To ask you to tell me not to think about scaring these parents shitless?

[LibertineLover]

quick replies please.....neighbours have friends staying with 14 yr old Dd and friend, they went out for a walk 2.5 hours ago, said they'd be back for breakfast (so not long) they still aren't back.

On Friday, we had a warning letter from school saying there wa a white van going around asking very young children directions, school reported to police they were so concerned.

WIBU to tell neighbours about the letter? They don't have school age kids so wouldn't know, but it wouldn't do any good would it??

why on earth would it scare them? surely they have some perspective. maybe just mention it...

The DH has gone out in car now to try and find them, taken visiting H with him, so wives would be home, you don't think that would scare them? Really?

Yanbu, though it is unlikely that anything has happened to them there is no reason that they should not have the information. It may influence their decision.

Do they not have a mobile phone?

I would mention it though. It could panic them but surely best to be informed.

Ask yourself how it would help?

You could show the the letter but two 14 year olds going out for a walk have probably forgotten about the time and are exploring a different time. Are neither of them answering their phones. They will, hopefully, just turn up when they are hungry and have spent all their money. Teenagers do tend to be a bit of a law unto theirselves.

Yabvu. They're already worried enough to have mentioned it to you AND to have gone out looking for them. They don't need something else to add to their concern. If you want to help (rather than add drama) then suggest they call 101. Police will know how serious the 'white van' threat is and treat this situation accordingly.

Ah the old white van one.

lol it wouldn't scare me!!! I have 3 teens and know how they can be, honestly,give them some credit !

They've turned up, thanks for the replies.

paradise WTF does that mean?

14 year old and no phone? That's odd.
No, telling them about the letter isn't helpful at this point at all.

its an urban legend....white van,asking for directions....get it often

but then of course you cant really ignore it in case its true. keep perspective,thats all you can do....and educate your kids

If it is definitely happening then tell your neighbour.
How would you feel if something happened to that child?

Telling them whilst the child was missing isn't helpful, pre-emptive is better.
If the school sent out a warning, it would have been triggered by a police alert, not playground gossip.
But it seems as if the teenagers just took more liberties than they should have done and stayed out without checking in to say what was happening. Serious parental talk and some rules needed.

The reason some may be skeptical about the white van story is that it has done the rounds so many times.
Usually it will crop up via email or facebook, parents then gossip about this at the school gates. The school hears about it and has a duty to report to the police.
Sometimes there are no witnesses, no parent to come forward and say it was their child approached -surely the first thing a parent would do would be to contact the police.

But keep in mind there have been child abductors and killers that snatch their victims in vans, Robert Black for one, though he tended to target girls on their own

Poor white van men. They get accused of kidnap, dognap, bad driving and all sorts.