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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I phone the police?

222 replies

saturdaynightgin · 19/04/2020 12:13

DM went out around 1pm yesterday afternoon to take the dog for a walk. 6pm she brought the dog home and went back out - it was clear she’d been drinking. She claimed to have been social distancing, sat in a friend’s garden and that’s where she was returning to. Around 10pm, we received a message from my uncle (dad’s brother that mum isn’t close to) to say she’d turned up at his house and they were having a drink in the garden.

Dad stayed up til midnight, but mum still hadn’t returned home so he went to bed and locked the front door. We had a message from mum at 1.30am to say she was locked out and where should she go. I replied half asleep around half hour later when I woke to see to DS that she should phone my brother, who still lives at home, to open the door for her. I had no reply to that message so assumed she’d got in and had gone to bed.

It’s now 12pm and there is no sign of DM. The usual friends she visits have said they haven’t seen her. Her phone was answered this morning around 9am, but the person on the other end didn’t speak, and since then it’s ‘not been possible to connect your call’.

She has in the past stayed out all night, but this is the latest she’s ever gone without returning home. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s asked her friend to ‘cover’ for her, but with covid-19 going on, I’m unsure as to whether he friend would. I really don’t want to waste police time, but at the same time I’m starting to worry.

So..
YABU - don’t phone the police
YANBU - phone the police.

OP posts:
Pieceofpurplesky · 19/04/2020 13:31

I do wish people would rtt

Balmytissues · 19/04/2020 13:32

Why didn't your Dad or brother answer the bloody door when she rang/knocked?
It's them who should be concerned. Let them answer to the police.

welldonesquirrels · 19/04/2020 13:33

I hope she turns up safe, OP. Letting the police know is a good shout.

And please remember, none of this is your fault.

cultkid · 19/04/2020 13:35

What with a door handle and a key hole? You can't get a key in its a barrel lock

It's not a block on the top of the door that you twist a latch on

Looks like a normal door handle you just shut door and it's locked

cultkid · 19/04/2020 13:36

@StoppinBy that would scare me if I slept that deep and was alone and in charge of the kids

Balmytissues · 19/04/2020 13:37

So at 1.30am she was at her house where your brother and Dad live. Didn't have a key and was locked out. She presumably knocked/rang the doorbell. Why didn't your bellend of a brother not answer the door?

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 19/04/2020 13:37

I hope your Mum's safe and well OP.

My DM went missing 10 years ago and I remember the worry. She was also very drunk but we eventually found her safe and well and with a friend who didn't want to tell us for whatever reason.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 19/04/2020 13:38

He didn't lock her out, he locked the door while she was out, it's a different thing.
We live in a low crime area, but I still lock the door if DH is out and I'm going to bed.
Sounds like she's a disgrace.

SheldonSaysSo1 · 19/04/2020 13:39

I haven't RTFT but I would ring the police. They will decide what action to take and whether to take immediate action. It won't be wasting their time as it has been over 12 hours and also she shouldn't be out like this during a pandemic.

donquixotedelamancha · 19/04/2020 13:40

Phone the police OP. Hope it all works out.

I don't know why people think it's acceptable to lock someone out of their home.

Why did your dad lock her out?! Why doesn't she have a key?

Presumably the people who ask questions like this on a thread expect that they might be answered? I wonder why it doesn't occur to the them that that may have already happened.

educate yourself on what we need to achieve before we can come out of lock down, it's got nothing to do with people going out.

Are you on glue?

And I think people are jumping to conclusions a bit with the father

Indeed. I've been locked out before and it's incredibly hard to wake the other person up. Doorbells and knocking are not that loud, I've missed parcels occaisionally from a quiet knock. A lot of phones are set up to automatically silence at night.

Balmytissues · 19/04/2020 13:41

I'd be pretty sure that a neighbour or friend let her in. I wouldn't be too worried, but your brother really was a twat. He has no excuse unless he's hard of hearing too.

HollowTalk · 19/04/2020 13:42

I would've called the police long before this, OP, if this behaviour's not characteristic of her. You say she doesn't have any regular haunts - has she gone off like this before?

Wasn't your dad worried when he woke up and she wasn't there?

Socompletelyoverit · 19/04/2020 13:43

Hopefully she will turn up soon op

Icantstandpip · 19/04/2020 13:44

Definitely call 101. With street begging virtually impossible right now, addicts are even more desperate and her phone may have been stolen from her. Also, any unlocked door/gate/shed/bike is fair game to these people, so absolutely lock up at all times.

LilacTree1 · 19/04/2020 13:45

I was ready to say no but then saw this

“ Her phone was answered this morning around 9am, but the person on the other end didn’t speak, and since then it’s ‘not been possible to connect your call’.”

This is the worrying bit, so call.

Coyoacan · 19/04/2020 13:46

"I ment the df should have tried to contact her last night to see whether she had a key"

My daughter was forever forgetting her key and as she worked late, often had to wake me up to open for her, which I hated. I still never got in the habit of phoning her to ask if she had her key. That would be weird.

Cakeismyhero · 19/04/2020 13:47

Hope she turns up safe OP Flowers

Pjsandbaileys · 19/04/2020 13:48

Call 101 they will advise, I really hope she's on a sofa somewhere nursing a dreadful hangover.

Winterwoollies · 19/04/2020 13:55

She sounds like a selfish dick. Not only for completely disregarding the rules at the moment but for forcing you to all be responsible for her stupid, selfish actions and for making you worry.

I suspect she’s in a hungover sulk somewhere enjoying you all worrying about her, but good call to notify the police, just in case.

And at the very least, they may bollock her about her stupid behaviour.

Quartz2208 · 19/04/2020 13:59

Hope she is ok OP but yes call the Police

Pinkybutterfly · 19/04/2020 13:59

Hope she is fine... Your brother is a dick...

EricaNernie · 19/04/2020 13:59

Remember op, No news is good news.
she will return, with her tail between her legs no doubt.

AnneOfCloves · 19/04/2020 13:59

Hope she’s back home now, OP

lynzpynz · 19/04/2020 14:00

Why on earth would you leave the house unlocked at risk of a stranger walking in whilst you're sleeping and stealing car keys, assaulting you etc? It may also invalidate your house insurance. OP has said DM doesn't have an alcohol problem, clearly seems to be just lacking in judgement knowing not to get hammered and not bother to communicate her plans with her partner? DF has every right not to endanger himself or sit up till god knows when wondering when she may deign to come home. He is right to be angry at her behaviour, she's put herself at risk and worried all her family in the bargain, especially at a time lockdown is in place and she is ignoring the current precautions.

Your DB is an arse projecting his concern/guilt into blame for you and DF who are not at fault. You certainly shouldn't be dragging yourself or potentially a 9m old out after 1am to hunt down your drunk DMs whereabouts.

I really hope you find her safe and well OP, it must be extremely difficult to deal with someone behaving like this. Whether she is deliberately going silent now to cause drama or god forbid something has happened you are well within your rights to report it to the police to put your mind at rest.

EricaNernie · 19/04/2020 14:00

has anyone access to her bank account? to see if she has spent any money and where?

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