I realise this AIBU so I've donned my hard hat, especially as this topic has been done so many times before.
I was at the park this afternoon with my dds. They were playing on the swings and slide etc whilst I was sitting under the shade of a tree browsing MN on my phone watching them playing. A young man probably in his early twenties walked past the playground area. A mum shouted, "Excuse me, I want to talk to you," (think really loud obnoxious scouse accent) at him whilst striding up to him baby on her hip. "I want to know why you were taking pictures of the kids playing," she shouted loud enough for everyone in the playground (adults and children) to stop what they were doing and look over at him. He mumbled "No, no I didn't," and then showed her the pictures on his camera, " I was taking photos of the lake," he said.
"Well that's all right then," she screeched at him and stomped off.
I felt so sorry for the poor guy. About 15 minutes later he walked back past the playground (have to pass it to get out the park) and everyone turned and looked him suspiciously. People already thinking "Paedo" and he hadn't done anything but take photos in the park. Why couldn't she have talked to him quietly if she was concerned instead of making a holy show out of the poor bloke. Mind you she looked the type to court drama so no surprise really.
AIBU?
To think this woman could have been A LOT more discreet?
TheFeministsWife · 03/06/2011 20:47
I clicked on this thinking it was another one of those breastfeeding threads 
"think really loud obnoxious scouse accent" 
Don't think people can help the way they sound in general.
noid I have a very thick scouse accent, but I don't sound loud and obnoxious. Well except when I'm shouting at the kids.
That is really sad and upsetting in so many ways.
Is every adult/man a child abuser until proven otherwise??
That woman had ishoos, I'd imagine.
I still remember a case a few years ago when a ?2 year old child had run away, was seen wandering the street on their own by some man who was too scared to approach her/him (cannot remember the details) for fear of being accused of trying to abduct her/him (or worse, of course), so did nothing. The toddler was later found drowned in some pond of other 
.
I just refuse to live in fear as my default setting. Yes, I want my children to have street sense, not go with strangers etc etc. But this kind of paranoia just goes too far IMO.
I know a family where dad only goes in the bath with his (toddler) DCs with his swimming trunks on - madness!
And let's all remember the most abusers are people close to the victim, and NOT random strangers.
It is sad than men feel they have to avoid children they don't know, or help lost children. A few years ago my dad was in Tesco when he came across a little girl of around 4 crying and saying mummy, mummy. He didn't feel he could approach her to see if he could help, he went and found the nearest woman and asked her if she could help the child.
The story is nuts. Since when did half the population of this planet fall permanently under suspicion of being sexual predators?
YABU for 'loud, obnoxious scouse accent' though
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