Was I? Uncertain .....

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Just before 7 this evening, there was a knocking at my door. I went to answer it, and it was a boy I didn't recognise asking me to sponsor him "for school". I said no, I wouldn't, as I didn't know him and that I didn't think he ought to be knocking on the doors of people he didn't know. I asked him where he lived (he said, at the end of this road), I asked his name and the school he went to. I then stopped, as I felt that I was putting him in the sort of position I was trying to avoid by asking questions, iyswim. Anyway, he said his Dad was out there, well, he was, but six doors up and I couldn't see him till I went out of my gate.

I ran upsatirs to check on the three elder children coralled in the empty bath and then went out and approached the man, saying that I didn't think it suitable his child was knoocking, etc. etc. He said he wasn't alone, he was there and I said, he wasn't, he was six doors up and I didn't know he was there till I asked the child. He then, pleasantly enough, thanked me for my concern.

As I went back to my house, I saw a woman and girl on the opposite side of the road, with a similar looking bit of paper, chatting to someone.

Oh, and the sponsorship seemed to be a badly photocopied page asking for money for food and medicines for a chihuahua, with no obvious thing they were going to do.

I phoned 101 and couldn't get through and had my own children to deal with. I have (just) got through and they made a note, but said no crime had been committed and, if it happened again, I ought to try and call at the time. I replied I had but there was only so long I could abandon my own children. He said it would be passed to a relevant neighbourhood team and a note had been made in case it happened again.

Tbh, there are two things here for me: firstly, the child knocking and, secondly, the fact, esp. with the woman and child opposite and the sheet I saw, that it might be a scam; if they got £1 from every house on our street, they'd have £250-ish!

I have decided to call the school (I googled it, it exists roughly where he said and it fits (i.e. it's Catholic and they had Irish accents)).

Should I have done anything else? Did I do too much? Uncertain ......

[Rhino71]

Fabulous - clearly not read the thread

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

SeaSickSal I hope that first comment is a joke but I seem to have a different sense of humour to others on here.

MrRected a couple of pages have been devoted to this, so do read them. I know lots of Catholics with a wide variety of accents, but see the context.

Summer stop stirring they need no help!

Fabulous not so sure you have read the thread, either ......

MrsCampbellBlack I tried and 4DCs is a great help on this occasion, as my patience is often tested.

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Badseeds what I think is obvious and what others think, seems to be poles apart so I shall stop making jokes on AIBU.

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

MammaTJ I entirely understand how bath jokes are unfunny in the context you describe. Of course, I remember poor Victoria Climbie, but I didn't remember the role of the bath in her story. I made a flippant comment which I never imagined would take on a life of its own. I hope you realise I was caring about this boy's safety, not least as recent horrid cases have had too many instances of people seeing something going on and not giving enough of a damn to make a call. Well, I was worried, I stuck my neck out and on this occasion I seem to have made the right call and it sounds like his family might get some more help.

[BadSeedsAddict]

Think you were right to be concerned. Definitely not unreasonable. Poor family if that is the case also, making jokes about corralling kids in the bath is not the same as making light of child abuse/neglect! If that wasn't obvious

[SummerRain]

What's a catholic accent? I'm imagining some sort of mixture of Polish, Italian and leprechaun Irish

[TheFabulousIdiot]

YABU and a bit weird.

Just say no thank you and politely shut the door. Why all the questions and rushing about and calling the police! Totally over the top.

[MrsCampbellBlack]

I think you did the right thing and have been very calm on this thread

And to the person who mentioned child protection - well by speaking to the school, perhaps this family will get the help it maybe needs.

[SeaSickSal]

The Catholic Chihuahua is apparently so poorly it can no longer remember if it was holding a sub machine gun on bloody Sunday.

[MrRected]

Catholics with Irish accents

[SeaSickSal]

It couldn't have been food and medicine to send to the people of Chihuahua, Mexico could it?

Especially with them being Catholics with Catholic accents & everything?

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

.... Fuzzpig, Nickname, Youthecat, Fortyplus ....

Jellyandcake and Southern I couldn't have put it better myself but felt it wasn't really my place to do so!

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Thanks Zia and Rhino, Sockywocky, R3D3 ....

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Lazy, I couldn't honk as loudly as I would have liked, due to a sleeping baby!!

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Summer and Murder, yes, indeed (especially as a nearby city is, once again, in the news adversely for a child protection issue).

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Summer, you crack me up (a couple of posts back) I shall just be very careful how I speak about your heritage in future

Thank-you to those who defended me: I have to confess to being a bit [humm] at some responses initially, but I have read enough AIBU to have known what I was getting into and serves me right for seeking validation through an anonymous online forum!.

I wish to take this opportunity to assure you all that I love children, give copiously to non-chihuahua based charities and do not usually leave my children in the bath .....

[LazyGaga]

"If I saw a poorly Catholic chihuahua in a balaclava trying to break into my car, I'd probably hurl my kids into an empty bath too OP." TalkativeJim

This made me honk like a goose.

[MurderOfBanshees]

Looks like you might actually have helped the kid then, that's good.

[SummerRain]

Aw, that's brilliant Two... good for the school tackling this with an understanding approach and wanting to help instead of punish.

Not saying it's right what the family are doing but desperation can make you do some pretty stupid things and at least no-one was hurt.

[ZiaMaria]

I think you were right to notify the police actually. If they aren't told, they can't know, and then you get stories in your local paper about how someone has been going rounds and conning money out of gullible old folk...and the stories all end with a request form the police to be nitified if anyone is suspicious...

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

Update: the Deputy Head has just called and hs thanked me profusely (though not excessively) for caring enough to call them. After some investigation that end, they are going to look into the matter further (and the subtext conveyed was family poverty rather than scamming for worse ends) and they are going to see how they can help.

[runningonwillpower]

I would probably have given him £1 but failing that, 'clear off sonny' would suffice.

[Rhino71]

I think the OP's had a pretty unfair mauling on this thread but has taken it well and thankfully the majority of it has been fairly light-hearted, plus we have been given an update.

Personally I think YWNBU - It sounded pretty dubious from the word go.

[SummerRain]

I'd imagine they'd be quite concerned to think the school's name is being used to scam money from people and fund nefarious, underground, chihuahua drug smuggling rings

It all sounds dodgy alright and I think you were justified to be suspicious, it's all very well saying 'But you could just say no' but a lot of elderly or vulnerable people would be taken in by this and it's often the case that if they find an easy target they'll go back again and again with more 'sponsorship' requests.

[Lickitysplit]

YABVVVU