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)

[workshy44]

Yes unless the house is full of Halloween decorations I would call the police.

[Divebar]

I’m a police officer and if I saw it I would assume it was genuine and not a prank. I would call police and report it - if it is a prank it’s a pretty shit one and needs addressing. The only way I would knock on the door or go to the address myself would be if I could see or hear something to indicate that urgent immediate intervention was necessary. ( the account of the child writing “ help me” next to his bed is awful and exceptionally upsetting). Please don’t ever assume things are innocent when the alternative is really horrific

[justasking111]

@nitsandwormsdodger

Knock on the door would've my first move , hopefully "joke" or shit attempt at art

Where I live, a knock on the door would be my first move, appreciate we do not all live where I do.

[DeliciouslyFemale]

@workshy44

Yes unless the house is full of Halloween decorations I would call the police.

My children lived in a house that was always absolutely covered in decorations on every holiday you could think off. Didn’t stop their birth parents from abusing them. It doesn’t just happened in neglected looking homes.

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

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?

And when being chased by a murderous knife-wielding psychopath, runs through several empty streets into the deserted pitch-dark park, rather than into nearby the brightly-lit shopping area full of happy revellers . . .

[DeliciouslyFemale]

Where I live, a knock on the door would be my first move, appreciate we do not all live where I do.

So, no one gets abused in nice areas?

[Eviebeans]

Unless you've got your super hero Cape on and special powers it would be silly to knock on the door

[PleasantVille]

@chrislilleyswig

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.

I was thinking that too, why would you assume Halloween?

I'd take a photo and call the non emergency police number

[SoupDragon]

Where I live, a knock on the door would be my first move, appreciate we do not all live where I do.

What good will knocking on the door do? You won't be able to tell anything from whoever answers it.

[JaffaCake70]

Has OP been back? I'll worry about this now, I want to know that all is well...

[AwaAnBileYerHeid]

"Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door"

@nitsandwormsdodger And I'm equally as shocked that someone would consider knocking on the door. Just think about it, you knock on the door, man answers, you say 'there's a help me sign on your property, are you ok? He says yeah, fine, just the kids playing a prank, thanks you and shuts the door. He then goes upstairs and beats the living daylight out of his wife for her 'misdemeanor'. You have also prevented someone who can actually help from attending to assess the situation ie police, by attending yourself and not letting trained professionals deal with it or even become aware of it.

[Florencex]

@justasking111

Very naive. Please don’t ever do that if you come across a surreptitious plea for help. You could be signing someone’s death warrant, no matter how nice your neighbourhood is.

[fourandnomore]

As with everyone else please call the police. Can you update us as I’d have been worried too seeing that. I’d find that a weird Halloween prank so early in October frankly.

[GreyishDays]

@Devlesko

I would and did.
I was 18, no kids of my own, didn't know what to do, so went to a phone box, no mobiles then.
It turned out to be a child in danger, read about the awful case in local newspaper.
It may well be nothing, but you'd never forgive yourself if you heard something awful had happened.

Gawd. How awful.

[ThisIsntMeHonestGuv]

Where I live, a knock on the door would be my first move, appreciate we do not all live where I do

But what then? If someone is being abused, and someone that could be the abuser opens the door what do you say?

[IMNOTSHOUTING]

I'd assume it was probably a joke but alert the police anyway and let them decide.

[Eviebeans]

Sometimes you just can't imagine what is going on behind your neighbour's front door
If the police do attend and there is a problem they can use their powers to remove child (if that is the case) to a place of safety

[ForTheLoveOfDoughtnuts]

I'd call the police.

[alphabetsoup1980]

Call the police!!

[52andblue]

@CaraDuneRedux

Police.

50/50 student prank versus woman suffering domestic violence and unable to escape.

If the latter, you've helped an incredibly vulnerable woman in a dangerous situation. If the former, the police will kick their arses for wasting time, which will also be a good outcome.

THIS ^

[JuliaJohnston]

Where I live, a knock on the door would be my first move, appreciate we do not all live where I do
Where on earth do you live, that's so different from everywhere else?
Stepford?

[sapnupuas]

Because it might be an ill thought out Halloween decoration.

[Grapesoda7]

I would phone the police.

[SoupDragon]

@sapnupuas

Because it might be an ill thought out Halloween decoration.

And it might not.

[sapnupuas]

I'm not disputing that it might not; I'm explaining why people keep referring to Halloween.