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)

[justasking111]

@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?

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

[Shutupyoutart]

I think if it were me i would call the police its prob nothing but better safe then sorry and if i did nothing it would play on my mind.

[LaBellina]

Definetly call the police.
If it's a prank it needs adressing but you also could be saving someone's life.
If I saw it and didn't do anything, I would keep wondering if I lost the opportunity to help someone in a dangerous situation, which would make me feel very uncomfortable.

[Bluesheep8]

serendipityjane thank you for posting that link. I think that's the most important thing I've seen today.

OP - phone the bloody police!!!

[ThisIsntMeHonestGuv]

@justasking111 but what would you say, when you don't know if it is someone that is perpetrating child/domestic abuse that answers the door?

[MitziK]

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

Because if there's domestic violence involved, they don't want to deal with an angry perpetrator who now knows their victim has put up a message asking for help?

Because if somebody is ill and can't get up, no answer could mean they don't get the help which would involve forcing entry, something police/fire brigade can do, not your average passer by?

Because if it's a scam/subterfuge to get a well wisher coming in with nobody knowing where they are, they don't want to be the target of it?

[babygroups]

@justasking111 is there also no domestic abuse?

I live somewhere incredibly safe too but I wouldn't think me knocking on the door and potentially alerting an abuser to the fact that their victim had a sign in the window would help matters at all.

[CutToChase]

How dumb would you have to be to knock on the door? Then a potential abuser would know their victim is trying to get help

[TheSoapyFrog]

I'd definitely call the police and ask them to do a welfare check. Could be nothing, but equally it could be someone vulnerable who needs rescuing.

I live in a nice little village and I'd still call the police before I knocked on the door.

[Idroppedthescrewinthetuna]

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

Where domestic abuse still happens behind closed doors and a knock on the door could equal death for the victim.

Hope you have called the police OP! Hopefully it is just somebody messing around who didn't think of the worry this may have caused!

[grenlei]

I think this is a situation where calling police is justified.

It could be someone who is physically (or mentally) very unwell. Better to have a professional deal with that. Also god forbid, what if they have passed away - I wouldn't want to force entry to anyone's home and certainly not if I might find a body.

Equally if it's students doing it as a prank for Tiktok or whatever, the police showing up might stop them from doing it again.

[DeliciouslyFemale]

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

And absolutely no physical or sexual abuse, behind closed doors. 🙄

[StuckInTheMiddleAndBoo]

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

Well why didn't you say so? It's well known that rural Wales has no domestic violence or child abuse.

[StealthPolarBear]

@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 . . .

Right now with covid, the dark and murky streets are safer than the reveller-packed shops

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid

Because domestic abuse never, ever happens in rural "naice" areas, does it? And no abuser ever came across to all the neighbours as a charming, caring person whilst leathering their partner behind closed doors?

How many times have we all read newspaper stories about some guy who murdered his wife after years of abuse, only for all the neighbours to say how charming he always was, always so helpful and kind...

[justasking111]

@StuckInTheMiddleAndBoo

rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

Well why didn't you say so? It's well known that rural Wales has no domestic violence or child abuse.

Exactly I know all my neighbours.

[Donkeeey]

@justasking111
rural Wales actually where we have no knifings, no drug problem, just caring neighbours which has been brought to the fore during covid.

Your faith in your community makes my blood run cold. My step-grandad was an absolute pillar of the community. Helped everyone, everyone thought he was a grand old fella, even my parents. Such a caring, lovely, soft spoken family man. Apart from when he babysat me or I had to go and stay with him, then we had "our little secret and if you tell anyone, they won't believe you and you'll be taken away for lying and you won't see your mummy and daddy anymore!" If I had plucked up courage to put that sign up and someone random had knocked on the door and he was there and had found out, he would have charmed them away and I dread to think what would have happened when the door closed... Please don't think you know your small rural community. Not even if you are related to some of them...

[QuitMoaning]

I had a similar dilemma and decided if I went to help and it was not an issue, I would look a bit stupid but if I did nothing and drove away then someone could be lying there seriously injured, possibly dead.

I decided that looking stupid was much more acceptable than potentially leaving someone injured.

I am glad I went back as although not serious, they did require some help. I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t gone back despite it not being very serious.

[mummyh2016]

@justasking111

My aunt knew her neighbours really well. It didn't stop one of those neighbours from murdering his partner and step children.

[Bluesheep8]

Has OP rung the police or not? This is concerning a lot of people now.

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

@justasking111

Exactly I know all my neighbours.

You know @StuckInTheMiddleAndBoo's comment was sarcastic, right?

[Pyewhacket]

Call the Police.

[Idroppedthescrewinthetuna]

Exactly I know all my neighbours

Oh dear! This is probably the most upsetting thing I have read in a while!

Your neighbours could be violent abusers, kidnappers! You only know what they show the outside world. The saying 'you never know what is happening behind closed doors' is such a true saying. You are either oblivious to the world or actually believe the area you live is so superior nothing bad can ever happen...both of these are really naive!

You have made me think about calling my ex and telling him the abuse he put me through was wrong as we lived in one of the most expensive areas of the city, close community, everybody 'knew' everybody. Crime rates were nothing. Silly him, he abused in the wrong area!

[steppemum]

I sort of get where Justasking is coming from.

When you live in a good community, you do knock and help eahc other etc.

I think it is only after being on mn for so long that my view of DV has shifted and I have become more aware.

Nowadays I would assume that the person needing help couldn't come to the door, and I'll call the police

[fortran]

I live in a predominantly student area so I'd ignore it. They're always putting messages in windows.