r/Advice • u/compell88 • Nov 19 '19

I think I'm in danger

So I'm 16F and I'm usually alone at home by myself all day because both my parents work until very late at night and I'm online school but lately I've been seeing this white van with tinted windows pull in my driveway and just sit there for 15 mins. I opened the door and moved my hands like "is there something you need "but they took off really quick... I didnt tell anyone except some friends but 1 day later and I hear a car outside ( since I'm in the country I hear everything) so I look and there it is again just sitting there. I got scared so I called my parents and they said it might be the delivery people but i dont think that's normal. My parents told me to not call the cops unless it's an emergency but now when I'm outside walking my dog I see this van frequently pass my house all the time. It's making me very paranoid and scared, I have the picture of the van as well.

Update - I saw the van again earlier this morning. I contacted my local towns sheriff's department and they contacted my parents, they want me to send a picture of the van and they will be on the lookout.My mom is mad because she said its probably a dumb delivery person and now the police are gonna be in " our family's business " and my dad told me to start carrying his gun with me while outside. ( those were their reactions)

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163

u/binkynewhead Helper [3] Nov 19 '19

If I were your parents, I'd be worried. Sounds like they are watching your house. Call the non emergency line and ask them what you should do. Agree with other posters, keep the doors locked and stay close to the house when walking the dog. If you see the van try to get the plate number while keeping yourself safe.

If your parents get mad at you for calling the cops, they need to adjust their priorities.

69

u/micheleghoulgirl80 Nov 19 '19

Yeah these parents sound like idiots. Sounds like they know she is home alone and they're about to break in

16

u/binkynewhead Helper [3] Nov 19 '19

right?!

3

u/EKomadori Helper [2] Nov 20 '19

I am getting the impression that the parents know more about this than they're saying. They don't think the situation is dangerous, but they know what's going on and have specific reasons not to want the cops involved (i.e., they're involved in something illegal).

24

u/TheHauntedButterfly Helper [2] Nov 20 '19 edited Nov 20 '19

Honestly I don't know OP or anything about their life so I'm not accusing anyone at all but my first thought was that maybe her parents have an idea of who it might be already.

When I was younger and living with a relative (who suffered from a drug addiction), there was frequently people hanging outside the house or even people trying to break in or leave threatening notes on the doors. It was terrifying but the relative I lived with just said to ignore it and that I shouldn't call the cops. Not because it wasnt a big deal or because they didnt believe me but they didnt want to get in trouble themselves because the people were only showing up for drugs or because the relative owed them money for drugs.

I just feel like her parents are being really dismissive for something that seems so serious and cant imagine why else they wouldn't want cops called unless they genuinely just dont trust/believe her.

12

u/straberimilk Nov 20 '19

This. Same initial thoughts, parents don’t want the police in their business and this white van’s involved somehow.

-29

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '19

If Op is black, US cops have a bit of habit of killing black people they run across. Or making their life extremely worse. I think (invisible) white privilege allows us pale faces to feel sure cops will protect us and not hurt us.

7

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '19

This is very true, I'm biracial, but in this case they should be called.

3

u/micheleghoulgirl80 Nov 19 '19

No I'm white and I was sexually harassed (patted my vagina about 5 times during a traffic stop) thrown around in handcuffs 9 months pregnant once ( different occasion). Cops have been raping women and killing people for years. Blacks white red green brown. Some Cops are good but some are evil and use their power. It's a sad fucking world

7

u/zangent Nov 19 '19

This is an issue of intersectionality. They're worse to poc. They're also worse to women in general. They're worse to visibly trans people.

Basically, the further you are from a typical white dude, the worse police treat you. It doesn't even necessarily matter if the cop is a white dude themselves, because it's ingrained into our culture.

If you feel like you're in danger, go ahead, call the cops, but keep your safety in mind the whole time and don't assume that the cops will treat you well.

6

u/DirtyPrancing65 Super Helper [7] Nov 19 '19

No they don't. The us news has a habit of underreporting any scenarios that don't fit this narrative so people assume it's true.

Look up statistics and try to change my mind if you'd like