Missing Persons

[sinkoman]

So I saw a sheet of paper blowing in the wind at the skatepark today. Chased it down and unclogged it from a fence, only to see that it was a missing persons flyer.

I thought "holy shit, that's some heavy shit man. I wonder how long this kid's been gone for, might be dead by now or some shit like that".

Checked the date. "Last seen 3-29-09"

Jesus ****ing christ. And I thought I had seen the worst that this WASP infested upper middle class shithole had to offer.

 

[Raziaar]

Yeah, when I see those I always wonder... okay I'm looking at this and obviously I cannot help, I haven't seen this person... but what about those people who are in the capacity to see these people. To catch a glimpse of them somehow. Did they see the flier? Probably not... but if they had maybe something could have been done.

I can't even begin to imagine how terrible it would be for a family, to not have that sense of closure... to always be wondering. Fearing the worst, the likelihood, but hoping it's somehow not the case.

 

[Jintor]

Sinkoman's point was that the kid's only been missing for two days, which is apparently not enough time to show that you care about someone gone missing. I don't know this scale we're running on, but I suppose you have to wait a week before you're allowed to see if they're around.

Let me tell you if my brother went missing I would have posters around my neighbourhood in a shot. But then again he's 12, so I dunno, maybe the comparison isn't valid.

 

[Warped]

GPS tracking devices will change all that, unfortunately most cause Cancer in animals

 

[sinkoman]

Yeah, when I see those I always wonder... okay I'm looking at this and obviously I cannot help, I haven't seen this person... but what about those people who are in the capacity to see these people. To catch a glimpse of them somehow. Did they see the flier? Probably not... but if they had maybe something could have been done.

I can't even begin to imagine how terrible it would be for a family, to not have that sense of closure... to always be wondering. Fearing the worst, the likelihood, but hoping it's somehow not the case.

I don't get it though. How can your kid be gone a day and suddenly he's a "missing person".

Not only that, but a 17-18 year old boy that, from what I saw in the picture, could deffo handle himself against an assailant.

Sinkoman's point was that the kid's only been missing for two days, which is apparently not enough time to show that you care about someone gone missing. I don't know this scale we're running on, but I suppose you have to wait a week before you're allowed to see if they're around.

Let me tell you if my brother went missing I would have posters around my neighbourhood in a shot. But then again he's 12, so I dunno, maybe the comparison isn't valid.

Like I said, the kid was about 17-18 (don't remember the exact b-day).

 

[Raziaar]

The first however many hours/days are always the most critical really... there's never a moment too soon to start looking in my opinion. I mean, when you think about what's at stake, it's not really one of those things I think could be thought of as overreacting and jumping the gun too soon. If you think somebody is genuinely missing and hasn't showed up, you start your ass checking... contacting family, friends who may know something.

If your fears are unfounded, then you'll quickly find the person, no big deal... but if they are founded, you got the jump on the gun and maybe that will help.

 

[sinkoman]

The first however many hours/days are always the most critical really... there's never a moment too soon to start looking in my opinion. I mean, when you think about what's at stake, it's not really one of those things I think could be thought of as overreacting and jumping the gun too soon. If you think somebody is genuinely missing and hasn't showed up, you start your ass checking... contacting family, friends who may know something.

If your fears are unfounded, then you'll quickly find the person, no big deal... but if they are founded, you got the jump on the gun and maybe that will help.

I guess.

If I woke up and my 18 year old kid wasn't home though, i'd assume he just woke up in a puddle of his own barf.

 

[Raziaar]

I guess.

If I woke up and my 18 year old kid wasn't home though, i'd assume he just woke up in a puddle of his own barf.

Not everybody is going to be so ultra worried like that, or really have reason to worry... given the nature of their kids and how they know things to be.

If you have a parent who knows their teen is always staying out late or some shit, they're typically probably not going to go straight into assuming they're missing. It's a case by case, person by person, family by family thing really.

Somebody like me for example, I'd probably be a good case for missing persons if I was gone for more than a few hours unless I told somebody where I was going(out walking for a couple hours or some shit). Why? Because I have a reputation of being a no-life and being home all the time. And so when that pattern is broken, things become worrisome for people who might have a stake in your safety.


I can totally understand how you feel about it, but I would just have to say that it's really a case by case basis on the individual... who they are, what they typically do, what's out of the ordinary for them etc.

 

[Zeus]

Maybe if you had a kid you'd understand and be worried if you hadn't seen them in a few days. Also let me express my condolences that you had to walk through a "white upper middle class infested shithole" and see such things as concerned parents looking for their missing children.

 

[sinkoman]

Maybe if you had a kid you'd understand and be worried if you hadn't seen them in a few days. Also let me express my condolences that you had to walk through a "white upper middle class infested shithole" and see such things as concerned parents looking for their missing children.

Yes, because we all know that at 18 years old, being gone for a day means you're probably dead.

 

[Reginald]

The rule in my house is, given a few obvious exceptions, get home 12 hours after your phone battery dies. In other words, if mum hasn't been able to get hold of me for 12 hours, unless she knows I'm going to be gone longer, she will start to worry.

It's a good system that works well providing there is trust on both sides.

Just thought you all ought to know.