Man sprawled on front step. WWYD?

[Lizzie523]

I live in a flat and when the takeaway man came over an hour ago he said a man was banging on the front door and vomiting everywhere ()

Looking out I can see the man is still sitting sprawled across our front step. I moved in 4 months ago and have met all neighbours apart from one, a man. So it could well be him. He hasn't buzzed any of the other flats and he's just sitting there. It will get dark soon. I don't know for sure he lives here but seems probable.

WWYD? I don't want to deal with it at all but feel some sympathy

@AbsolutelyPatsy

you dont have to engage with posters op, dont rise to it

You're right @AbsolutelyPatsy I spoke to the police which was the best action.

And YES I am glad to get back to film after a rough bloody week and I'll enjoy it thanks. Obviously I hope the man is ok too.

OP, you did the right thing by staying inside safe and calling the authorities. I've encountered far too many dangerous men for them to be in a mere minority. You are a woman on her own, so more vulnerable. He's probs some drunk weirdo, loads of them out there. Ignore the critical posts on here.

Switch off and enjoy your film!

Wow some very judgmental people on this post! Poor girl asked for some advice, you could try and be a bit nicer in your approach! As the saying goes if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all! I bet you’re all perfect!

Some very sarky comments on here.

OP, I'm guessing this is the first time you've been in a situation like this. I too wouldn't open the door to see if he was okay because you would have no idea what he might do.
If I could call safely to him from a window, I might to do that but most likely, I'd call the non-emergency police number and say that there was someone drunk/stoned/unwell (not sure which) on the doorstep to your property and as you're living alone you don't feel comfortable getting any closer, etc.

beigebrownblue

cant understand why you are mucking about.
999 job.
For all you know he might have a knife.
Aside from being very unwell.

The overwhelming odds are that he doesn’t. It may shock you, but not every man in the country wants to rape, rob or stab people. The vast majority of people don’t wander round armed to the back teeth.

xxx
No, love it doesn't shock me. Seen it all before.
999 job love.

I wouldn’t have known what to do either and would have been pretty scared. And yes I’d be pissed off, resentful and glad to get back to my film. Hypoglycaemic attack indeed.

Am I the only one wondering why the OP didn’t just shout through the main front door /(letterbox if there is one) to gage the status of the man? Everyone saying ‘don’t open the door to check on him’ she didn’t need to open any door, you can check on someone verbally without opening a door using your voice. I’d have tried to communicate with him through the shut door (or opened it with the chain on if there is one) to see if he needed emergency medical attention before bothering the very overworked emergency services.

This would scare me big time . I’d have rung 999 I think as he could be v unwell or dangerous . Who knows .

Probably a bit insulting to all young women, those living alone etc etc.

And those young women working as police officers and paramedics...

Sure do that if you want the police to show up in four weeks time. Great. Other than that 999
Clearly you don't realise that 101 and 999 calls are dealt with in the same room, by the same call handlers, the same dispatchers and the same officers, using the same risk assessment model.

The only difference between 101 and 999 is that there is no delay to get through on 999. A call handler in my force may spend 1800-2200 taking 101 calls then when the demand rises on 999 their skillset is changed on their computer to take 999 calls instead. Still the same call handler at the same desk .

@FelicityBob

I definitely wouldn’t call an ambulance for someone who appears drunk and is vaping! A diabetic having a life threatening hypo wouldn’t be vaping, not would someone having a stroke. I’d call the police to get him off my doorstep though. Good luck

Agree with this! I do think you’re getting a bit of a hard time on here by the way, you’re doing the right thing calling the police and staying safely indoors, you don’t know what he’s going to do if he’s drunk, you’re doing enough. I saw a woman laying on the pavement once so stopped to help her, someone else came along and accused me of running her over! Does put you off helping. Turned out she was drunk and did it a lot

I’m incredulous that people see someone who is clearly not in a good state and do…well…nothing.

And calling the police then terminating the call doesn’t count. He won’t have got far and is likely to still need help.

I absolutely hope if any of us end up needing help at some point, I don’t come across someone who considers themselves too young or who has had a shit week which makes their film more important.

And in the unlikely event that I was taking 101 calls (I'm a dispatcher so those days are long behind me) and I received a report of an emergency nature it would be dealt with in exactly the same way by me as if you had come through on the 999 line.
Eg. Hi I've called on 101 to report that my neighbours have been arguing for 3 hours and I've heard smashing and screaming (yes people really do call those sorts of things in on 101). Me - can I confirm - is this still happening now ? Yes.
I'd send that for immediate dispatch regardless of how you called in. Similarly if you try to report your purse was stolen on the bus last week on 999 you're going to be told to call 101.

A handy way to think about it is "is it happening now ?". If so it's a 999 call. We'll soon tell you to call 101 if it's not an emergency

@beigebrownblue

beigebrownblue

cant understand why you are mucking about.
999 job.
For all you know he might have a knife.
Aside from being very unwell.

The overwhelming odds are that he doesn’t. It may shock you, but not every man in the country wants to rape, rob or stab people. The vast majority of people don’t wander round armed to the back teeth.

xxx
No, love it doesn't shock me. Seen it all before.
999 job love.

Alright “love”. You will also know then that the fear of crime is disproportionate compared to the reality.

@peoplearepeople

Please go and check on him if you feel comfortable op. If not call someone to help. There are so many reasons that someone could end up like this. Don't assume it is somebody who is drunk etc. My son is a type 1 diabetic and it terrifies me how many people won't help someone in trouble nowadays and just think the worst. I worry for him nearly every day he is out alone. I always help people I see like this and hope that karma will treat me kindly for this one day if needed!

I got chucked out of a club when I was younger because I became really unwell due to diabetes. I hadn’t drunk a thing but was assumed drunk. My friends found me slumped outside the club and the bouncers wouldn’t help/ call the ambulance as apparently they kept saying ‘she’s drunk get her out of here’ luckily my friends got me the help I needed.

But still, OP needs to not put herself in danger. Stay inside and call the police if you’re concerned.

And please don't call 999 then terminate after you've got through to the operator, we then spend more time trying to get back to you to make sure you're ok. Please just allow yourself to be connected to a call handler and explain that the situation has resolved itself. We will ask you some questions to satisfy ourselves you're safe but otherwise you'll be getting called back anyway

@PeridotPenelope

I’m incredulous that people see someone who is clearly not in a good state and do…well…nothing.

And calling the police then terminating the call doesn’t count. He won’t have got far and is likely to still need help.

I absolutely hope if any of us end up needing help at some point, I don’t come across someone who considers themselves too young or who has had a shit week which makes their film more important.

Everyone is too busy convincing themselves and the OP that he is a serial killer to worry about helping. As you rightly say, let’s hope none of the people making these inane comments ever need assistance. What about the guy who just two weeks ago was keening around and vomiting in London...turns out he had suffered a stroke and a passer by (who happened to be a nurse) saved his life. Anybody got anything to say about that?

I have a condition which causes black outs, before I black out my speech becomes slurred and I become spaced out and have no recollection of what I'm doing. One time I was found sitting having a drink from a can before I blacked out.

I may seem drunk due to slurred speech and my staggered movement but I'm actually having a heart episode and will fall unconscious.

Yes he may be drunk but he also may have one of several conditions. If this happens again please call the police. Whatever is wrong with them the police can help. And it would be a 999 matter you never know how serious it might be.

@RoseRedRoseBlue I think people are just worried about wasting the emergency services' time. Plus when you're on your own you don't have anyone else to ask "do you think we should call 999", people doubt their own decisions and are worried they will be "told off" for calling 999.

We see it all the time, people who have driven past old people walking in the road at 2am, driven 3 miles down the road thinking "should I call the police" and eventually calling us 20 minutes later after an internal debate. We once got a job where someone had driven on 6 miles past an old man out in pyjamas at 4am - presumably because by the time she thought "I really should do something" she'd driven a mile, then thought it was a waste of our time then spent 10 minutes debating what to do before finally reaching the conclusion that she really should call us. Regrettably given the time delay we never found the chap

@AlGorithim

I never understand these threads.

‘There’s a man unconscious on my doorstep, what shall I do? I know! I’ll post on mumsnet.’

What kind of decision-avoidant attention-seeking flake do you need to be to actually have to ask on an Internet forum what to do in this situation? I mean WTF, because you’re clearly running between your window to check on his state and your laptop to update MN. I actually despair at people.

Even worse though are the people pandering to it.

Forget Belgium v Italy I’m just enjoying this bunfight:

“all RoseRedRoseBlue Fri 02-Jul-21 22:27:49
beigebrownblue

cant understand why you are mucking about.
999 job.
For all you know he might have a knife.
Aside from being very unwell.

The overwhelming odds are that he doesn’t. It may shock you, but not every man in the country wants to rape, rob or stab people. The vast majority of people don’t wander round armed to the back teeth.

xxx
No, love it doesn't shock me. Seen it all before.
999 job love.
Alright “love”. You will also know then that the fear of crime is disproportionate compared to the reality.“

[quote DaphneDeloresMoorhead]@RoseRedRoseBlue I think people are just worried about wasting the emergency services' time. Plus when you're on your own you don't have anyone else to ask "do you think we should call 999", people doubt their own decisions and are worried they will be "told off" for calling 999.

We see it all the time, people who have driven past old people walking in the road at 2am, driven 3 miles down the road thinking "should I call the police" and eventually calling us 20 minutes later after an internal debate. We once got a job where someone had driven on 6 miles past an old man out in pyjamas at 4am - presumably because by the time she thought "I really should do something" she'd driven a mile, then thought it was a waste of our time then spent 10 minutes debating what to do before finally reaching the conclusion that she really should call us. Regrettably given the time delay we never found the chap[/quote]
@DaphneDeloresMoorhead you are more generous than I am. The OP was more annoyed because she had a “shit week” and wanted to watch a film. I can’t see any reference at all to her worrying about wasting any emergency service time.

@Welloff what can I say, it’s a boring Friday night 🙂