A Text In Time Saves... Mine??

[MA-Caver]

Text in time saves nimble-fingered teen
Thu Jun 14, 10:39 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070614/tc_nm/malaysia_intruder_dc_1
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian teen-ager woken by a night-time noise dashed off a warning text message to her mother just in time to be rescued from an intruder who burst into her bedroom.
Alerted by the mother's screams, relatives rushed to the rescue, breaking down a door and scaring off the man, who escaped through the back of the house, the New Straits Times said.
Salima Mohamad Noor, 17, said a man broke into her bedroom and placed a knife at her neck just as she finished sending the message on her cell phone.
"I was terrified and started screaming when he threatened to kill me," the newspaper quoted Salima as saying. "He also said no one would come to my rescue as he had already locked my mother's bedroom door from the outside."
But her mother's loud screams drew the attention of Salima's uncle, who kicked open the front door, frightening away the intruder, the paper added.
About 80 percent of Malaysia's population of roughly 26 million own a cell phone, statistics show, with many teenagers proficient in text messaging, as a cheaper way of talking to friends than telephone calls.

Geez, the girl was lucky that mom was paying attention to her text messages at the time.
Is this the new wave of calling for help? No more screaming "Help!" "HELP POLICE!" or even "FIRE!" Just text and be done with it? :idunno:
In another related story

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2458938
S.C. Man Charged With Kidnapping Girl
By SUSANNE M. SCHAFER Associated Press Writer
CAMDEN, S.C. Sep 18, 2006 (AP)
A 14-year-old girl missing for more than a week before summoning help by sending a text message from the underground bunker where she was being held captive is now resting and recovering from her ordeal, her mother said Monday.
The girl was rescued over the weekend after she sent her mother a message on her alleged captor's phone while he was asleep, Kershaw County investigators said.
"She's doing great. She's a very strong girl," her mother told the CBS "Early Show."

Apparently this is going to be a new wave if it isn't already... kidnappers are going to have to think ahead far enough to ensure that their victims don't have the means to communicate ... period! But at least these two girls managed to get a message off before something bad/worse happened.
Kudos to quick thinking and quicker thumbs.