Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH has been sprayed with red dye!

767 replies

Mojit0 · 26/04/2017 17:00

This morning DH was running along the Thames towpath as he often does. He was running quite fast as he's training. There is an area where the path narrows a bit and he had caught up and was running behind a woman. He thought she moved to one side to let him pass, so he ran up behind her, at which point she screamed and suddenly sprayed him with a spray! Most of it got on his t-shirt but some of it also also got on his neck and lower face, though he didn't realise at the time. She screamed at him to get away from her and then ran back the other way. He was saying to her, "It's ok" etc, but he said she was so freaked out and looked so terrified he didn't try and follow her.
Now he has a zig-zag pattern of red up his neck and on the left side if his face and it really won't come off. He went into work and someone told him its probably a dye that the police use to mark criminals! I looked on google and it looks as if you can buy a red spray dye that won't wash off for 7 days! If it's this, it's a nightmare as he has to go to China on business tomorrow.
DH feels bad that she was so scared and her reaction actually scared him. He thinks maybe he should have held back, but he thought she was letting him overtake her. I think her reaction was a bit extreme though -AIBU? I run down that path frequently (although not at 6.30am) and I have never heard of anything like this.

OP posts:
EweAreHere · 26/04/2017 17:19

I would report her to the police.

What if it had gotten into his eyes?

WHat if he'd had an allergic reaction and been left there, gasping for air?

If she is that uneasy about running alone, she should be running along and punishing other people who are minding their own business for her choice.

IHeartDodo · 26/04/2017 17:19

His top is probably done for I'm afraid, but on his skin, try all the household cleaners...
Surgical spirit (works on some permanent pens)
Nail varnish remover
High strength alcohol (rubbing alcohol or failing that, vodka?)
Bleach

Raggydolly3 · 26/04/2017 17:22

If someone comes up behind you it would be easy to turn around and spray them. She obviously had it ready.

terrylene · 26/04/2017 17:23

Vosene is supposed to help with home hair dye.

Pinkheart5915 · 26/04/2017 17:24

So She actually stood to one side and planned to do it Shock Its really not right she is going round spraying men that haven't done anything with red dye. If this women uses the towpath regularly she must know that 6:30 in the morning will be quite popular with runners, even if she doesn't you can sort of bet a towpath on the Thames might be an earlier morning run/dog walking hotspot. What a ridiculous thing for someone to be carrying!

I think I'd be tempted to report it, scared or not there was no need for her actions

I think you are going to have great trouble removing it and I hope it doesn't cause any problems for you dh at the airport tomorrow

joystir59 · 26/04/2017 17:24

I wonder to I'm sorry to say whether he is innocent

Pigface1 · 26/04/2017 17:25

Seems a really odd thing. It seems unlikely that it would dissuade an actual rapist.

MackerelOfFact · 26/04/2017 17:26

I don't know how to get it off but he definitely needs to speak to the Police to give his account of events before he ends up getting implicated in something (either attacking this woman or something else). I know Securicor use permanent dye in their containers to mark anyone who tries to run off with cash.

Mojit0 · 26/04/2017 17:26

Thankyou. I got some hair dye remover. Jolene bleach could be worth a try with scourers.
I'm worried now and will get him to call the police just in case.
I don't understand why you would run down there at that time if you were that scared. It doesn't make sense.

OP posts:
happypoobum · 26/04/2017 17:26

If he doesn't want to report it to the police then I would be very suspicious, sorry.

Pigface1 · 26/04/2017 17:26

Sorry, meant to say it seems like an odd thing to carry.

AsthmaQ · 26/04/2017 17:26

Actually, I would make sure I report it, ask for a copy of the police report and take it with me to airport as he may not be allowed to travel otherwise, or he may have trouble leaving China.

ILikeBeansWithKetchup · 26/04/2017 17:27

I'm befuddled and bamboozled as to how this would prevent an attack. Sure, it could make an attacker easy to identify afterwards but the one attacked could be dead in the bottom of a canal by then??Wouldn't this spray just really anger an assailant and provoke them to even more aggressive actions??

But then I think the same about carrying a mobile for safety really. Some police training I had once told me mobiles were good for two things - tracing a dead person's body or -possibly- hitting an attacker in the face with...

LostMySanityCanIBorrowYours · 26/04/2017 17:27

The link someone posted on Amazon says the spray has a reach of over 30 feet.

He wouldn't have to have been that close.

I don't think the posters questioning this man's innocence are being helpful.

ImpossibleGirl · 26/04/2017 17:27

Waterproof eye make up remover usually gets anything off that nothing else will touch.

icanteven · 26/04/2017 17:28

We have lived pretty much on the Thames path for the last 10 years, and she must be very odd indeed to not imagine that a person running along on the path is a runner, esp. before work in the morning. You're constantly shuffling to the side along the narrow bits (i.e. most of it where we live) to let runners (or faster runners if you're running too) or cyclists past.

She behaved very oddly, and I don't think letting the police know is unreasonable as she may well be reporting the attempted "attack" herself.

Friday999 · 26/04/2017 17:28

Definitely call the police.

firstnightwemet · 26/04/2017 17:29

I don't think the posters questioning this man's innocence are being helpful.

Exactly. Imagine it the other way around and he'd sprayed her? Hmm

NightWanderer · 26/04/2017 17:29

The sprays are legal but using them on innocent people isn't. I second a call to the police but they might not do anything.

Friday999 · 26/04/2017 17:31

Baseball bats are also legal, but attacking people with them isn't. The woman concerned has assaulted your DH

Mojit0 · 26/04/2017 17:31

He does not go running to threaten women. Hmm This is very bizarre. He runs all over the place and I run a bit as well and I have never heard of this spray and neither have any of my friends. I'm surprised it's legal.

OP posts:
NancyWake · 26/04/2017 17:31

I live near the Thames towpath, there are runners along all the time, I've never mistaken one for an attacker.

NancyWake · 26/04/2017 17:32

I'd imagine the woman has already realised she's been a goon tbh.

Pinkheart5915 · 26/04/2017 17:32

I don't think the posters questioning this man's innocence are being helpful

Me neither but I did wonder how long until posters like that arrived on the thread. I mean a man couldn't possibly of NOT done anything wrong this is mumsnet after all

Devorak · 26/04/2017 17:32

This thread seems entirely contrary to the majority of threads I read here where women are scared of men out of necessity.