Yeh I had not heard of it either. Maybe its just what it represents that scares you?

The 24 hour rule in the UK is only applicacble to people who are deemed as not vunerable. Children, vunerable adults and those that pose a risk to others they will look for straight away. It would be good to have some kind of alert system the way you guys do though... maybe then more people would be helped? Are there any stats to show how effective it has been?

ssmile

here's some statistics phoenix

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amberalert.gov/statistics.htm">http://www.amberalert.gov/statistics.htm</a><!-- m -->

Many thanks miT, its good to see thats its effective.

Development here.
I was just watching Family Guy. [I freakin' love that show. XD]
And Then this red bar came across the top of the screen.
A low pitch sound started.
It wasn't the Amber Alert, I knew that. It wasn't as bad. I blinked, listened to it, and then read the following words.
"CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT:.."
Tears welled in my eyes, I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was really, really scary.
"A CHILD IN GEORGIA WAS ABDUCTED..."
I felt all.. Err.. fuzzy?.. Eh. I dunno', it was weird.
I stood up really shakily and [with my ears plugged] poked my toe to the power button on my television.
I sat back down and just stayed quiet.
I felt like someone was watching me. AAGHH.
I'm so paranoid. I feel kinda' stupid, but I know that it isn't.
I wouldn't tell my mom about it though, she says that it's stupid, that I'm fine, etc, etc.
I'm fifteen, and I don't think she takes a lot of the things that I feel seriously. I really do think that this weird fear/phobia is interfering with my everyday life.

(01-05-2008 01:09 PM)SAMxSHOCK Wrote:  First off... I have absolutely no idea why, or how I am extremely scared of this sound.

Those of you who've heard the Amber Alert sound know what sound it is, and what I mean. It's not like it's a scary sound, really. A bit weird. But it's not supposed to be scary, because it is broadcasted onto completely public radio. I heard it for the first time during about... The summer between grade six and grade seven. I was in the car coming home from a late supper with some family. I was in the car with just my mum, and when I heard it, I completely freaked out. I know it was just a test, too! They said it was and everything. Once we got home I had to have my mother walk me inside, and she had to walk me next door to my grampy's to go sleep for the night. [We were just inside my cousin's house for a couple minutes.]

Anyway. That was about two years ago. Now I'm in grade nine and at High School. I'm still completely afraid of that sound; and it is most definitely a phobia of mine.

I also have an incredible fear [phobia] of mirrors in the dark. Like; in the bathroom at night or something? No. Not my cup of tea at all.

Has anyone else experienced the fear of the Amber Alert sound? My friend said it may have been a very frightening repressed memory of mine, and really? That wouldn't surprise me. I just hope that's not the case.

Literally the only reason I signed up for this web site is to respond to you. I have the same fear, only it's not the fact that it's an Amber alert. Not to sound heartless, but the fact that it is an amber alert doesn't exactly phase me. It is that god awful noise.. it doesn't happen very often. But that initial alert sound that they play makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I don't know what it is about that one noise. I was watching a football game with my boyfriend and his family a few months back, and they had the surround sound on in their living room. They had it up very loud and out of no where that amber alert sound started playing and I literally had a panic attack. I started crying and curled up in a ball and screamed at them to turn it off. The thought of that still makes me feel like it's hard to breathe! It's actually comforting to know I'm not the only one scared of that noise!
I'm also pretty scared of the static sound that plays on the AM stations rather than the FM stations on the radio. I'm perfectly fine with the static on the FM, but if I accidentally press the AM button, it has the same effect on me as the amber alert sound. Is it something about the pitch of the noise?