This is one of those answers that applies nicely in an orderly, developed world where circumstances and legal structures are the same. In many places in the wor

This is one of those answers that applies nicely in an orderly, developed world where circumstances and legal structures are the same. In many places in the world (that also widely use email, mobile phones and all sorts of digital communications with all the problems being discussed in this thread), you would most definitely want your loved one to at least have the option of contacting you before they call the authorities. Surprisingly often, their emergency problem might even be caused by those same authorities.