It’s a worldwide celebration of spring. But remove that space between the words and it becomes a distress signal. Ever wonder why?
While searching for an easily understood phrase to signal life-threatening distress, in 1923 a Senior Radio Officer at London’s Croydon Airport proposed the word “mayday” (to be repeated three times). It was an inspired choice for two reasons: first, it’s a phrase that’s easily understood, even over background noise. Secondly, it comes from the French m’aider, which means “help”. Since much of the traffic at his particular airport originated in or was destined for France, the call sign was quickly adopted.
If you ever feel as if you’ve got something of a Mayday situation, feel free to call us. Whether it’s inquiries about how we work, a question concerning a bill, or even just a need to go over current ads, we’re here to throw you a lifeline: 1-800-537-9377