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 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 would hope so.

When I was 6 I wrote "help me" on a piece of paper and held it up to the window during a particularly boring car journey. My poor dad got pulled over by the police 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hope you do get feedback

If you feel this way about it yes otherwise you will constantly wonder.

Police will make a welfare check if u raise a concern

Can anyone let me know what the outcome was? Thanks 😊

My first thought was that it might be a vulnerable person , living alone and is ill . They may have no food in the house and no one to help . Earlier in the pandemic I’m sure I heard of something like this on the news . The local people pulled their weight and looked after the elderly person .

No matter what, just make a phone call, what bother?

@nitsandwormsdodger

Shocked that everyone using the police rather than knocking on door

Seriously? Imagine you are the victim of DV and desperate for help. You manage to put a sign in the window to ask for help, then a passerby knocks on the door. Your abuser answers it, and the passerby then has to explain why they have knocked. He tells them that it’s just a joke and they go away. What happens next?

Police for sure

I heard a weird moaning noise coming from next door once, it didn't sound alarming but it was persistent over an hour or so. I plucked up the courage to knock on their door but no answer. I could still hear it. My instincts told me to ring the police. Next thing two police cars, a riot van and an ambulance turned up. I eventually had to interview with the serious sexual crimes team. Turns out my neighbour was being held hostage. They managed to catch the guy running over the fence. I never knew full details but it was dark and surreal. My neighbour posted a note sometime after to thank me for saving his life.

Anyway, what I'm saying is trust your instincts, it could save a life!

Ring the police. Don't knock on the door.

You are a thoughtful person.

OP RANG THE POLICE YESTERDAY

If you click on the helpful little button MN supplied recently which says "OP's posts: see all" you will be able to see what happened

Robots you were incredibly brave to knock the door. Yes calling the police is the right thing.

One day I had a confused message about pills from an elderly lady on my answer phone. I did 1471 to get the number and called the police. They later called me back to let me know she was ok. But it's better to get them to check things out than to leave someone potentially needing help or someone thinking they have seemed help when they haven't.

CaraDuneRedux
If you click on the helpful little button MN supplied recently which says "OP's posts: see all" you will be able to see what happened

Just for future ref - I can't see the button you mention- where is it please?

Wow it takes a special kind of smug to think you know your neighbours so intimately you know exactly what goes on behind their closed doors!

Well done op, hopefully it was a silly prank but its always best to be safe rather than sorry

@StoneofDestiny

CaraDuneRedux If you click on the helpful little button MN supplied recently which says "OP's posts: see all" you will be able to see what happened

Just for future ref - I can't see the button you mention- where is it please?

It's not a button as such it's the words “see all” at the bottom of all of the OP's posys

Yes definitely call the police. I was at home one evening and heard a small muffled voice over the back wall of my garden saying ‘help me’ and I called them. Later I got a call back from them thanking me and telling me a woman was being beaten up by her boyfriend. My call could have saved her life for all I know. Better safe than sorry!

@Wittywomble

Yes definitely call the police. I was at home one evening and heard a small muffled voice over the back wall of my garden saying ‘help me’ and I called them. Later I got a call back from them thanking me and telling me a woman was being beaten up by her boyfriend. My call could have saved her life for all I know. Better safe than sorry!

Clearly see all the OPs posts is a little known feature, she called the police many many posts ago

See all.

OMG thanks you for that. I never knew that existed.

What did you do ?

I’d have phoned the police definitely

@MustardY69

What did you do ?

I’d have phoned the police definitely

You're joking now surely or there's some kind of issue with reading ability on this thread

Well done OP.