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faintly disturbing phone message
May. 12th, 2006 11:58 amThere was a message on my answering machine this morning, supposedly from the police department of the next town over. The recording said they were looking for a lost child in my area, and needed my help finding her. This was particularly urgent as the child needs medical assistance. It went on to describe a 16-year-old girl, last seen at (address between my apartment building and the high school), dressed like the scruffier sort of teenager I'm accustomed to seeing this close to high schools. And it gave a phone number to call if I saw her or had any information.
I don't know if this is a new form of standard police practice, to call everyone in the neighborhood. With the recent information about the NSA tracking phone calls, it makes me feel vaguely stalked by the government, for all that my phone number and address are matters of public record.
I think I'd feel less uneasy about it if they were mobilizing in search of a lost child of six. Certainly there are 16-year-olds in need of help or rescue -- I've given lots of them directions or bus fare. But if a 16-year-old girl needs to be found and brought home, the problem does not seem to be that of a "lost child." Maybe it's disability, or some kind of abuse. I have no idea what's going on with this situation, if this girl needs help, or if whoever left the recorded message intends to help her. It just feels creepy.
I don't know if this is a new form of standard police practice, to call everyone in the neighborhood. With the recent information about the NSA tracking phone calls, it makes me feel vaguely stalked by the government, for all that my phone number and address are matters of public record.
I think I'd feel less uneasy about it if they were mobilizing in search of a lost child of six. Certainly there are 16-year-olds in need of help or rescue -- I've given lots of them directions or bus fare. But if a 16-year-old girl needs to be found and brought home, the problem does not seem to be that of a "lost child." Maybe it's disability, or some kind of abuse. I have no idea what's going on with this situation, if this girl needs help, or if whoever left the recorded message intends to help her. It just feels creepy.
