A Florida Freddy's customer who found the word "help" scrawled in black marker on both their takeout bag and receipt turned to the internet for how to respond.
Posting to Reddit, the user shared the unsettling image in a thread titled, "Should I call the cops?" on the r/Weird subreddit. The post prompted a fierce debate about whether the message was a real cry for help or just a prank.
"My bf thinks they were just trying to be funny but I truly don't know..." the Redditor wrote, expressing concern over whether she was part of employee hijinks or a serious situation.
While some commenters brushed off the incident as a tasteless joke, many others urged the original poster to treat the message with caution.
"Call 911. I wouldn't risk this being a joke. Seriously," a user warned.
"I'd rather call it in and be wrong," said another. "If they are playing, putting it on the receipt is too far."
"If it's a joke, the cops have a funny story. If it's not, you can save someone in grave danger," encouraged one Redditor.
"If we're wasting police time for a prank," a user theorized, "They will be the one in trouble, not you for passing the message answering their plea for help."
"From what I've heard, cops breathe a sigh of relief when a welfare check turns out to be nothing," another chimed in.
In a follow-up comment, the customer confirmed she had contacted local authorities—and apparently, she wasn't the only one. Multiple Reddit users claimed to have also reported the incident to the police. It was later revealed that the note was part of a prank by an employee, who was allegedly fired for the stunt.
Though the message ultimately turned out to be a false alarm, the viral incident struck a nerve online and served as a reminder: when it comes to potential cries for help, it's always better to err on the side of caution.
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