# Leave a message...beeeep..."Police here; your son is dead." **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718 "2003-07-11T14:43:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/21 "2003-07-12T01:27:35Z")
Heh. Way to soften up Dad about your arrest. Made him grateful you were alive! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/22 "2003-07-12T04:36:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I would’ve asked :"What is your name and who do you work for? > > Then said: " I’m lodging a complaint ya cunt, how do you sleep at night?!" I was too flustered. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/23 "2003-07-12T07:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Venoma \* > Jesus. > > Was the man raised by wolves? > > 😕 How dare you diss wolves!!! ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/24 "2003-07-12T07:51:41Z")
Very large family here. Have been notified of a death by answering machine before. They do not have unlimited time to make unlimited calls to make sure all 3,257 relatives hear it form a close relative who understands. Heck, I’ve been forgotten in the process and missed a funeral or three. Direct family is not good, I agree. As a people we _try_ to be compassionate. Sometimes there is just no way. All who want to hang the poor guy who goofed up, you will all, of course, agree whole heartedly when you goof up and the world turns on you and drives you to the brink of sanity… ::::: sheesh ::::::::: YMMV Oh, yes, I have been on the receiving end of being told my child was dead. Been there. \* gives me the right I figure\* There are a lot of things that are worse which are done by authority that needs addressing too. This IMO does not need so much condemnation as it seems to be getting. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/25 "2003-07-12T14:51:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gypsygirl31 \* > \*\* Let’s not hang the guy for being insensitive. People have done worse. It wasn’t pleasant, and death never is. Let’s keep the big picture in mind, folks. \*\* and > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by GusNSpot_ > \*\*All who want to hang the poor guy who goofed up, you will all, of course, agree whole heartedly when you goof up and the world turns on you and drives you to the brink of sanity… > > ::::: sheesh :::::::::\*\* Show me where anyone called for the gallows. In fact, show me where anyone called for _anything_ at all to happen to the cop in question. I started the thread simply to make a point about how awful it must be to receive such news in this way, and to suggest that the cop in question was either extremely dopey and insensitive, or just ignorant of his department’s procedure. Since when do we need a capital offence to start a Pit thread? ::::: sheesh ::::::::: ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/26 "2003-07-12T17:45:34Z")
I seem to have called for corporate-sponsored sensitivity training. That’s pretty harsh, I must admit. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/27 "2003-07-12T21:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*I seem to have called for corporate-sponsored sensitivity training. That’s pretty harsh, I must admit. \*\* You ever been to one of those??? YIKES!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/28 "2003-07-13T05:14:26Z")
When I was 17, I asked my Dad to borrow his car to go to my boyfriend’s house which was only a mile or two away. Dad did not normally lend his car to anyone, but I got him with “But Daaad, then you won’t have to come out and pick me up at 11:00 and besides, what can happen between his house and home? It’s not like it’s faaar.” So naturally on the way home I “parked” the car on the opposite side of the street between several trees and a fire hydrant. Luckily his car was a boat (a 1973 or 74 Chevy Caprice) and although the car ended up being totaled, I wasn’t hurt. I ran to the nearest house and asked to use the phone and called my parents to tell them what happened. Someone must have called the police because shortly afterwards, my mother gets a call saying “This is the police, your son OR daughter has been involved in an accident…” as though my body was so mangled they couldn’t tell what sex I was. My mother was very grateful she had heard from me first. ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718/29 "2003-07-13T05:22:41Z")
Sorry about that post up there by some imposter using my screen name. I know **I** couldn’t have posted it because I would rather shoot myself than post something that unwieldy, confusing and just plain poorly written. _bang_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-a-message-beeeep-police-here-your-son-is-dead/187718.md?page=1)