper plane competitions?

LQ,
Worth 2 cents, but cost £8.3m. Bit of a difference. A bit like the difference between what is earned and what is paid to some people. I think we would do better with Pollyticians - and that wasn't a spelling mistake - I just couldn't find a smiley for a parrot. I think it is about time they threw in the


I knew a lot of people in their 70s/80s and 90s who were very frightened that we were heading for a third world war, as some of them are now.

Practice Alerts are good for showing up shortcomings and unforeseen problems - but those planning it seemed very short on foresight - much like those who designed and planned the Diana Memorial "fountain".

Ivan,
Me want one too! Can use it for recycling my cans!

Sadly, I can't offer anyone my fridge magnet, as I returned it to sender. This means I have a lot of postcards lying on the floor quite near the fridge for want of a means of sticking them to the fridge, but that's better than having alarmist rubbish in the house.

Ivan.