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Original poster

Would you have taken the time to put your trousers on?

32 replies

Spiceup · 08/11/2021 17:38

A colleague had the call we all dread, her teenage son had been the victim of a crime involving a knife, although by the time she got the call it was all over and he was, thankfully, physically, unharmed.

She had been in the process of changing out of work clothes into her comfy stuff when the call came and dashed off to get him wearing just sweatshirt and underwear.

To be clear, I'm not judging, I admire her commitment and she tells this as a funny story, but I do think I'd have got dressed first, perhaps making me a less committed mum? TBH there's every possibility I'd have ignored the phone and called back, if I was getting dressed Blush

What would you have done?

OP posts:
makelovenotpetrol · 08/11/2021 17:39

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RovenderKitt · 08/11/2021 17:43

I guess it’s less of a choice than an instinctive reaction. I was at the loo when the phone rang and my dad was sick. It was an odd time of day for calls and I had a feeling it would be about him. I thought ‘I don’t want to hear my dad’s died with my trousers round my ankles’ so I ignored it, got myself ready and then called back. Luckily, although it wasn’t great news at the time, he has made a reasonable recovery. I don’t think we know how we’ll react until it happens though.

Original poster
Spiceup · 08/11/2021 17:44

Nice. I wasn't there but it was definitely told to me as truth, by the mother in question.

OP posts:
WorkingItOutAsIGo · 08/11/2021 17:45

I took my DD to A and E wearing only a swimsuit…deeply instinctive desire to get her there ASAP with a broken limb but hugely awkward once I was there Grin. The staff were more upset for me than I was!

IncessantNameChanger · 08/11/2021 17:47

My dh had a life threatening accident and I was woken up by someone in my bedroom. They told mr to just go in my Pjs. I still got dressed. Who wants to deal with police or paramedics and transfer to majors in their knickers? No one that's who

KeyLimeFly · 08/11/2021 17:47

I do ‘on calls’ for work and always manage to be fully dressed when I rush out of the door even if called at very inopportune moments so I’d imagine I’m probably hardwired to get ready before leaving. Especially if the incident was over and the DC wasn’t in danger or seriously harmed.

CornedBeef451 · 08/11/2021 17:49

When I got the call that DB had died I had to go straight to DPs house and panic packed a bag in case I had to stay overnight.

In my wisdom I packed a large tub of moisturiser and 2 pairs of pyjamas. No underwear, no toothbrush, no tablets, but at least I was sorted for nightwear.

I don't think you can tell how you'd react until something happens.

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 08/11/2021 17:49

I would judge her for thinking it’s a funny story. Is she still traumatised? It took me my son months to get over a violent mugging. I probably would have noticed if I was about to leave the house without trousers. But we wouldn’t laugh about it. That would just have shown how upset I was.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 08/11/2021 17:52

Whe n we realised DD, then not quite 2yo, had escaped the house I ran out to look for only wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No shoes or socks. The instinct was just to find her.

Sometimes you just don't think straight in an emergency.

Hellocatshome · 08/11/2021 17:59

I imagine she wasn't thinking straight and neither would you be if it happened to you so saying you would do x y or z is pointless as you have no idea what you would do in that situation. I was in a bomb scare and despite thinking of myself as level headed and fairly sensible, I managed to evacuate the shopping centre in such a way I ended up on the roof top car park which would probably have been the worst place to be if it had exploded.

cherrypiepie · 08/11/2021 18:02

Its weird as I am a catastrophiser and plan for worst case scenarios. I often wonder if the house was on fire if I should get dressed or not and decided recently that yes if I can I should get dressed.

My mum had a very bad acccident and I was called at 10.45 whilst watching ER and went to the hosptial full clothed and I was very calm and made sensible decisions.

Also how can you be the victim of a knife crime and unharmed?

Starcaller · 08/11/2021 18:07

@cherrypiepie

Its weird as I am a catastrophiser and plan for worst case scenarios. I often wonder if the house was on fire if I should get dressed or not and decided recently that yes if I can I should get dressed.

My mum had a very bad acccident and I was called at 10.45 whilst watching ER and went to the hosptial full clothed and I was very calm and made sensible decisions.

Also how can you be the victim of a knife crime and unharmed?

Being threatened by a knife but not assaulted with it? Robbed at knifepoint?
DroopyClematis · 08/11/2021 18:07

@cherrypiepie

That's what I was thinking...

PurpleOkapi · 08/11/2021 18:23

Yes. If the bottom line was that my relative was unharmed, I'd have put clothes on before rushing off.

VladmirsPoutine · 08/11/2021 18:23

Nobody forgets to put on trousers Confused

vajingleberry · 08/11/2021 18:28

Also how can you be the victim of a knife crime and unharmed?

Any crime where a knife is involved will be recorded as a knife crime.
If you were the victim then you are a victim of knife crime. The knife doesn't have to literally penetrate your skin.

By someone showing you a knife and demanding that you give them your phone?

By being threatened with a knife.

Being at home when burglars break in and have a knife?

By someone throwing a knife at you but missing.

It's not that hard to imagine surely.

Similarly, you can be a victim of a gun crime, but you don't actually have to have been shot.

makelovenotpetrol · 08/11/2021 18:35

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Original poster
Spiceup · 08/11/2021 18:42

She's not claiming to have "forgotten" her trousers, she chose not to tale the time to put them on.

Her son was "asked" for a cigarette at knife point. He didn't have one. They left.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 08/11/2021 18:45

When I had a call to say DS has been hurt at school and DH was out in the car I went next door to ask for a lift.
We were about to set off when my lovely neighbour suggested I go and put Shoes on

Eltonsglasses · 08/11/2021 18:59

I don't know about the trousers but I don't think the details of a crime against some else's child something you should be sharing.

Original poster
Spiceup · 08/11/2021 19:04

@Eltonsglasses

I don't know about the trousers but I don't think the details of a crime against some else's child something you should be sharing.
Hmm maybe tell the local press that then Grin
OP posts:
cherrypiepie · 08/11/2021 19:12

@vajingleberry well it was hard for me to imagine. so yes, it can be that hard to imagine.

@Spiceup oh I see I did actually think he had been stabbed and didn't really think it through. I would defo my trousers on!

HerRoyalNotness · 08/11/2021 20:14

I think you just go onto auto pilot and have no idea what you’d do. When I had an ambulance out for my D.C. the paramedic told me go get dressed, get your bag, wallet phone and charger. That was quite helpful as I couldn’t think clearly about what I should do.

I’ve also raced same child to ER in their underpants and carried them in, didn’t bring any clothes with us that time.

Peacocking · 13/11/2021 10:50

People react in totally unexpected ways. My son had a very serious accident - a car rolled over the top of him as he sat with a friend by the road. I'd been suffering insomnia and tried downing a shot of vodka immediately before bed as a remedy in desperation.(I don't drink at all usually, I don't like alcohol). The second I swigged this vodka down, my phone rang and I was told of the accident. I leapt straight in the car and left. Very fortunately A) I probably didn't have enough to be over the limit, and B) the hospital was literally a three minute drive so I don't think the vodka had even hit my system by the time I arrived. But...I don't trust that I would have behaved differently... I'm the most sensible, level headed person and deal with critical situations constantly. But when it was my child in a critical situation and seriously injured all my sense vanished and getting to him fast was the only thing I could think of.

I also went from being quite a chilled laid back parent to a foaming at the mouth rottweiler in the hospital over my sick son in his bed. NEVER EVER would I have imagined that I could behave like that.

People react in ways contrary to how they'd ever imagine in these circumstances.

HairyScaryMonster · 13/11/2021 19:26

I ran out barefoot in a dressing gown when my 5yo told me daddy had fallen on the school run. I went into emergency mode so I can quite believe running out with no trousers after such shocking news.

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