Post

I know you all hate the emergency alert about disposable barbeques. But yesterday I watched a man at our hotel breakfast set fire to a toaster by trying to toast a croissant - despite multiple signs telling him not to. Today he tried again. So, you know, calibrate for the average person.

14/8/26, 6:29 pm519 reposts3.3K likes

@alienbeach.bsky.social

You realize half of the population has a 2 digit IQ, right?

Felicity Hayes-McCoy

@fhayesmccoy.bsky.social

Mate of mine belongs to a nice, educated, middle-class UK neighbourhood WhatsApp group on which a woman posted proudly about her jolly family singsong last week around a bonfire at the edge of the New Forest. Many of the group cooed at the cosiness. Few expressed horror. Those who did were tutted.

@leahsretreat.bsky.social

🥺 Nooooo!

Mr Garvie to you

@cagarvie.bsky.social

yeah and those people are absolutely not going to pay emergency messages seriously either. and there definitely not going to pay attention to performative emergency notices

Not sure if you're trying to be ironic or not?

Mr Garvie to you

@cagarvie.bsky.social

nope think it's performative bullshit . we know it's dry we know fire is dangerous . an emergency is there a fire in this area evacuate or shut windows to about smoke not ohhh be a bit more careful that's not an emergency

No, I mean I can't understand what you're writing. It might help if you proofread before sending.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Josh Worthington🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@jaggybunnet.bsky.social

Reminds me of this

@drogersuk.bsky.social

Did it taste ok though once you'd put it out? 🤣 Seriously though, there is no defending this misuse of the emergency alert system

I'm 50:50 on whether it is sensible. Most people don't read newspapers or watch the news - so how else do you get out a message like that? With the fire service at breaking point, I can see why they thought it was a good idea. And, yes, with a little jam it was fine

@drogersuk.bsky.social

As my Welsh friend just messaged me "Nuclear" in Welsh is "Niwclear" (he thinks).

@miss-spider.bsky.social

A beach house near me just burned down due to a propane grill issue. It was on the porch right next to the siding and spread fast 😭 All grills/bbqs freak me out! 😵‍💫

@jeriwesterson.bsky.social

The masses are asses.

@rangers2.bsky.social

Statistically speaking, half of all people are dumber than average.

@pravata.bsky.social

George Carlin

lostmymind.bsky.social

@lostmymind.bsky.social

"Think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider than that!" ~George Carlin

Sorry, replies now off because Americans found the post and, as per usual, want to make it about them. Oh, and a weird amount of eugenics supporters…

@nick.shore.me.uk

I think they used too many words, a simple "stop lighting fires" might be actually effective

The government comms service is always recruiting. You should apply.

Winston the woofer

@winstonthewoofer.bsky.social

Was he American

Big Tent Democrat

@manmtmike.bsky.social

Or, in the example you just cited, the below-average person.

@jemjabella.com

There are people in the West Midlands setting off fireworks despite half a street burning down yesterday so some people clearly need to be told...

@jonnyboy27.bsky.social

I saw a Chinese lantern in the sky over Bristol weds night...

@jribbens.unequivocal.eu

I've no problem with it as an alert per se, but it would be better if they could've used a sound other than "you have 37 seconds to live". I don't know if the technology allows for different alert categories/sounds?

There are different categories of alerts. But it is up to the phone what sound it plays. I remember during the first test people complaining about the "American accent" not realising that was their phone's TTS setting rather than the government's choice.

@nadaclu.bsky.social

Ha. Reminded me of watching a guy try to remove a piece of stuck bread from a hotel toaster with a plastic fork. yes, toaster was still on. Yes we could still smell it hours later.