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Original poster

Urgent help

91 replies

PrincessSakura · 05/01/2025 00:07

Young person has knocked at my home needing directions, as it’s late there are no buses or trains running.
Would you offer to drive them home?

I’m wondering if we can get a name and some details of how they got here etc and reporting to 101 but I don’t want to scare them and risk them being in danger/left out in the cold all night.

Help!

OP posts:
fudgesmummy · 05/01/2025 13:40

My DD and her DH had a similar situation a couple of years ago.
About 9 o/c at night a teenage girl knocked at their door asking for help saying she had run away from home. Luckily they are both secondary school teachers so the poor girl picked a good house.
My DD kept her talking on the door step while her DH rang the police for advice. They said to take her in (only if they were happy to, which they were) and they arrived within about 20 minutes. They chatted to her for a bit while she had something to eat and drink. They then left with her.
I knew they were both quite affected about the whole situation and wished they knew what the outcome was.

oakleaffy · 05/01/2025 13:47

SoManyTshirts · 05/01/2025 07:55

I’ve had a child come to me with a tale of being threatened, allowed inside then asked for a drink. They suddenly got less keen to be there when I said I had teenage children upstairs, and vanished when I offered to call the police station on their direct number.

Show quote history

I too had a child bang the door asking to come in and get a drink of water and sit down as they’d “ banged their head “

I felt uneasy and the child ( aged around 12) had no visible injury-
( I went outside, husband was indoors)
I said I’d bring a glass of water out to him- at that point he swore and walked off to join a group of kids down the road.

Seems these were opportunistic thieves according to local info.

No way would I open door after dark as you don’t know who you are letting in.

Best to deal with them outside and to call police if it looks desperate.

Weefox · 05/01/2025 13:59

You need to say how old this child is. Hopefully all resolved, but they or you need to phone parents or a friend. Don't drive them anywhere.

NewYearSameOldSameOld · 05/01/2025 14:04

Weefox · 05/01/2025 13:59

You need to say how old this child is. Hopefully all resolved, but they or you need to phone parents or a friend. Don't drive them anywhere.

And you need to RTFT or at least OP’s updates.

devilspawn · 05/01/2025 14:08

fudgesmummy · 05/01/2025 13:40

My DD and her DH had a similar situation a couple of years ago.
About 9 o/c at night a teenage girl knocked at their door asking for help saying she had run away from home. Luckily they are both secondary school teachers so the poor girl picked a good house.
My DD kept her talking on the door step while her DH rang the police for advice. They said to take her in (only if they were happy to, which they were) and they arrived within about 20 minutes. They chatted to her for a bit while she had something to eat and drink. They then left with her.
I knew they were both quite affected about the whole situation and wished they knew what the outcome was.

Teenagers do this all the time, it's the same 4-5 of them where I live, they do it to see who can get the most/get the most attention. Our local police are always listing them as going missing, usually at least once a week, and then they're "found" again having filled up on attention, phone battery and free food/drink.

Ferro · 05/01/2025 14:29

Attention, phone battery and food and drink – don't all teenagers deserve that? How sad that some have to resort to running away to get it.

devilspawn · 05/01/2025 14:48

Ferro · 05/01/2025 14:29

Attention, phone battery and food and drink – don't all teenagers deserve that? How sad that some have to resort to running away to get it.

It's a game, they do it for something to do or because their parents have told them to clean their bedroom floor and they want to make it into a big drama.

LatteLady · 05/01/2025 14:58

Just wanted to say thank you for making a difference @PrincessSakura

sparkorstill · 05/01/2025 15:06

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

StarkleLittleTwink · 06/01/2025 18:10

Don’t drive them home!!! Order them a taxi instead - or call parent/police

NewYearSameOldSameOld · 06/01/2025 18:15

Cancel the cheque!

Shazam2 · 06/01/2025 19:17

Do not take them because it could be a Roos and they may be more of them waiting outside or down the road for you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry if you’re not sure. Ring the police, especially if you’re on your own.

FlipFlopVibe · 06/01/2025 20:30

Shazam2 · 06/01/2025 19:17

Do not take them because it could be a Roos and they may be more of them waiting outside or down the road for you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry if you’re not sure. Ring the police, especially if you’re on your own.

Edited

You’re a bit late, it was last night

RampantIvy · 06/01/2025 21:16

StarkleLittleTwink · 06/01/2025 18:10

Don’t drive them home!!! Order them a taxi instead - or call parent/police

Read the updates

MyPithyEagle · 12/01/2025 09:09

Same story only slightly different.

At 3.30am on a freezing December night there was someone knocking at our door. There was a man asking if he could use our phone to cal a taxi. He said he had woken up on the grass verge, thought he had a broken arm and had injured his leg. Certainly he was moving badly. I looked up a, supposedly 24 hour taxi service and passed the land line through the window to him. No reply.

My 84 year old husband got dressed and drove him to his home in a nearby village. He did offer to take him to A&E in a nearby town, but his passenger declined saying he wanted his own bed and would sort it out in the morning.

I did the ironing. What else does a 77 year old do when her husband is ferrying a complete stranger to his home.

What were the alternatives? Leave an obviously injured person out in the cold? I am glad we helped.

Yes it was strange that a man in his 40's (he chatted to my husband whilst he was driving him home) didn't have a phone, but he said he had been to a works Christmas do so it could easily have been dropped.

Just as an aside. He was dressed, smart casual, in black for a night out. I will always wonder if he had been clipped by a car. It is so easy to forget how nearly invisible you become in black in the dark, especially in poorly lit rural areas.

justanotherusername666 · 12/01/2025 19:41

MyPithyEagle · 12/01/2025 09:09

Same story only slightly different.

At 3.30am on a freezing December night there was someone knocking at our door. There was a man asking if he could use our phone to cal a taxi. He said he had woken up on the grass verge, thought he had a broken arm and had injured his leg. Certainly he was moving badly. I looked up a, supposedly 24 hour taxi service and passed the land line through the window to him. No reply.

My 84 year old husband got dressed and drove him to his home in a nearby village. He did offer to take him to A&E in a nearby town, but his passenger declined saying he wanted his own bed and would sort it out in the morning.

I did the ironing. What else does a 77 year old do when her husband is ferrying a complete stranger to his home.

What were the alternatives? Leave an obviously injured person out in the cold? I am glad we helped.

Yes it was strange that a man in his 40's (he chatted to my husband whilst he was driving him home) didn't have a phone, but he said he had been to a works Christmas do so it could easily have been dropped.

Just as an aside. He was dressed, smart casual, in black for a night out. I will always wonder if he had been clipped by a car. It is so easy to forget how nearly invisible you become in black in the dark, especially in poorly lit rural areas.

I found this comment an eerie read.

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