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)

The police can check their systems for previous calls the the address, check to see who the occupiers are and if they have had any previous police involvement and make enquiries to establish the nature of the sign
It may very well be a prank but it could just be that someone does need help of some sort.

I would also call police or knock on... Which would probably depend on arbitrary assumptions about area, time of day, ability to run away, my own confidence at the time...

I would contact the police.

Yes notify the police, It does sound like a (not particularly funny and extremely immature) joke because of what it’s written on. Even if it is a joke, whoever did it needs to me spoken to about how inappropriate it is.

Or alternately a third of my village are in serious difficulty. They are largely American service personnel though. Also around are massive 4 foot spiders and multi story height webs. Plus new gravestones in the garden.

I would call the police, just in case. It's likely nothing but you never know. I'm in Scotland too but this would be my advice wherever you lived.

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

Much safer. What are you going to say to the chap that answers? 'Theres a help me sign in your window- is everything OK?'

What do you then do when he reassures you that everything is fine, shuts the door, goes upstairs and attacks his wife?

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

Not shocking at all, you don't know what might be on the other side of the door. If it is genuine there might be an angry partner wanting to know why you were knocking. This might result in you getting a battering or an excuse being made that it's just a joke and then when you leave, the person putting the sign up getting a battering. Or worse. Police may already know what is going on at the house and can go prepared if they know it is genuine or are better trained to spot something amiss.

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

If it is something like DV or a child being abused. The person answers the door, is charming and smiley and says all is well and then you go off happily while they go and take it out on their victim,

@nitsandwormsdodger what would you say the person that answered the door?

Don’t knock on the door. That’s incredibly silly, you could be putting yourself or others in danger.

I would call the police. It might be a Halloween thing but its better to act then to hear bad news later

I’d also call police and take a photo

Definitely call the police. If it's a poor attempt at humour, let the police reprimand them for it. It could be something really serious.

Definitely call police and do not knock at door. Please let us know you have done this or people will be worrying about it.

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

I'm shocked that anyone is saying knock on the door. If it's a genuine plea for help then what is OP gonna achieve by knocking on the door? Somehow magically rescue the person? More likely make the person who answers aware of the message and put whoever wrote it at greater risk.

I can't see any positive outcome of knocking on the door. Likewise I can't see any negative outcome of calling the police.

@Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone

Or alternately a third of my village are in serious difficulty. They are largely American service personnel though. Also around are massive 4 foot spiders and multi story height webs. Plus new gravestones in the garden.

How many have no decorations but have ‘help me’ sign, in the window?

Sorry to do the Mumsnet cliche but "my DH is a police officer and he says" they would definitely take this seriously.

I would report just in case .Most likely nothing but you never know!

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

You're the person in the horror movies that hears weird noises and goes down into the dark basement, aren't you?

There's a 99% chance it's a joke of some kind, but a 1% chance it's not, so you can't risk it.

As in any situation where there is doubt - it may be genuine, it may not be - you’re doing the right thing in contacting the police either way aren’t you.

Definitely phone police

I'm not understanding the references to Halloween. Am I being thick? What would a help me sign have to do with Halloween. which isn't for another 10 days anyway.

You're the person in the horror movies that hears weird noises and goes down into the dark basement, aren't you?

🤣