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AIBU?

Did I overreact calling police? A bit upset

119 replies

alilupset · 07/04/2016 11:37

Name changed as I have told two friends in rl and I know they use mn so don't want previous threads to be identifiable.

This may be long but just to set the scene/give an idea of time

I was at home this morning in the kitchen (back of house) and heard a child screaming, the sort of scream that makes you think "oh that doesn't sound right", if you get me, heard the scream maybe 3 times when I went upstairs to front of the house to look out and across the road I saw a little girl alone, aged about 3, she was bent down and screaming hysterically. I have a dd about the same age so I waited a minute because I couldn't quite see around the corner to see if there was someone with her and maybe she was having a long tantrum been there myself and someone was watching her. After a minute I went outside and actually walked around the corner to check and definitely she was alone and still screaming so I went over and bent down talking to her, was she ok, where was mammy/daddy, poor thing was so upset she came into my arms just sobbing. I lifted her up and went to take her to my house to get my phone when a car sped around the corner, a woman jumped out and grabbed the child off me, she was shouting at the child and it was like I didn't exist, she wasn't going to say anything to me and all I don't think until I said "Is this child yours" and she said "Yes she is I was coming back for her", she got into the car, in the front, with the child on her lap, no seat belt and sped off so fast they didn't even have the car door closed and all the while I can hear the child screaming. So I called the police.

I'm very upset by it. I'm not an overly dramatic person, but I just felt so bad for the child. Now I'm here and one second thinking was I ott ringing the police? I have kids have had my fair share of tantrums and threatened to walk away loads of times but never actually done it so then I think I'm not being ott because who actually leaves their 3 year old on a street corner? I may have been wrong but I think the woman looked more like a grandmother than a mother, not that that makes a difference just in case it is relevant.

OP posts:

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NeedACleverNN · 07/04/2016 11:38

I think you did the right thing

Driving off with no seat belt and no car seat is against the law anyway

Goingtobeawesome · 07/04/2016 11:39

Of course you weren't ott to ring the police. Do you really think you were?

This is not a mum ignoring a tantrum and walking a few metres away. She was in the car, out of sight of the child, then she drove off without strapping her in.

DropYourSword · 07/04/2016 11:39

I think you made the best decision with the information you had. If you're ever concerned surely it's better to call the police than to ignore those instincts. What did the police say?

JapaneseSlipper · 07/04/2016 11:39

I would have done exactly the same thing.

Obviously you have already written down the gist of it here, which is great - take this as a draft, add all the other details you can remember while they are fresh in your mind, and use it to talk to the police when they speak to you.

Horrible, hope you are ok, that poor little girl.

SistersOfPercy · 07/04/2016 11:39

I think you absolutely did the right thing. Something not right in that scenario.
Did you get the numberplate?

findingmyfeet12 · 07/04/2016 11:40

I think you did the right thing op. If there's nothing to worry about, no harm done. If there was something to worry about and you did nothing...

MakeItRain · 07/04/2016 11:41

Yes you did the right thing. Did you get the number plate?

TheMaddHugger · 07/04/2016 11:42

Soft (((((((((((Hugs))))))))))) alilupset

I think You are wonderful

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/04/2016 11:45

You did the right thing.

From what you posted it sounds like the mum was pissed off at the child and had dumped her out of the car on her own to teach her a lesson

Sunnybitch · 07/04/2016 11:49

You did the right thing op! I hope the little thing is ok

storminabuttercup · 07/04/2016 11:52

Absolutely the right thing. If she reacts like that in public what's happening at home. The poor little girl!

imwithspud · 07/04/2016 11:52

Definitely did the right thing, did you manage to get the number plate? As that would help the police track them down.

getyourfingeroutyournose · 07/04/2016 11:52

That's terrifying! That poor child! I'm glad you called the police? Are they doing anything about it?

fraggle84 · 07/04/2016 11:53

Definitely did the right thing

alilupset · 07/04/2016 11:54

I did think maybe I was being ott goingtobeawesome my mind is literally like this:

Bitch how could she do that?
Maybe it was just a tantrum and they will think I'm a drama queen
But who leaves their child on a street corner?
But I don't know what happened
But who even speeds of with a child in the front?
But what if I am wasting police time

I was second guessing myself. I have been the mother who loses her temper or has had a long tantrum and feels they can't deal with it but this just all seemed a bit rough or something.

I did get the number plate and the police are sending someone around to speak to them and find out what happened, she said she would call me with an update later

Thanks everyone

OP posts:

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 07/04/2016 11:55

That sounds like an adult that has completely lost the plot.

You did the right thing.

alilupset · 07/04/2016 11:55

Actually that's a good point, if it's like this in public what is it like at home, I hadn't thought of it like that, now I'm back to thinking I wasn't ott

OP posts:

AbolishFlobots · 07/04/2016 11:57

YADNBU
You did the right thing.

Had you have heard of an car accident in two days where a little girl was flung from the front seat, how would you feel?

Have a cup of sweet tea and some chocolate as you're still in a bit of shock by this. As any parent, you wanted to look out for the child and you've done this by calling the police.

VioletTea · 07/04/2016 12:01

Please don't think you are being OTT. You are definitely not.
This was a child in a great deal of distress and a woman who broke the law while speeding off with her.

There should be more people like you.

BloodyDogHairs · 07/04/2016 12:03

You did the right thing, there was a incident like that in my area...a mum lost her temper with her toddler and dragged her screaming along the road by her reigns. The police took reports very seriously and put her photo on FB, she was found and charged.

IceBeing · 07/04/2016 12:04

YADNBU.

This could provide the wake up call that child's carers need to keep her safe and happy.

findingmyfeet12 · 07/04/2016 12:05

I don't want to be overly dramatic but if you think back to many high profile crimes (Bulger killing etc) there are often sightings by members of the public who come forward after the tragic event but do nothing at the time. You'd hate to live with something like that op - you did the right thing.

Lunar1 · 07/04/2016 12:09

You did the right thing without question.

lateforeverything · 07/04/2016 12:14

Well done for getting the number plate amongst all the chaos.

You definitely did the right thing!

PoohBearsHole · 07/04/2016 12:16

I'm with findingmyfeet. Better to waste a small amount of time than something more tragic occurring.

Honestly if a parent can be charged for leaving their child in a parked locked car then leaving one on the side of the road aged 3 should definitely be chargeable.

The "mother" sounds awful and a nice human being with nothing to hide would have thanked you rather than do what she did.

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