What would you do if you saw a sign in a window saying "help me"

[Lois345]

I saw a sign in a window today saying "help me." It was one of those neat black framed boards that you can write on by moving little white plastic letters around. It was facing the street. Would you call the police? Do you think they would respond to this? I live in Edinburgh, if that makes any difference (maybe someone here with local knowledge of the police)

I think you made the right decision. There can be a variety of reasons for signs like these, from "jokes" to very serious. My friends mum used to write things like this in lipstick on her bedroom window because she didnt realise she had dementia and had to be stopped from wandering (she thought she was 19 and was being prevented from eloping with the husband she lived with). The police got to understand the situation but many kindly people rang them to check that everything was ok.

I would first knock on the door. If there was no answer I would call the police and say there is a concern for the welfare of the person due to the sign in the window. The police will come out (maybe within an hour) and if necessary break the door down.
I couldn't ignore a notice like that in a house window.

@SallyB392

I would dial 999 immediTely

I would read the fucking thread.

Or at least just read the OPs posts.

If only there was a quick and easy way to do that. Shame that nobody has mentioned this before or maybe posted some helpful screenshots to explain how to do that.

FFS.

It's a thing that students are doing because of covid and self isolation.
I guess there is a chance it's genuine though.

Glad someone posted the hand signal. Please watch the video, everyone! It's 30 seconds and could make a different to a woman suffering from dv.

I would read the fucking thread.

Or at least just read the OPs posts.

If only there was a quick and easy way to do that. Shame that nobody has mentioned this before or maybe posted some helpful screenshots to explain how to do that.

FFS.

I would scroll past a one line answer from someone who obviously hadn't RTFT but hadn't said anything offensive or unpleasant or unhelpful. It would take a lot less time than making an angry post about it. FFS.

I would read the fucking thread

Or maybe you should read what the op asked. Which is 'what should you do if...'

@steppemum

*I am really curious about what you woudl do next. That youtibe video showed someone on a zoom call, and the other person makes the signal.

What do you do next?
if you call the police, would they attend the house?
Would they do it in such a way as to get the victim out?
I'm not sure I have enough faith in them not to be sidetracked by a 'pleasant' smiling guy saying - Oh my wife is just napping etc and then shutting the door.

Would police persist?*

I don’t think I’d have faith either. When I was younger I was in care. When I was released back to my parents, my social workers came to check on me. My parents told them I was out (I wasn’t, I was upstairs) and that everything was fine and I was released from care. The abuse went on for years after.

You did the right thing OP. Hope it was just a daft joke but you never know

Did you hear anything more from the police?

To those of you still wondering.
No, the police never got back to me and I do not know whether the sign is still there as I live in the other end of town.