Amber Alerts on your smartphone

[fishd00d]

Its an F'ing emergency Fish. That's like saying I really wish Firetrucks couldn't use their sirens at night because it bothers me when I'm sleeping. Come on.

And Obama had nothing to do with this - its a partnership between the CHP and the state cell phone carriers. Its also geo-centric meaning only those cell phones within the targeted area receive the alert. So much for them trying to be the least invasive and make people happy - you guys still find a way to btich!

I understand the point but there should be an option to only receive them during certain hours if you want. That's all I'm asking.

And all of CA received it not just the local area lol. Like klaus said why would someone by San Fran need to receive that when it happened by the Mexico border.

System has some flaws that they need to work out but I understand the point of it.

 

[fathead]

 

[michael_loomis]

Travis, doesn't it make a lot more sense to repeat your alert at say 6pm? 7pm? Or heck, maybe even 9pm?

How many folks are out and about at 11pm? Not many.

 

[f1sleepy]

What difference does your location in the state make? Abductors flee, they don't stay put. Do you guys really think the a hole is hiding near boulevard? You get the alert throughout the state because the man could be headed North, or across country for that matter.

You get the alert, if you are asleep, turn it off, roll over and go back to bed. It's not a real inconvenience, if it is, I want your life because if an Amber alert is worthy of you bit ching on an off road forum, you must not have any real problems to deal with.

 

[Klaus]

Its an F'ing emergency Fish. That's like saying I really wish Firetrucks couldn't use their sirens at night because it bothers me when I'm sleeping. Come on.

And Obama had nothing to do with this - its a partnership between the CHP and the state cell phone carriers. Its also geo-centric meaning only those cell phones within the targeted area receive the alert. So much for them trying to be the least invasive and make people happy - you guys still find a way to btich!

I live close to a fire station and at night they run the lights only without sirens at my busy intersection. During the day lights and sirens and I do appreciate it.

Like I said in my original post if the CMAS notifications would be treated like SMS or maybe even 10% elevated I would love to receive them 24h/day and keep the service enabled. On IOS it is louder than a smoke detector. Yes it is urgent by definition of whoever requested the alert to go out, but in the case of mondays alert in my personal case I was half asleep and no matter what the urgency was I simple could have cared and helped less. Sorry to be that blunt. I doubt anyone of the millions of recipients in the entire state of California at home in their bed did anything to help the investigation or comprehension of the suspect. I believe the gross majority felt annoyed but only a few dare to admit it in public in fear of a straw man fallacy "If you don't like the amber alert notification on your phone you must be an unhelpful member of society or be egoistic."

 

[JrSyko]

Travis, doesn't it make a lot more sense to repeat your alert at say 6pm? 7pm? Or heck, maybe even 9pm?

How many folks are out and about at 11pm? Not many.

That's the point - its MEANT for those, whoever it is, that our out still to be on the look out in the area in which they are receiving them. Does no good to alert folks hours after the fact the suspect is probably long gone from that area by then.

 

[JrSyko]

I understand the point but there should be an option to only receive them during certain hours if you want. That's all I'm asking.

And all of CA received it not just the local area lol. Like klaus said why would someone by San Fran need to receive that when it happened by the Mexico border.

System has some flaws that they need to work out but I understand the point of it.

No Fish - you are wrong. They are only sent to certain areas. I know a few people who did not get them.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...phones-across-region-20130805,0,5613899.story

Just disable your heart during those times too and you won't be bothered!

 

[fishd00d]

Does no good to alert folks hours after the fact the suspect is probably long gone from that area by then.

Thats EXACTLY what they did! Alerted people HOURS after the first Amber alert they sent out. Like you said by the time the 2nd one went out at 11PM it was useless and the guy was probably long gone!

 

[michael_loomis]

That's the point - its MEANT for those, whoever it is, that our out still to be on the look out in the area in which they are receiving them. Does no good to alert folks hours after the fact the suspect is probably long gone from that area by then.

You are contradicting yourself at the end there. I could see if the police were alerted at 10pm and by 11pm the alert went out, but the fact is, the signs on the 15 south (I pass 4 of them on the way to work) said Amber Alert in the morning, then 12+ hours later you get a duplicate text.

Also, just because some people don't get them doesn't mean they are targeting areas. It most likely means they haven't updated their phone software. I didn't get any of them and one went out when I was in SD and one when I was in Murrieta. My phone is still pending the latest update to include this feature.

 

[JrSyko]

Thats EXACTLY what they did! Alerted people HOURS after the first Amber alert they sent out. Like you said by the time the 2nd one went out at 11PM it was useless and the guy was probably long gone!

No they are expanding and the search area based on new leads that are coming in and information they are gathering so you could get a few of them depending on where you are.

This whole thread is pointless - you guys are literally arguing about why NOT to help save children and what an inconvenience it is. Lord help you if you ever have kids and they are abducted.

 

[Chris Tobin]

My son is now 21, but I think the Amber Alert systems work well, and I do not mind when they come to my phone. I have had them go off a few times here in TN when kids were abducted and no, I could not directly help, but I would have if I had info. And it does not bother me when it comes in. Maybe since I am not one of the Apple Sheeple, and not on an iPhone it is not as annoying, but really 11PM is not even very late... MANY people are still out and about at 11PM and a lot of people are still awake sitting on the couch watching TV or at the computer...

If it is so bad on IOS, maybe you guys should get new phones!

Personally I am glad to see the technology being used to try to help missing kids rather than for people to update their facebook or any of the other crap that smartphones are constantly used for...

 

[fishd00d]

This whole thread is pointless - you guys are literally arguing about why NOT to help save children and what an inconvenience it is. Lord help you if you ever have kids and they are abducted.

Typical Obama supporter trying to blow things way out of proportion.....not once in this thread did anyone say we didnt want to help save anyone. We are saying there is a better way to go about it without pissing a ton of people off.

If I ever have kids and they are abducted I would not expect people in the whole start who are sleeping in their houses at 11PM to wake up and get in their cars and go out looking for them.

 

[michael_loomis]

My son is now 21, but I think the Amber Alert systems work well, and I do not mind when they come to my phone. I have had them go off a few times here in TN when kids were abducted and no, I could not directly help, but I would have if I had info. And it does not bother me when it comes in. Maybe since I am not one of the Apple Sheeple, and not on an iPhone it is not as annoying, but really 11PM is not even very late... MANY people are still out and about at 11PM and a lot of people are still awake sitting on the couch watching TV or at the computer...

If it is so bad on IOS, maybe you guys should get new phones!

Personally I am glad to see the technology being used to try to help missing kids rather than for people to update their facebook or any of the other crap that smartphones are constantly used for...

How do you turn this into an anti apple debate? Lol

It is already noted by many that you can turn the notifications off in iOS, if you have the AA system.

 

[fishd00d]

Ya I do not want to turn it off. I just want to receive them during normal hours or at least have an iOS option as to what hours they make noise during. Pretty simple.

 

[BajaFand]

My biggest issue was that when the alert went off my phone was locked. When I went to unlock it to see more information it was gone and I cannot find it again. It's not in my messages or my email.

 

[blue dog]

I just would have liked to know prior that i could, would receive these messages that will wake you up like a fire truck plowing threw your living room in the middle of the night. Did anyone know that amber alerts can come across your dum dum phone ? i certainly did not.

 

[Ramsey_ElWardani]

Big brother...

What a stupid comment

It is not a stupid comment, and this is Big brother. Do you realize that the car was "spotted" on a CA Freeway using automatic license plate recognition cameras and software - those same cameras and software are watching you! Do you realize that not only did they invade peoples privacy by sending unsolicited text messages - in the middle of the night - but they know exactly where your phone was when it received the message. If these are not "Big Brother" activities than what are?

You can give up your freedoms for your sense of security, but you can't just take mine without me speaking up about it.

“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
― Benjamin Franklin

That is being stupid!

Don't fall for the lie - those text messages have done nothing to find the car or the child and they won't.

 

[Chris Tobin]

Ramsey, I saw a headline this morning that said that people have spotted the car and it was headed north into Oregon and Washington so the amber alert messages have been sent there too. But apparently some people have seen and responded to the messages and the car and kids may be found...

 

[michael_loomis]

It could have been via Facebook post that you were spouting off against earlier. It could have been from national news coverage. It could have been from many reasons.

Saying the texts are the reason without any facts is laughable at best.

Either way, I hope the fry this but job.

 

[Chris Tobin]

It could have been the road signs too... I did not mean that the phone Amber Alert system was solving the case, I simply meant that the Amber Alert system as a whole was getting results of some kind...

Come on Mikey, don't be anti-kid! Help if you can and don't whine if the alert takes a few seconds out of your busy schedule... Were you sleeping at 11pm??? In these situations the more people that know about the Amber Alert the better!!!