When do you step in?

elvistheking44elvistheking44 Posts: 4,416
edited December 2012 in A Moving Train
This morning, as I was walking back to my house after dropping off my daughter at school I saw a young man, probably in his early 20's taking pictures of all the children walking into school. Believe me, I've never seen this man before and he was some distance from the school. When he noticed I saw him, he quickly stopped and started walking away whistling. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I took down his license plate as well as make and model of his car. Am I extremely paranoid due to the recent events in our world, or should I make a phone call........
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Comments

  • maj4emaj4e Posts: 605
    Sandy Hook or not you make the call. If it's benign he just answers a couple questions..
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,460
    This morning, as I was walking back to my house after dropping off my daughter at school I saw a young man, probably in his early 20's taking pictures of all the children walking into school. Believe me, I've never seen this man before and he was some distance from the school. When he noticed I saw him, he quickly stopped and started walking away whistling. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I took down his license plate as well as make and model of his car. Am I extremely paranoid due to the recent events in our world, or should I make a phone call........


    Absolutely call. At least the school to let them know. Maybe someone else has also reported this person at another time. Just be honest and stick to the facts. You have no idea what he was really doing. But I think it is something that warrants letting the school or police know about so they can look into it if they feel it necessary.

    Let the experts decide what is important to look into. Just give them the information.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • This morning, as I was walking back to my house after dropping off my daughter at school I saw a young man, probably in his early 20's taking pictures of all the children walking into school. Believe me, I've never seen this man before and he was some distance from the school. When he noticed I saw him, he quickly stopped and started walking away whistling. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I took down his license plate as well as make and model of his car. Am I extremely paranoid due to the recent events in our world, or should I make a phone call........


    phone call. no question.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • foodboyfoodboy Posts: 988
    you call the police. no question. these days you can never be too cautious. why would someone take pictures of kids then get spooked because you noticed them. make the call.
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,460
    foodboy wrote:
    you call the police. no question. these days you can never be too cautious. why would someone take pictures of kids then get spooked because you noticed them. make the call.

    You know, I agree to call, but you never know what this person was really doing. And you don;t know if they were spooked.

    Heck, they could work for a developer that wants to buy the land from the city. ;)

    All I'm saying, is don't be crazy, and don't pretend you are a detective. Just stick to the facts.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • Empty GlassEmpty Glass In Rob's shed Posts: 12,329
    Call and call now.

    Dude could be at home going through his pics looking for someone to abduct. You don't know what his plans are, so let the police do their job
    I've met Rob

    DEGENERATE FUK

    This place is dead

    "THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015

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  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    What is the worse thing that can happen from calling the police?
  • fife wrote:
    What is the worse thing that can happen from calling the police?


    Some innocent guy gets hard lined by the cops and snaps and grabs a gun and freaks out.

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,197
    A situation such as that one never ever hesitate to make the call to the authorities.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    fife wrote:
    What is the worse thing that can happen from calling the police?


    Some innocent guy gets hard lined by the cops and snaps and grabs a gun and freaks out.

    WOW! :shock:
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    A call won't hurt at all. As many said - stick to facts, don't give your possible interpretation to what you have noted.

    It may be nothing, but then again, this man may not be kosher. Better safe than sorry.
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,297
    Call. If the person has a good explanation he can give it. Why mess around?
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • fife wrote:
    fife wrote:
    What is the worse thing that can happen from calling the police?


    Some innocent guy gets hard lined by the cops and snaps and grabs a gun and freaks out.

    WOW! :shock:


    You asked. Would that not be the worst thing that could happen. I don't see the world like a lot of the peace loving people on this board.

    The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08

  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Doesn't pass the smell test; I'm with most of the others - call.

    Have you?
  • Yes. I spoke with the administration at school and they are taking care of it......
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    Good on you for calling. He could've been simply taking some pics for a newspaper or website report or he could've been mapping out something awful. Better safe than sorry.
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    Yes. I spoke with the administration at school and they are taking care of it......

    :thumbup:
  • DewieCox wrote:
    Good on you for calling. He could've been simply taking some pics for a newspaper or website report or he could've been mapping out something awful. Better safe than sorry.

    The school is right next to Depaul University, and I originally assumed he may be working on a school project, but why drive, and why take pics of kids as they are entering the building, and why walk away when I noticed.......
    It all just didn't sit right....
  • LloydXmasLloydXmas Posts: 7,539
    DewieCox wrote:
    Good on you for calling. He could've been simply taking some pics for a newspaper or website report or he could've been mapping out something awful. Better safe than sorry.

    The school is right next to Depaul University, and I originally assumed he may be working on a school project, but why drive, and why take pics of kids as they are entering the building, and why walk away when I noticed.......
    It all just didn't sit right....
    Nice work.
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    The school is right next to Depaul University, and I originally assumed he may be working on a school project, but why drive, and why take pics of kids as they are entering the building, and why walk away when I noticed.......
    It all just didn't sit right....

    I think it'd be pretty easy to feel like everybody is looking at you like you're doing something bad when taking pics of kids entering a school any time, much less a few days after a national incident.
  • JK_LivinJK_Livin South Jersey Posts: 7,365
    Yes. I spoke with the administration at school and they are taking care of it......
    I'd call the police as well. No offense to anyone but I've heard some mind numbing info get swept under the rug at my kid's Elementary School.
    Alright, alright, alright!
    Tom O.
    "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
    -The Writer
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    JK_Livin wrote:
    Yes. I spoke with the administration at school and they are taking care of it......
    I'd call the police as well. No offense to anyone but I've heard some mind numbing info get swept under the rug at my kid's Elementary School.
    There's been much (too much) the same within the LA school district.

    I think, in a way, this ties into some of the gun restriction/mental health discussions happening in other threads...the premise of looking out for one another. Same kind of thinking would apply here - something seems off, it hits your gut, your instinct, in the way that YOU know...it sets off alarms within. Too easy to put one's head in the sand and look the other way. To deny.

    Not calling for paranoia, obviously, but reacting to those moments that make you think something's not quite right?

    Gotta go for it.
  • JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,183
    I watched the film People Like Us over the weekend and it inspired some thought on this issue. No spoilers but at one point a father is in his car videotaping children in a playground. It is supposed to be heartfelt and beautiful, and if you take it at face value it is. However, I could not help thinking if I ever saw that happening my first call would be to the police.
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • foodboy wrote:
    you call the police. no question. these days you can never be too cautious. why would someone take pictures of kids then get spooked because you noticed them. make the call.

    You know, I agree to call, but you never know what this person was really doing. And you don;t know if they were spooked.

    Heck, they could work for a developer that wants to buy the land from the city. ;)

    All I'm saying, is don't be crazy, and don't pretend you are a detective. Just stick to the facts.

    Exactly... it could be a new father in the area taking pics of his kid's first day at the school, or it could be any of the valid reasons posted.

    But I would report what you saw, and let it go. Schools/police know how to address/assess this, and can question the guy if necessary.
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • This morning, as I was walking back to my house after dropping off my daughter at school I saw a young man, probably in his early 20's taking pictures of all the children walking into school. Believe me, I've never seen this man before and he was some distance from the school. When he noticed I saw him, he quickly stopped and started walking away whistling. I watched him get into his car and drive away. I took down his license plate as well as make and model of his car. Am I extremely paranoid due to the recent events in our world, or should I make a phone call........

    This is something you shouldn't have to think about regardless of what happened last week.

    Good for you for calling the school but call the cops.
  • I can recall at an outdoor Goo Goo Dolls concert in Vegas (at the Red Rock pool) I was distracted from the show by some 'flashing lights'. I looked over and there was this guy with a larger camera taking pictures up women's skirts (just holding the camera pointing upwards... just below waist level... snapping shots... while pretending to rock out).

    I shoved him and told the girls he had done this to- pointing at the guy who 'slipped' backwards through the crowd. We all shook our heads and continued to watch the show. A little while later, I saw the same 'flashes' that I had earlier- from a different part of the crowd.

    I stepped in- but not near the level I should have. I regretted not punching the creep in the face and maybe breaking his camera.

    OP... good awareness and good job phoning the school to have them deal with this. With the school on alert, they'll take measures to provide additional security and supervision until the cops can get to the situation. It's good giving them a chance to work through their protocol for incidents such as these.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • KatKat Posts: 4,872
    Trust your instincts. His behavior is suspicious and he stopped when he noticed you saw him. Make the phone call.
    Falling down,...not staying down
  • sure,make the call..
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • Kat wrote:
    Trust your instincts. His behavior is suspicious and he stopped when he noticed you saw him. Make the phone call.

    Its funny, I'm the least over protective Dad in the neighborhood. My kids are always cruising on there bikes and boards without helmets. I allow them to "gasp" walk across the street to friends house without me and as long as they are in a group they can walk to the park alone.......

    Instincts were very weird this morning, I couldn't get it out of my head. Glad I went to the school, they were all glad as well.....
  • JTHJTH Chicago Posts: 3,238
    Question: why is this posted in AMT? How is this a political discussion?
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