Unwanted text messages

I think it's safe to say that had I received the Hawaii text message about an inbound ballistic missile, my digestive system would have reacted quite violently.

I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to hear your phone 'beep' and then read a message advising you to seek shelter immediately as a nuclear missile was heading your way.

Thankfully in this instance it was a false alarm, but it did get me wondering if we have a similar system in this country? 

What about people who don't have mobile phones - yes, there are still some, I happen to know a few - will they be blissfully unaware of the imminent crisis and just carry on regardless?

In a way, that's perhaps the best way to handle these sort of situations, as I'm pretty sure there's not much you can do if a ballistic missile is indeed due to arrive shortly, other than gather your nearest and dearest and tell them that you love them.

Often though in these emergency scenarios people are instructed to head indoors and keep doors and windows shut.

Now I can't answer for you, but I'm fairly sure that when my house was built it wasn't designed to withstand a nuclear missile or its fallout,  and I sincerely hope never to find out.

But it also made me think, where's the best place to take shelter once in your home?  In Hawaii, I believe some people sat in their baths.

The cupboard-under-the-stairs (aka the pantry) was an option for me.  However I was fearful of being knocked unconscious by a falling tin of beans or similar, and then realised the dog - who would of course be with me - would eat the entire contents of said cupboard in the interim and I'd later be discovered with an extremely poorly Labrador, which nobody wants to deal with.

Perhaps I'll stick to hiding under the dining room table or behind the sofa - most people's preferred childhood location when confronted with the prospect of The Daleks in Dr Who, etc.