Would you pull over if you saw a child on the ground crying?

[pontipinemum]

Driving home last night I saw a 10yr old child lying on the footpath clearly very upset.

Two cars in front drove on I pulled over. It's a residential area near 3 schools, 30km speed zone so wasn't hard to spot him in lots of time.

His friend was with him (similar age), he was very upset that he has lost his 5 year old sister. I asked where his mother was he said down the town, he didn't know her number. He didn't know his dad's number, but we tried to call his older brother twice. After a few minutes I was starting to think I'd need to call the local police station not 999 or anything. Then a lady came along, he said it was his aunt. She smiled/ nodded when I asked her if she was his aunt. I asked him was he happy if I left, will you and your aunt find your sister? He said yes. So I left - I had my toddler in the back of the car.

Sorry that filler wasn't really needed, but would you stop your car for a child on the ground? Maybe the two in front had gone by and saw I had pulled in so didn't turn back.

Poor kid. You did the right thing.

yes I absolutely would. If I was suspicious I'd dial 999 and stay in the car.

Yes I would but actually I'd be slightly nervous that it was a trap of some kind. Like when gangs leave a child seat in the road at night to steal your car or worse. This is the time we live in sadly.

If saw a child with no parents around looking distressed as long as it was safe to i hope i would.

Yes, if I could and my brain twigged what was going on. I think you did the right thing. It's quite possible that those two drivers in front where focussing on the road and didn't even notice or felt they couldn't stop safely in time.

I once drove past a woman on the side of the road being attacked by (I presume) her male partner. He was hitting her over the head. It was in the middle of a busy town with nowhere to stop the car safely, I had my two young dc in the car, and my phone was in my bag in the boot. So I just kept driving. But I often do think about her and I hope she was okay and someone else helped. I don't think I would have physically intervened (because I'm not up for being stabbed or the like, frankly), but I should have rung the police. I was just so shocked and my brain took time to process it. By the time, I got out of town to where I could have parked to get my phone, it would have been a 5 minutes or so later, so I hope in that time someone else did it.

I would if I could. However there are occasions I can't- I sometimes have a young man I am a carer for in the car and he wouldn't tolerate me stopping so I would only stop if I thought something was an absolute emergency.
I suppose my point is they may have had a good reason for not stopping.

@Iheartshreddies I actually didn't think of that. I live in a really safe village the town my son goes to nursery in, isn't so safe at all. I grew up in a massively unsafe town in England my skepticism must be fading!

Probably not if there was a friend and they weren’t trying to flag adults down

Yes I would and I have. When walking seen a child fall and helped, when crying I have helped. I would hope someone would do the same for my child.

I have seen others just walk on by. Well done for helping the boy I'm sure it meant a lot.

I think these are mostly urban myths.

I would but that's because I'm a safe seeming middle aged women and would probs have kids with me. If I were a man on my own I wouldn't for all sorts of reasons.

I think you did the right thing though.

Yeah I'm a massive interfering busybody I've realised. Went outside because I registered two kids were arguing/crying and sorted that out. Rescued a kid who'd come off his bike, called parents etc. Stopped when a woman was being followed by an aggressive man. Went out when a kid was being attacked (heavily pregnant, that was a bit stupid).
I hate the idea that someone would walk past one of mine in trouble. Or anyone really. It's all about karma.

You did the right thing op. Yes i would

I probably would if I could (and felt that I was also safe) and I'm glad that others would as well.

About a year ago DS fell off his scooter on the way home from school, he was in Y6. He called me so I set off in the car to get him and when I got there a lovely lady had pulled over and had given him tissues and antiseptic wipes to clean up his bloody knees. It was lovely to know that there are people out there looking out for others and I felt a lot calmer seeing that he'd had some help.

Yes I would especially if the child were on it own. By heck I've been known to pull over and stop when I see a dog on its own.

@OneFrenchEgg you reminded me of being in a very touristy tribute band venue on holiday. I saw a man trying to sneak into a woman's handbag. I went up and loudly said something like 'Clare I didn't know you were coming here' she obv looked confused but he walked away quickly and I told her why I was being weird! She closed her bag and moved it in front of her. I've also put myself in less than ideal situations, maybe I am a busy body as well 😂

@perenniallymessy I'm glad someone helped. I stopped for child who fell off a scooter a few years ago he didn't want me to call his mum though. I gave him some tissues and stayed for a minute

I think embrace being a busybody! It's actually like the thing that makes everything work! I love it. But if I didn't love it I'm not sure I could help it anyway so I may as well love it.

Depends if I was with someone else.

just me and my kids in there car? No. But I would call the police.

but that’s probably just because I have severe anxiety and read somewhere that traffickers or gangs will use children to lure people to pull over and get out of their car before they are taken/robbed/assaulted.

I wouldn’t do nothing, but I also would put myself first as selfish as that might seem.

Yes I'd have 100% pulled over.

I once shouted at my husband to pull over when I saw a toddler running along the pavement of a busy main road. No adults around on the footpath at all.

I went towards her and held out my hand which she took. We walked back along towards some houses and the front door of one was wide open. The parents were moving some furniture out and however it happened, the child had escaped.

I've also pulled over to stop two fights between kids. Just shouted out the window "oi, you lot pack that in and leave him alone or ill be calling the police" type of thing.

@Dacadactyl oh sweet Jesus! That made me a feel sick and so happy you saw her. My 1.5 yr old has figured out how to open the back door - which we now lock. But he is fast I can see how she got away.

As a woman, I would without hesitation. I'm not sure the men in my family would though. Strange man pulling up to a vulnerable child ..it doesn't look good.

I pulled over when I saw a toddler unaccompanied and called the police then gave him cartoons to watch on my phone while we waited.

A man pulled over when my 10 year old had fallen off his bike and was sitting in the pavement with a bloody leg. My son told him where we lived and the guy came and told me; he didn’t bring my son as he didn’t want to ask a child to get into his car coz if stranger danger. I was just round the corner anyway so was all good.

There are always posts on our local fb from people who have stopped because of an upset or lost looking child.

It seems the normal thing.

Seriously? Do you live in a ghetto?

No I wouldnt

No, quite the opposite 😂 like I said, I have severe anxiety and I’ve read stories that would now trigger said anxiety if this situation arised.