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.

[Sallystyle]

My teens keep going on about this.

Two went clown hunting this evening. They wanted to see how many they could spot

They just found two young women dressed up as fairies.

[Thejubremonyatthelibrary]

There was a creepy clown by the side of the road in the middle of the night in Caernarfon last night

I hope this craze dies down soon. I don't care about the clown aspect but the fact that they are carrying weapons and targetting children is dastardly.

[rockingthelook]

Yep not far from Caernarfon , daughter 14 has gone on about the killer clowns there, so tonight came with me when I dropped her older sister off in town ..in case a killer clown came to our house... put it this way if a clown came round to my house they would either die of shock when I open the door with no make up on or because I had twatted them, choice is theirs to make lol

[Lorelei76]

Thejub, just sitting by the road? Did you see it yourself?

Maybe I should get a clown outfit, raging insomnia gets dull. I wouldn't normally go for a stroll in the middle of the night but this might be the safe way to do it!

[MakeItStopNeville]

limitedoeriod I think you misunderstand. I live in the US. Am 200% anti gun. I was just stating a point.

[Amethyst81]

Oh god is this true? My DD10 was crying about this yesterday after hearing older kids talking about it. I hadnt heard anything about it so spent ages telling her its not true and that its just a story, bloody great I hope she doesn't see anything now I've said that.

[Millimat]

I know what you mean 81 I spent all Friday convincing dd it was all in the US then read about happenings over here.

[Kitsandkids]

My (primary aged) kids knew nothing whatsoever about it until they were told about it in assembly at school! Then the kids had all been gossiping to each other about how they'd heard the clowns had stabbed people, etc etc, so my two came out of school terrified! I spent a lot of time that evening explaining it was just a few stupid people dressed up because they're not very nice and think it's funny to scare people, but noone's been hurt. I was waiting for them to ask for the light on and things at bedtime but luckily they were ok then. I am a bit pissed off that their primary school saw fit to 'warn' the children without mentioning it to the parents. It has been all over our local media, but no actual 'sightings' in our town. And I would guess that at least half the sightings in neighbouring towns are the result of hysteria and didn't really happen.

A FB post has been widely shared among some local people I know stating that the clowns are now breaking into people's houses, kidnapping their kids as they sleep and murdering them. Total bullshit yet lots of people seem to be believing it!

[MsJamieFraser]

Well one of our clowns has been arrested, I'm not sure what the charge is yet, but they did have a knife and a an air rifle

Police officer family member.

[couldntlovethebearmore]

This is genius

[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.

[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]

Why are people so unkind to one another?

[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.

[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....!

[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.

[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!

[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.

[Millimat]

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

[HelenaDove]

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

[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.

[Nermerner]

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

[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?

[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

[limitedperiodonly]

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