When I test code with ALRM signal, I fiddle with the alarm($num) parameter and often use sleep() to cause the alarm to "trigger" during testing. There are problems with signal handling...in general, there is no way to "safely" continue executing a process after an ALRM signal because many OS functions are not re-entrant or even re-startable by any means.

Update: I strike this last sentence because it upset some folks. No offense was intended. I have no interest in obfuscated, obscure code although I do see that some folks have fun with this as an "art form".

The original question was, why doesn't this code work?

sub verse4 {
    my $boy;
    $SIG{ALRM} = sub { say "slip n slide" };
    ride( $boy ), kill (ALRM, $$) for (1 .. 3);
    sleep 1; map { $_++ } ($ice_cream, $cake);
}

sub ride { say "Whee!" };
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