A stranger threatened to "shoot" me today when I was with my child. was I being unreasonable to call 999?

[BlackFriYay]

I was on my way to collect DC from school, toddler was with me on reins. The seats were full so we went upstairs where there was only a few seats left, next to other passengers.

I sat on the nearest one and put toddler on my knee, I didn't pay any attention to who I was sitting next to as i was sitting sideways with my feet in the aisle and my back to the person occupying the window seat. Toddler was squirming a bit and wanted to get down so as soon as another double seat became available we moved across there.

A man sitting in the area we moved from started playing loud music through his phone, some daft parody song on repeat.

As our stop approached I got up, lifted the little one and was walking towards the stairs, past the strange bloke with the music. As I passed him he said not to ever sit next to him again or he'll shoot me in the face. Confused as hell, I looked up as we got to the stairs to see if he was talking to me and he was. He then said "oh is that a woman?" IE me, then added "never mind I'm still going to do it" whilst making shot gun gestures toward me.

I couldn't get down the stairs quick enough and tried to tell the driver what had happened but he could barely hear me through the plastic. I didn't want a scene I just wanted to get as far away from the prick as I could.

In a panic I called 999 which I'm not sure was the right thing to do or not, perhaps 101 would have been more appropriate. They've made an appointment to come and see me at home on Tuesday which is the earliest appointment they have.

I asked whether they're going to make any attempt to look for the man as he seems dangerous threatening lone women with children. They said they'd circulate his description and If any officers see him they will talk to him?!

Do you think that is sufficient? Am I blowing this way out of proportion?

I felt so, so vulnerable and scared but they don't seem to think it's anything major.

no-you reacted. and that is normal.how the hell ANYONE is suggest ignore /random nutter is beyond me.
sure coulda just been-a nutter.Nutter that maybe needs accompanied when outside and guess what-id say that if you were a man too(seen as how people getting all ridiculous on here again)

Maybe a druggie.

I still remember a completely stranger threatening to "slice my fucking tits off", he was leaning right into my face, spittle going everywhere, all because he thought I'd looked at him. One of the (many, many) reasons I have anxiety going out in public and especially being near strange men.

It is unlikely but that doesn’t undermine the importance of reporting. Also think of it like this, that guy won’t have just done this as a one off. There may be so many other cases against him With potentially more serious and threatening crimes. Reports like this help up build up intelligence as a very minimum.

it really isnt a credible threat- he's clearly a nutter

For a start, they could check whether the vehicle had CCTV. In the unlikely event that there's a clear picture of the man's face, they could circulate it.

If they don't at least try, then they certainly won't catch him.

It doesn't matter though, does it? The threat itself is unacceptable.

She has the right to be in a public space without being threatened with death, whether or not the person actually intends to kill her.

Well they've got the funding to charge a woman in Hebden Bridge with a non crime hate incident for having the temerity to take a photograph os a sticker that said a woman is an adult human female.

So I'm going to say, yes they've got the funding. They just misuse the money.

My God, what a fucking nutter.

I hope you're ok.

I'm just catching up on replies. Thank you all.

Yes, it was the 75 heading to Lewisham. I use that bus fairly often for the school run and I've never had a problem before, there's always loads of teenagers some of who can be a bit rowdy messing about and what not, but never anything like this.

I've spoken to my friend who lives along that route and she has told me about a bloke she has come across that may well be the same man. Apparently he was stood at the bus stop I boarded from and he was shouting at the people around him, including an elderly lady, swearing and making threats. They all left to get away from him.

It could be a completely different guy ofc but it's a bit shit to think there's more than one on the same route.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain

You would know being a call handler that the THRive for that would be pretty low given what was said and the circs, and, as I said about 4 hours ago it's clearly a PO offence...

I think you were right and the police obviously do too as they’ve made an appointment to see you.

OP

You did the right thing. I would have been too shocked to do anything, so pat on the back for you

Report the vermin - possibly call the bus garage and tell them to keep the CCTV footage as at times police incompetence is breathtaking.

You are right, the man of flesh could easily shoot someone else. - could be serious MH problems or just a nasty piece of shit.

Well done - you have my sull support. Discuss with family etc but not with anyone you don't trust or has a big mouth - good luck

On the bus cctv, the man making gun gestures may have been caught on cam a

Not surprised when you updated with the area OP, I think I've encountered this person too or someone very similar. Unfortunately in London I think we do all just ignore as we're desensitised to it, there are several similar local 'characters' I've encountered over the years. Sorry this happened to you, I don't think I'd personally have called the police but that's not to say it wasn't the right thing to do, and I hope they follow up on it. Hope you're feeling okay.

Goodness, I've only read the first page and all those utter fools who are saying you did the wrong thing, he obviously wouldn't really shoot you ... Ignore them. Dangerous idiots.

You were absolutely right to contact the police and I hope you've contacted the bus company for video of him. They probably won't show you without the police say so, but you need to tell them so they don't erase any visual information of this horrible man.

This is very helpful thank you, I'll call them tomorrow and ask for the CCTV. If they're not in the office on Saturdays I'll call back first thing on Monday.

I don't think I'm in danger of him coming to find me no, but at the point of rushing off the bus I was worried he was going to get off at the next stop and pursue me (just as a PP suspected would cross my mind) hence the 999 call.

The problem is random nutters actually kill people. Did you not hear about the Nottingham attacks?

I think you might be referring to fritz. Yes I've come across him 🙈 I linked an article about him earlier in the thread as he went to prison for doing the same thing.

He gave me a fright one day when I came out of a shop on Broadway, having never seen him before. My then-partner knew him well, being from here, so was able to reassure me that he's ok.

The last time I saw him he was stopping traffic to let women and children cross the road 🙂

I appreciate it's unpleasant and you didn't do anything wrong in reporting it. I wouldn't bother, though.

There was a man in my local park (medium Welsh town, not London). Used to hang around little children's playground all the time. Clearly mental issues. He used to sit down just outside the playground's gate and talk/argue with himself. Muttered all sorts: 'blood revenge', 'stab them all', 'kill them all' and similar. Didn't mention children, but it wasn't pleasant.

I reported him a few times and so did many other parents who frequented the playground with their children. Nothing was done, he still kept coming there, I used to see him in the park whenever I went.

Now I don't know if he ever hurt anyone. Likely he didn't, and was just an ill man. But it's not normal talk about stabbings, killings, blood and revenge just outside the children's playground. Police didn't give a single shit.

This is so true. Where I was raised shit like this is just par for the course and you get so desensitised but retrospectively it’s so prolific because no one challenges it.

Ahh that's ok then, leave this man to go around threatening women.

Hope you are ok op , how frightening

Actually, the police have said that in circumstances like this a 999 call is justified as they can alert officers in the area whereas 101, well, too late. However, not sure a mentally unwell man causing you distress merits this. I am sorry this happened to you

@Rightsraptor Dangerous idiots indeed. Even if he doesn’t have a gun, it’s not unreasonable to assume that he is capable of serious violence.

I had two very close encounters with violent men with serious mental health issues in my 20s. I won’t describe the incidents as they’re a bit outing, but last time I heard one of them had been sectioned for attacking his neighbour with a hammer and I know the other one had spent time in jail for violent crime before I even met him (I wasn’t aware of this before I hung out with him).

I’ve read many stories of people attacked or killed by mentally ill people and in most cases they were acting bizarrely or in an intimidating manner in the days or hours leading up to the violence, but people just shrugged it off.

So it’s beyond me why some people are dismissing it on the basis of “he’s probably mentally unwell” as if that means he can’t be a danger?

To be clear, I’m not saying all or most mentally ill people are a danger, but anyone, mentally ill or not, should be considered a danger if they make threats like that.

Thank you. I'm also from up north (not Liverpool but not a million miles from it) and I said exactly the same thing to my friend this evening. He wouldn't get away with it there as other people would've jogged him on. I'm also certain that the police would have attended, I've seen a fast response for much less.

One of the things that I have noticed about London is that people are very reluctant to get involved in things even if somebody needs help.

I came across a man laid unconscious in the middle of the pavement with blood coming out of his mouth. People were just walking around him, some idiot was stood across the road taking pictures. My first instinct was to call an ambulance and fortunately a police car was passing shortly after so I was able to flag them down for help. Nobody else bothered, not their circus not their monkeys.

I've seen that attitude so many times in all manner of circumstances. People just don't seem to care about others that much here.