Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have called 999?

40 replies

warmup · 27/05/2021 18:47

Driving home this evening on a busy A road. I was going about 65-70 and was in the right hand lane.

As I was about to move over I drove past a man on the opposite side of bridge railings arms stretched looking like he was about to jump.

Thinking 'oh my god' and not knowing what the drop was I called 999 to report. There was nowhere for me to pull over as there are no hard shoulders etc.

When I reported I said where I had been and said it was a bridge, potentially a railway (that kind of railing). I was thanked and my number taken.

I've received 2 calls since then asking me questions as they can't find anything. The second call had an air of you're wasting police time etc.

Since coming home and street viewing it seems it's a pedestrian underpass (I'll attach a picture). Now going that quickly and seeing someone the wrong side of the railings looking like they were about to jump I wanted to report it. I don't think I could've lived with myself if I hadn't and then something had happened. I'm not sure how big the drop is.

I feel terrible and like I've wasted time! Was I being unreasonable to report

To have called 999?
OP posts:
dexterslockedintheshedagain · 27/05/2021 20:00

You totally did the right thing.

Thegirlwithnousername · 27/05/2021 20:01

You totally did the right thing.
Years ago I was going over the Severn bridge from Wales to England at around 2am, Saw a young woman walking along the bridge, I wasn't sure about it and being only 18 I stopped about a mile down the road, Phoned the local police the call handler was quite rude and dismissive until I pointed out the time and where was she going, She was then thankful, Its been about 15 years but I still hope she was OK and just walking home and they found her.

SamanthaJayne4 · 27/05/2021 20:23

I have done the same OP. Turns out the man was train spotting! He was the wrong side of the railings so it did look worrying.

XenoBitch · 27/05/2021 20:37

So nice to see other people saying they have reported the same.. even if it turned out to be something innocent.

I know someone who was distressed on NYE.. sat on top of a multi-storey car park with legs on the wrong side. Had several party goers (went up to watch fire works) yell at them to jump, and they also heard people on the street notice them. No one called 999. After several hours sat there in the rain, they ended up calling them themselves.

Original poster
warmup · 27/05/2021 20:53

Seems like I've done the right thing. It could have been innocent but I'm confident in the fact that my very brief risk assessment flagged that it wasn't right.

Had I been in the left hand lane and only going 30 it may have been different but I can only go on what I saw very briefly.

I know if it was my loved one I'd be desperate for someone to have called so I'll take comfort in that.

I've received no more calls since so just going to try and put it to one side now

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 27/05/2021 21:51

Exactly the same thing happened to me a few months ago. I was driving along a country road and there was a girl sitting on the wall of a bridge over the railway. It took me a couple of minutes to be able to pull over safely to call 999.

When the police arrived, she had gone and I received three calls from different police teams as we're on a county border so police from both counties and British transport police all responded.

I had a fleeting moment of feeling bad for their wasted time but really, as passers by, it's our duty to report things like this to the police and leave the judgment as to how to respond up to them.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 27/05/2021 22:00

It is NEVER wasted time. Flowers

partyatthepalace · 27/05/2021 22:03

No of course not - someone’s life could have been saved. Absolutely the right thing.

Seesawmummadaw · 27/05/2021 22:05

You’ve not wasted their time and it’s not silly. You did the right thing.
So many people would ignore something like this. You sound lovely.

OppsUpsSide · 27/05/2021 22:06

You did the right thing, my brother jumped of a bridge last week, eternally grateful to the person who cared enough to call.

Taliskerskye · 27/05/2021 22:07

I had a chat with police who were called to a “waste of space time” suicide call out.

All they said to me was they were a thousand times happier that they didnt find someone dead:dying and that it is always the best outcome and that’s what they are for. Very kind indeed.

tiredvommachine · 27/05/2021 22:10

From another police officer, you did exactly the right thing. Thank you Flowers

Seesawmummadaw · 27/05/2021 22:30

@OppsUpsSide Flowers

Crazycakelady17 · 27/05/2021 23:05

Never a waste of time I have been that person on the bridge and if it wasn’t a lovely gent who sat with me till the emergency services I wouldn’t be here I also have lost a friend I met whilst sectioned to suicide from a bridge never ever a waste of time thank you op

CorianderBee · 28/05/2021 01:31

Better to report and be wrong than ignore and be wrong...

New posts on this thread. Refresh page