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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:
emmyrose2000 · 29/05/2017 01:46

You did the right thing. Unfortunately the police officer you spoke to was/is an idiot.

Scumbgs deliberately placing hazzards across bikepaths is a very serious thing and the damage that can result for the poor unsuspecting cyclist can be lethal.

Redglitter · 29/05/2017 01:50

Unfortunately the police officer you spoke to was/is an idiot

The OP said it was when she phoned 101 they seemed disinterested. That being the case if it was whoever answered the phone it wouldn't be a police officer. It would be a call taker in a call centre

MissBax · 29/05/2017 02:27

I think this cycle path might be near me too and have head various stories about people having issues there. You did the right thing and I would have done the same!

kali110 · 29/05/2017 02:35

Yanbu at all!
Why should you have put yourself in danger by trying to remove it, or by going back to get the exact name of the road? Shock
I wouldn't!
Some of the kids by me at the moments are nasty little gits! I wouldn't put myself at risk!
That caller could put people off reporting.

MimiSunshine · 29/05/2017 06:02

When you call 101 or even 999 you don't actually speak to a police officer, are you aware of that?

So it wasn't the police who were disinterested, it was a call centre worker who has probably just spoken to someone else reporting a car crash or something.

For what it's worth, I don't think you were wrong to report them, hopefully a telling off at this point would prevent them from worse activities later on. BUT you can't call for the police and say it's on X path near Y road but not sure if it's exact street name.

If there was a patrol car in the area they'd likely swing by but police officers aren't likely to know every cycle path around there

ProcrastinatingSquid2 · 29/05/2017 06:47

You definitely did the right thing. Add to the fact that they were endangering cyclists, they were also verbally abusing you. Little bastards.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 29/05/2017 07:02

Absolutely right to call them, well done for doing so. Sorry you got a shitty response from the person on the other end of the phone, they really shouldn't have made you feel like you were wasting anyone's time - it is an extremely dangerous and fucking stupid thing to do.
Just because it's cyclists involved, doesn't make it somehow a "lesser" problem - one cyclist injured through fucking stupidity of some bored arseholes isn't any less bad than a car driver injured by equally stupid bored arseholes lobbing cement blocks off motorway bridges, or bricks at passing cars.

It's all stupidly dangerous, and the police should indeed have been round like a shot and put a rocket up their arses. Sorry they appeared so indifferent.

Lostwithinthehills · 29/05/2017 07:21

The OP said it was when she phoned 101 they seemed disinterested. That being the case if it was whoever answered the phone it wouldn't be a police officer. It would be a call taker in a call centre

When you call 101 or even 999 you don't actually speak to a police officer, are you aware of that?
So it wasn't the police who were disinterested, it was a call centre worker

I came here to say this but other posters beat me to it.

I think you were right to phone 101, this sounds like a gradually escalating situation and definitely worthy of attention. This, however, is true

you can't call for the police and say it's on X path near Y road but not sure if it's exact street name

in your area you will have just a couple of police officers covering half your county they can't be familiar with every cycle path based on a description.

put a rocket up their arses I think this is overly hopeful, groups of wrong doing teenagers aren't that bothered by police turning up any more, they know there's not much the police can do to them.

SheSaidHeSaid · 29/05/2017 07:26

101 is the non emergency number, which (in my opinion) is there for incidents like this which isn't immediate danger or serious crime but has the potential to turn into something more sinister.

You did the right thing.

youarenotkiddingme · 29/05/2017 07:46

I thought this is why 101 was set up? It's the non emergency number for anti social behaviour. It was necessary because they decreased the number of beat officers who dealt with these things as they occurred.

You did the right thing

RedBugMug · 29/05/2017 07:53

yanbu at all.
good for you. it pisses me off that cycling is made unpleasant and dangerous by thugs like this.

Greyhound81 · 29/05/2017 07:55

You did the right thing.

DH is a serious off road cyclist - someone pulled a log across one of the tracks last year and he came home ripped to pieces and dripping blood. He was obviously more worried about the substantial damage done to his bike 🙄

It seems to be the ramblers that do it around here as they don't think they should have to share with bikes and horses - DH and his mates have caught them several times. It gets me so angry as they could kill someone.

So YANBU.

Bluetrews25 · 29/05/2017 07:58

Reading your OP I was worried that you were going to say the little darlings ran off with your bike while you were moving the branch. Glad that didn't happen.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 29/05/2017 07:59

You did the right thing. They need to be able to build up a picture, the more people that ring about that type of intimidating & nasty behaviour the better. I'd ring back later on if I were you. Their fuckwittery could kill someone. I'm not sure why your DP thinks this isn't important enough to bother a call centre or the police over.

IShouldntPost Call me old fashioned, but I like your attitude. 😊 The little sods need telling by someone who scares them a bit, not a nice chat about how it's their right to play with a tree branch on a cycle path & that anyone who says otherwise is infringing on their rights.

Bouncealot · 29/05/2017 08:01

I empathise totally as I have experienced similar and have reported to 101. However.. You were U for not knowing the name of road or path-you say you have travelled it many times, so why not look it up on Internet before making that call. It will be picked up by community police next week for that area. Highways/council give them numbers, if not named roads. And as to all the other comments: Please remember what the police nationally have been dealing with this week(if not every week)- my friend dealt with threats to kill, extreme domestic violence, disturbances due to mental health, community concerns over Jihadhi worries, missing children, car accidents, knifings, threatened suicide--- just this weekend in a small town!! I get the impression some people live in a complete bubble separate from the real world.
Police staff are trying under great pressure to prioritise calls and all forces had extended work hours-12 hour night shifts on top of normal working, cancelled rest days and leave. Bank holidays are always difficult, mopping up other services: eg mental health, social services, aiding paramedics when ambulances delayed etc.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 29/05/2017 08:02

Greyhound. I'm glad it wasn't any worse 🙁 Ramblers, actual adults?! God give me strength. I hope your DH & the others report them to the police?! Those idiots need telling.

PiesDescalzos · 29/05/2017 08:06

Another one agreeing with everyone here; you did the right thing calling 101.

Today's tree logging tw*ts are tomorrow's thieves, assaulters and arsonists etc. Let's try to nip it in the bud where we can. Let them know people won't just ignore their antics.

ConferencePear · 29/05/2017 08:07

I think if this low level nonsense was taken seriously fewer kids would progress on to more serious things.

Ghanagirl · 29/05/2017 08:07

Pallisers
Not sure the US is the best example as if any of the boys had been black I dread to think what would have happened!

ohdearusernametaken · 29/05/2017 08:07

We had this near me a few times. They were doing it to steal people's bikes when they got stuck.

insancerre · 29/05/2017 08:12

You did the right thing
Local to me, a young motorcyclist was decapitated by someone stretching a rope across a track

Borntoflyinfirst · 29/05/2017 08:12

I had to call the police on 101 for an incident at my house once. The officer I spoke to was irritated I didn't know the road name of the address of the guy who I was reporting! He was very off with me throughout the phone call until something happened that made him think I was in danger whilst he was talking to me - then his attitude changed.
I'm writing this because you said they were a bit off with you over not knowing the street name OP. And because of their attitude to you. You're not alone. But I still think you did the right thing - more over the threatening behaviour than anything else.

Acornantics · 29/05/2017 08:16

You definitely took the right approach. I'd also have taken a photo and put it on Twitter, tagging the local police force and the local councillor/s for the area.

It would help raise awareness, show a visual of the location and encourage the authorities to take action. And maybe dissuade the idiots from trying anything similar again. Maybe...

StatisticallyChallenged · 29/05/2017 08:26

What is with the people piling on the op? She's said she did know the name of the path, just not the name of the road with the nearest access point. Round here we have off-road cycle paths which run for miles half way across the city on former railway lines, I have lived here all my life and still wouldn't know which street the access points are all on. OP would have had to go back past the troublesome little scrotes who might well have realised what she was up to and caused more hassle.

Given the name of the path and the area I'm sure the police could have found it just fine.

Greyhound81 · 29/05/2017 08:34

Yes Mouse actual grown ups that should know better. They have reported it several times.

It's a real problem here and we often walk the paths with the dog to check for 'booby traps' and remove them.

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