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Why the Voice Mail Hiking Tip is Dangerous
So, there’s a dangerous tip circling and I wanted to step into my travel mode (I miss travel. I really miss travel) to address it.
This is from a post that has gone viral and this article is about how you don’t do it.
What’s the Skinny?
So, the tip is that if you are hiking alone and get lost and don’t have a good cell phone signal or much battery, you should change your voice mail message so rescuers know where you are.
Uh.
Yeah.
Why This Doesn’t Work
Plain and simple, this tip does not work. If you don’t have a signal, then your voice mail message will not be changed.
If you do have a signal and not much battery, then your best option is still to call 911.
Changing your outgoing voice mail won’t achieve anything except a false sense of security which might lead you to wait for rescue instead of helping yourself.
Oh, and even if you don’t have a signal, try calling 911 anyway. Federal law requires all cell carriers to cover 911 calls. You might be able to get through using another network.
Other than that, save your phone battery.