Pay attention to me!

The next time you’re bored, and don’t have too many people around you, ignore a pump alarm. Just for fun.

Have you ever done that?

Have you even thought about doing that?

Do you know what will happen?

Your pump is like a nagging spouse or a lonely cat: the more you ignore it, the harder your pump will try to get your attention. Pumps set to vibrate will squawk if you ignore them long enough. Pumps set to squawk will try vibrating. Eventually, Scotland Yard will be unleashed on you, and your pump will try a different tone of voice—which to my ear sounds rather like European police car sirens. Wee-woo, Wee-woo, Wee-woo.

So that got me wondering how Sentry would act if I ignored him.

As it so happens, a badly bloused ½ cup of Bite-sized Shredded Wheat (the store brand, not the name brand) set off a high alarm on my way to work today, and I decided to ignore it.

Just to see what would happen.

The xylophone played its little tune like it always does. Then nothing happened for a minute. Then it played the tune again. Then nothing happened for a minute. Then it played the tune for a third time. This went on for quite a while. I lost count at six minutes, but I think after ten, the ignored spouse/lonely cat software kicked in.

Sentry still played the xylophone, but now the tempo shifted. It was more frantic. And the tone ran much longer. Wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up wake-up.