OK...
The first bit is that the area was obviously a dodgy district. The petrol station was like Clapham Junction with working girls and other individuals - mainly pimps, punters drug dealers, I learned from my new friends the taxi drivers - coming and going in cars and on foot, buying fags and snacks and generally doing business.

I told the first taxi driver what I was up to, i.e. collecting a kid who'd run away from care and gone on the game, and he said 'yup, there's a lot of that. We drivers keep our eyes open and often pick up young girls and lads if they look vulnerable and take them home free, in case they get in trouble like that.'

When he knew why I was there he explained to the other drivers and that's why they were so helpful: they wanted to help a kid they'd never met go back to somewhere safe.

At the cop shop itself, I introduced myself and expected to have the kid handed over immediately. Instead, I was treated to a nice cup of tea and a sandwich and told a few details about what'd gone on.

(While I was happily snacking, a bobby came in and asked angrily what fucking idiot had left that van out there in the way, to be told hush! It's ****shire social Services, come to pick up young *****!
I actually saw him place a comedy finger on his lips and tiptoe exaggeratedly away.)

The girl I was collecting had run off to meet another girl she'd met in the kids' home, who'd run away the week before.
The first girl to run off had recruited the second for her pimp and they'd arranged to meet in Brum. (Sounds tall but it's all true.)

Sooo... Social Services had asked the Brum police to look out for the girls. They soon heard that 'my' girl was living in a house with a known pimp/drug dealer/all-round nasty character and wasn't happy.

The police then raided that house for drugs and arrested 'my' girl, ostensibly for possession but actually for her own protection.

I soon realised why the police were being so nice to me: not only were they anxious to get rid of 'my' furious, foul-mouthed girl into my custody, they'd also located the other girl, and were stalling me while they waited for her to be brought over from another police station in the hope that I'd take her off their hands too!

I agreed and while we waited, I and 'my' girl chatted. She'd calmed down after being arrested and was trying not to show how relieved she was to be going, well, not home exactly, but somewhere safe.

... more after my dog walk...
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Wed 7 Apr 2010, 17:31, 1 reply)

She told me that the pimp had made a big fuss of her and given her 'stuff' to help her stay awake late
which of course would be speed.

After a week or so though she'd come down to earth with a bump as she was put out to work to pay off the debt that she'd accrued for the drugs. She was a pretty girl and quite in demand, much to her horror.

When the police raided the house she protested loudly about being arrested but was secretly a bit happier to be away from the pimp.

She told me that while she was waiting for me to collect her, a policeman took her to an interview room and left a thick file on the desk in front of her, saying 'I'm off for a brew now and I'll have to trust you not to look at that!'

Of course she did look, and it was a file on 'her' pimp. Assault, attempted rape, theft, drug dealing, living off immoral earnings, loads of stuff.

She was so horrified by it all that she decided to go back to the kids' home with me and stay away from prostitution, and particularly never set foot in Brum again!

Of course, I thought, yeah right, of COURSE a policeman would do that, you're making it up to justify running back with me!

However, a policeman came to see me just before we left. He took me aside and quickly told me exactly the same story about the file.

I took both girls back to the kids'home and they did manage to settle down a bit. Neither went near Birmingham again and as far as I know they both went back to their home areas.

Dunno what went on with them afterwards but that night, two 15 year-old girls were safe because of the police and Asian taxi drivers in Birmingham.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Wed 7 Apr 2010, 19:56, closed)