this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2026
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me_irl
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They're state-wide, and I live in Texas. I don't want to bea heartless, but I super can't do anything about something 400 miles away.
And most of the time it's custody battle bullshit, or a 16yo running off with their 19yo boyfriend.
Me: gets amber alert on phone
Me: looks around for the victim or suspect; sees nothing
Me: "Well, I've done all I can."
That's all you're really expected to do, be a momentary observer along with thousands of others all over the place. We don't have, and don't want, enough cops to look everywhere. But if by chance that license plate is right in front of you in traffic, or that man and toddler who just did a complete change of clothes in the bathroom (not suspicious behavior in itself) were originally wearing clothes that matched the description, you can call the number on your phone. Normal custody battles don't get elevated to an Amber alert.
Jerry: The whole concept of the wanted poster has gotta be the most wildly optimistic crime-fighting idea. I mean, so how does it work? Okay. I'm on line at the post office. I see the guy. I see the list of offenses. I check the guy standing in line behind me. If it's not him, that's pretty much all I can do. Okay? It's not that I don't want to help. You know the annoying thing is, why didn't they hold on to this guy when they're taking his picture? "No, we don't do it that way. We take their picture and we let them go. That's how we get the front and side shot. The front is his face. The side is him leaving."