Clowns - to wish the media would stop reporting them

[MsJamieFraser]

If anyone hasn't heard, the new popular thing to do, is dress up as a clown with a weapon and go about terrifying people by intimidation and brandishing a weapon.

AIBU to think the media should stop reporting on this and these idiots will just go onto the next trend.

Currently my quiet home town is full of police and sirens blaring as a few idiots are out terrorising the public.

[CotswoldStrife]

I saw the Batman story earlier. Our local paper has reported a FB group being set up to spot the clowns in our area.

[HelenaDove]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/12/man-dressed-as-batman-chases-killer-clowns-in-cumbria/



The company doing this are Cumbria Superheroes not My Superheroes who are trying to take the credit.

[BowieFan]

Yes, it's already made my DS2 very nervous. He has an intense fear of clowns (and yellow cars, black cats and swaying grass - he's an odd child) so this hasn't helped.

There were a few incidents over the weekend in our town and we had to have a bloody assembly about it today in school. You'd think it would be common sense to not dress up as a clown brandishing a knife, but there you go. We're still giving fireworks talks every bloody year and telling kids not to blow their fingers off or stick them up their arse, but somebody somewhere always does.

[needaplanjan]

Walked past the joke / fancy dress shop in our neighbouring town and they had exactly that bloody clown mask that's been on the media reports, centre stage in the shop window.

I bet they've sold a few. Will be expecting to see them in the local schools this week then ...

Or the shop window in the paper sent in by the shop owner pretending to be an outraged resident

[cattychatty]

No some idiot yelled at him he turned and saw the clown and he ran home terrified. I've logged it with police they think they think it's kids messing

[exLtEveDallas]

DD came home from school on Monday talking about them, not scared though and tonight we have had two arrested in our sleepy little village. Bloody idiots. They were probably going to vandalise the village hall, but dressed up for it.

They've been arrested for 'causing fear and distress' or something like that (neighbourhood watch reporting). Bored kids bandwagon jumping but that's bitten them on the arse now.

[limitedperiodonly]

Was your 13 year old threatened by someone cattychatty?

[Zeeandra]

Yes enough already. I know it's news but it's the same stories. It still being newsworthy could be encouraging other asshats to do it. Also I hate keep seeing fucking clowns on all the news sites and on my twitter feed etc from the news.

[cattychatty]

My 13yr old came home from cadets scared to death after a minute walk home actually in tears.

[limitedperiodonly]

There has been one clown-related arrest in Norfolk. I really think people should calm the fuck down

[Tanith]

www.trbimg.com/img-56993b4d/turbine/os-rocky-horror-picture-show-tim-curry-returns-20160115

Prefer this picture of Tim Curry, aka Pennywise, myself

[MoonfaceAndSilky]

Apparently they're coming to my Dtwins school on the 19th. How the kids know I don't know - are they in correspondence with the said clowns?

[Nermerner]

a test to see if a weird message pops up after my post

[Reetpetite17]

I've read this thread but every time I've taken my son to and from school I've completely forgotten about it.

They're talking about it on This Morning now.

[HelenaDove]

Im in Essex and apparantly one was spotted hiding in the bushes in a supermarket car park.

[Millimat]

Poor dd said there were lists and I said there wasn't. We're in the nw though.

[TattiePants]

I'm in the NE and there is a list of local schools the the 'killer clowns' are going to hit doing the rounds. No idea if it's fake or if they are just really stupid given that many of the dates are at the weekend or during half term when presumably there will be few kids around.

[OurBlanche]

Locally a young man who out film of himself up getting dressed up to go out 'Clowning' has 'been spoken to' and a general "Fuck off you are irritating us and wasting our time. When we catch up with you we will charge you with anything we can think of" message has gone out!

[limitedperiodonly]

Apart from the one reported by OP, how many arrests in the UK have there been? Surely there'd be more than one, given that people have been reporting multiple sightings and that their towns were swamped with police hunting packs of murderous clowns stalking schools?

And how many actual sightings where people were in fear of their lives? This one looks a bit questionable.

My guess is that some people may be arrested and charged with a minor public order offence. They may be let off after a telling off from a duty officer about being a massive twat and allowed to walk home in their big shoes and fright wig.

The people who are doing this are thoughtless twats. It is wrong for anyone to scare anyone, particularly children, and that goes for seemingly responsible adults who are ramping up their fears.

My first thought was that I'd be furious at the announcement in school assembly that a poster talked about, but then if I were a headteacher with a school full of children scaring each other silly with rumours, I might call them together and tell them that though we should always report anything suspicious that we see with our own eyes, we should try to remain calm. Perhaps that's what the head did.

I realised you live in the US MakeItStopNeville btw. My point was that you don't get yourself shot for behaving like a twat. Someone with a gun has to do it to you.

[Lorelei76]

Thinking about it, if someone dressed as a clown actually stabbed someone, they'd have to get somewhere to remove that get up before going anywhere else IYSWIM. So I guess that means they are being seen in less densely populated areas?

Then again, the majority are - hopefully! - wielding the knife with no intention of actually using it?

and now the weirdness of all this has fully struck me....!

[Amethyst81]

I know Millimat, when DD came home I honestly thought it was just a stupid story, I didn't think for a minute its actually happening! Maybe I should gently try and warn her in case the school do first as pp have said.

[helpimitchy]

Why are people so unkind to one another?

[Chemistria]

no you're not being unreasonable - why has this come to the UK now- because idiotic little fuckwits with half a braincell have seen it plastered all over FB / the news . ridiculous and worrying that kids are being frightened, glad my little boy is too young to hear about all this shit.

[helpimitchy]

The police helicopter was out after one in our village last night

I've had to warn ds2 as he has asc and would totally freak out if he saw one. His school is in the same area where the knife whielding one was.

I think the media are right to report so parents can judge the level of risk. We collect ds2 from outside school now.

[couldntlovethebearmore]

This is genius