This is an incident that happened to my best friend Jamie and her daughter.? It’s scary and could happen to anyone.? It is very important to Jamie for as many people as possible to read this and learn from her experience.??So here is?their story. Please read it and share with as many people as possible.
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This is something that happened to Audrey and I on Monday. I want as many people as possible to hear this story so that the worst doesn’t happen to someone else.
I was at work Monday when I received a phone call at 4:30, it was Audrey’s school. They were calling to tell me that Audrey was in after-school, OK that’s where she is suppose to be. Then the lady asked me if I had called and told the school that she needed to ride the bus. I said no, she will never be a bus rider. I didn’t think much about it until I got to her school. When I walked in to get her I was told that the principal was on her way down to talk to me. When I heard what had happened I was horrified.
Someone had called the school and told them that they were concerned because their daughter was not on the bus. When asked the child’s name, they?gave Audrey’s name. The lady at school that answered the phone sees me everyday and didn’t recognize the voice, so she asked the name of the person on the phone and was given my name. The school then told this person that Audrey had science club after school and the person on the phone said oh yeah?I forgot, well can you put her on the bus cause I’m at home. The lady from the school asked several more times who the child was and who was on the phone, always getting the same answer. They then put my child on the bus.
When the bus stopped in front of our house Audrey told the driver that her mom wasn’t home, so the driver made a few more stops and then came by again. Audrey once again told her that her mom wasn’t here and so the driver took her back to the school. Now if my child had gotten off of that bus anyone could have picked her up. I am so glad that she is so smart. I start to tear up just thinking about what could have happened to her.
The only good that came of this is that the school has now changed their policy. Changes to a child’s schedule can not be changed with just a phone call. I have also been stressing the importance of caution and being aware to Audrey. We have went through every scenario I can think of, and I have told her how she should handle them. I have never been more terrified or more proud in all my life.
Please pass this along to anyone you know who has children and make sure that you know your schools policy. I don’t want to hear of the same situation with a different outcome, and to anyone who has had a child abducted, you are in my prayers.
Thank You
Jamie
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I also felt it important to mention that Audrey is only 7 years old and in the second grade.? She has been picked up from the after-school program by her mom since she was in kindergarten.? This is the third year that they have had the same routine.? She has NEVER been a bus rider.? The woman who answered the phone at the school claims she didn’t recognize the ladies voice on the other end which is why she asked her so many times her name and the child’s name.? My question, and Jamie’s questions as well, is why did this lady at the school go ahead and put Audrey on the bus.? She told Jamie when she got to the school that she just knew it wasn’t Jamie calling.? If there were suspicions, why not double check?with the parent?before you put a 7 year old in potential danger.? I feel that the school really dropped the ball with this and they should be very thankful that the outcome wasn’t what it could have been.?
?Jamie and Audrey are like family to me and this has been a very disturbing situation.? I encourage you all to what Jamie has done and go over scenarios with your kids.? Go over every kind of “what if” that you can come up with.? I don’t think you can ever give your kids too much information when it comes to their safety.? For extra safety measures for protecting your kids, refer back to my Sept 6 post about 25 ways to keep your kids safer.? It’s our job to protect them.? No one else is going to care the way you do about your kids.
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Chase is right, smaller communities are becoming targets. I have lived in some large cities and nothing ever happened, but I move to a smaller town that is supposed to be safe and not only this but i was vicitim in an armed robbery. When people tell me how safe Owensboro is i just scoff.
Very disturbing indeed. I encourage everyone reading this to contact their school superintendent and make sure that appropriate security measures are in place. It has been my experience that smaller cities have less formal security policies because of the insulation from the crimes that typically take place in big cities. Predators are becoming more and more aware of this and are venturing into smaller communities. Regardless of city size, our children rely on us for their safety…don't let them down.
This post is interesting and very disturbing. Thank goodness this girl was smart enough to know to not get off the bus. Most children are nieve and would have trusted the school to get them where they was supposedly suppose to be going. Awareness can be a key to survival in many situations. Thanks for making others aware. I will forward this message on in my e-mail!