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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you report a 12 year old unattended on a train?

300 replies

GloGirl · 22/03/2021 00:09

If you saw two 12 year olds on a train without a grown up would you report it?

"Any adults who saw two 12-year-olds getting off a train on their own should have questioned that."

YABU - call the police!
YANBU - no, I wouldn't

BBC News - Missing Balloch schoolgirls spent night locked inside train
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-56476935

Really weird story.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 24/03/2021 10:09

No, I wouldn't think twice about it.

MRex · 24/03/2021 10:17

Anytime 8pm - 6am and I'd ask little kids if they were ok to decide if or what to do. In the daytime, no, I think it's quite normal to have some freedom to get around - at 12 I was allowed out with friends on the tube into London or locally (couple of stops max) by myself. I see loads of children getting the bus or train to school and out to do stuff. People have maybe got unused to all that because of lockdown.

Obviously the train crew are expected to check the train is empty, so that's an issue.

Toddlerteaplease · 24/03/2021 10:26

I agree that mum is looking for someone to blame. I thought the whole thing was odd when I first read about it. Did she call the police?

Mittens030869 · 24/03/2021 10:31

It’s the responsibility of the parents. My DD1 will he 12 on Sunday and she’s very emotionally immature for her age (she’s adopted and has SEN). But that’s DH’s and my responsibility, no one else’s. She looks very grown up, so I no wouldn’t expect random members of the public to speak up!

It’s just a way for the mum to blame someone else other than herself. Hmm

Graphista · 24/03/2021 10:36

@Cocomarine yea reports can be misleading even a couple of hours worth of cctv would be a pain to go through and I reckon they'd have had quite a big window to look at here.

The local knowledge is interesting yes

The one who has had her name not mentioned publicly will still be known all over Balloch and the punishment of going to school will be bad enough.

You're right that the name will be known, but i don't think it'll be a punishment, unfortunately infamy is more likely. There'll be a sort of kudos to the whole thing.

Obviously the train crew are expected to check the train is empty, so that's an issue.

It's been proven they did - twice

IHaveBrilloHair · 24/03/2021 10:41

Actually given what I know of that school you might be right, I didn't think of that.

IHaveBrilloHair · 24/03/2021 10:47

I'd just go from the SECC to Partick and from there back to the Burgh.
I can actually hear the trains from my house, but I'm so used to them now I don't register the times.
I do register the bloody loud work on the passenger bridge though which makes me wonder why they didn't get the attention of the workers 🤔

DdraigGoch · 24/03/2021 10:49

If the work on the bridge is "bloody loud", presumably the workers would have been unable to hear them.

murbblurb · 24/03/2021 10:57

the kids dicked about (as kids do), lied badly (as kids do) and there were consequences. No-one died. Lesson learned.

mum needs to be punishing not whinging.

Mittens030869 · 24/03/2021 11:09

It was a prank that will have scared them in the end. I think the likelihood is that they won’t pull that stunt again.

IHaveBrilloHair · 24/03/2021 13:04

@DdraigGoch
There's quiet periods in between the banging, there's no way the guys wouldn't have heard.
There's plenty of flats round about too, though with the work going on its possible people would have though it was to do with that.
I can literary the beeping of the doors opening from my house and there's others closer.

DdraigGoch · 24/03/2021 13:55

Door warbles are pretty loud though. Someone knocking on the window? You'd have to be within a few yards of them.

CatsHairEverywhere2 · 28/03/2021 19:36

Read that and thought it sounded like the girls had come up with a load of horseshit, parents ate it up. Would be really interested to see the cctv on the trains.

CatsHairEverywhere2 · 28/03/2021 19:36

Oops, I should have RTFT before posting!

Mrsjayy · 28/03/2021 19:38

Silly girls honestly what were they thinking.

jskei · 28/03/2021 19:47

Geeze I used to walk my brother and sister to school at 7. I went on to run my own company.

Now to think if it was happening now I could face swat called on me. How bloody terrifying and judgey.

Haydenjaydenokayden · 28/03/2021 20:23

My 12 year old gets the train to school with other 12 (and younger) year olds.

Di11y · 28/03/2021 22:07

Sounds like they might have got on a train quite late. If it was after 7pm I'd be a little worried.

AndAPartridgeInABearTree · 28/03/2021 22:15

No I wouldn't.

SheldonesqueIsUnwell · 28/03/2021 22:22

The only thing bloody terrifying and judgey is the mother who is willing to blame everyone and his mother for her daughter’s actions and her inaction.

I’ll quite happily be judgey on that.
I might stop short at the swat team and just hoof their arses.

IHaveBrilloHair · 29/03/2021 01:07

No one I know locally has any sympathy.
There's a good reason for that...

PenfoldPenny · 03/04/2021 23:01

"They boarded the 10:17pm train" - and yet somehow the mother thinks its everyone elses responsibility to have spotted them. What the heck were two 12yo girls doing out at that time in the first place!

Cokie3 · 03/04/2021 23:39

Kids as young as 9 use trains and public transport to go to school (at least where I am). Who the hell reports a 12 year old? Wtf is wrong with these people? Do these people expect their parents to go on the trains to take them to school?

KatChocolate · 04/04/2021 09:32

Hmm the ‘fell asleep’ excuse Hmm

No doubt Mum was worried sick, but she’s blaming everyone but the girls!

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