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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to have called police?

57 replies

Doglikeafox · 28/05/2017 23:07

I don't personally think I am, however DP thinks so and I can somewhat see his stance about wasting police time.
For background, I have recently taken up cycling. I am a total novice, haven't been on a bike in almost 10 years after an accident and am slowly regaining my confidence.
Today was my first ever bike ride on my new road bike (or any road bike!) and so I was less than steady and opted to stay on my local cycle path rather than brave the roads. In the few weeks I have been cycling on this path, I have noticed the same group of boys (13-16 years old) sat on a bench at the top of a very small hill. They have often made comments as I've cycled path 'How much for your bike?', 'Why not get a proper bike?', 'Oh here she comes'. Nothing of note and I have always just cycled past and ignored.
This morning, I am cycling down the path and see the boys stood on the cycle path, with a tree branch at their feet that has been dragged on to the cycle path, blocking the route. The branch was easily 3 metres long, thick and most likely took two of them to move it. Thankfully I saw the branch in plenty of time as I was going much slower than normal thanks to the new bike. I stopped, lifted my bike over the branch and said, in a TOTALLY friendly and calm manner 'Listen guys, if someone hits that log and goes over it, they could seriously injure themselves and you'd end up in a lot of trouble with the police'. I addressed one boy in particular, the one stood at the foot of the log, and he started to bend down as though to move it until a friend ushered him to stop. A few of the other boys started to pipe up 'You should have just tried to go over it' 'F off' etc so I just got on my bike and carried on down the cycle path. Once I was out of sight, I called 101 and told them what had happened, that the boys had refused to remove the log and that I was concerned another cyclist may have an accident. The police seemed totally unphased, asked me 'Did you not remove it yourself?' and seemed rather annoyed that I didn't know the name of the road they could access the cycle path from (although I knew the name of the path, the area I was in and the area you could access it from!). I then got a phonecall a few minutes later from the police asking for the name of the road again (I would have had to go past the boys again to get the name of the road and didn't feel comfortable) so I said I still didn't know, and got a bit of a huffy reply that they would try and speak to the boys but by the time they got there they would most likely be gone.
When I got home, I told my DP that I felt the police had been a bit curt with me and he said I shouldn't really have wasted police time with something so trivial Sad. In my opinion, a group of people deliberately endangering another group of people for a laugh isn't trivial.
So my question is, do you think I should have called the police or done something else? If so, what?

OP posts:
Moanyoldcow · 28/05/2017 23:22

You didn't dial 999 - I think you were perfectly reasonable as you tried to deal with it and they were frankly unpleasant.

I'd have done th same.

Frankie89 · 28/05/2017 23:26

Technically it should probably have been the highway authority you called but at the weekend 101 is your next best bet.

supermoon100 · 28/05/2017 23:32

Definitely call the police. Little shits in the making.

Yayne · 28/05/2017 23:35

Just think how you'd have felt if you'd read in the papers that a cyclist was severely injured going into that log, and not having done something to prevent it. You did what you could in the circumstances and 101 is exactly right for this kind of thing

Yukbuck · 28/05/2017 23:36

I had a similar encounter a few weeks ago op. I'm going to pm you to see if you're the same area as me.
For what it's worth I think you did the right thing.

Yukbuck · 28/05/2017 23:37

Actually I can't seem to pm you... not sure how to do it!

TrinityTaylor · 28/05/2017 23:39

You should have just called them little cunts and threatened them with violence, its prob the only thing they'd take notice of

Ladydepp · 28/05/2017 23:41

Yanbu, I would have called 101 as well. Those boys are idiots and need a good telling off from police, and their parents should be told.

Original poster
Doglikeafox · 28/05/2017 23:42

I'm in the northwest England Yukbuck.
Glad to hear that I did the right thing.
On my way back I did see that a group of cyclists had stopped to talk to them, but I was coming off the cycle path at that point so didn't see what came of it.

OP posts:
TheMysteriousJackelope · 28/05/2017 23:42

You did the right thing as this was a cycle path safety issue.

I once phoned the police non emergency number to report a large pig stalking up the road on my commute home from work. It was a nasty looking pig and I didn't want to mess with it. The poor policeman thought I was being personal when I explained 'There is a pig on Avenue J'. Once he realized I meant a real pig he explained I needed to call animal control.

In summary, they would have told you if they weren't interested in the problem.

LilQueenie · 28/05/2017 23:43

yanbu at all. Considering that a group of teens have made local news for ganging up and attacking a woman I would say let the police know so they are aware.

Pallisers · 28/05/2017 23:44

If you called the police in my town (US) in those circumstances, a police car would have roared up in a few minutes and those little fucks would have gotten a severe and frightening talking to before their parents being called. The police would have been glad you called.

Rockhopper81 · 28/05/2017 23:44

I don't think you were unreasonable at all - as Moany said, you didn't call 999. It was an incident that needed to be reporting for the safety of others. Good job I'd say! Smile

PovertyPain · 28/05/2017 23:44

I worked in a brain injury unit for years and if you saw some of the horrendous brain injuries caused by bike accidents, you'd be in no doubt you did the right thing. Don't let the response of the police person annoy you, you were just unlucky to get someone who didn't understand the seriousness of it. At least you didn't become a passive bystander.

redshoeblueshoe · 28/05/2017 23:44

Yukbuck if you want to pm just click on message poster on the opening post.

endofthelinefinally · 28/05/2017 23:45

My sister was badly injured when some little toerags did exactly this - they put a large wooden beam across the cycle track.

I once rang the police when I saw a group of teenagers stretching a bungee cord across a road. They didn't take it seriously, but someone called me back about 10 minutes later asking me to tell them - again - where this was happening, because , as they explained to me, it was a very dangerous thing to do.
I said "Yes, that is why I phoned you".

MudCity · 28/05/2017 23:46

YANBU. They are trying to intimidate people and the police need to be aware. You did the right thing.

TheweewitchRoz · 28/05/2017 23:48

You did the right thing Op.

Yukbuck · 28/05/2017 23:51

Ahh different area. I'm West England.

But had a similar experience with teenagers on a cycle path but it was involving them wanting to kick people off their bikes. Police were informed. Would hate for someone to get seriously hurt.

Slimthistime · 28/05/2017 23:58

OP you did the right thing.

Mysterious, I can't stop laughing at your story Grin my ex is police , I've got to tell him that, he'll love it.

Slimthistime · 29/05/2017 00:02

"They are trying to intimidate people and the police need to be aware"

I think they're trying to injure people. Pallisers, good to hear your local police would do that.

FerretChewToy · 29/05/2017 00:08

DH is a Police Officer, he doesn't think you're being unreasonable OP. He thinks you did the right thing.

IShouldntPostBut · 29/05/2017 00:25

If I were your DP I'd have gone and had words with the little bums about the way they treated my wife. And mentioned that if it happened again they'd be dealing with an extremely angry man - me! I might have carried a bat with me on my trip.

Italiangreyhound · 29/05/2017 00:47

Totally right to call them.

Maybe there should be more community policing about safety etc. My dd cycles to school and I would appalled if she was injured because of some shitty teens messing about.

Well done. You husband is wrong!!!!!

metspengler · 29/05/2017 01:16

Yanbu to call them, but it sounds like you caused a wasteful amount of time and effort for such a small matter by not having directions ready when you called.

You live and learn though, next time you call the police you can be prepared to tell them exactly where it is and someone who is passing can have a word without any need to work out where the heck it is :)