You're gearing up to move to a new town and start uni. What’s the first thing you think about? Where’s my nearest supermarket? Do I have all the books I need? Where am I going to get my haircut now? Will there be any good coffee shops? What if everyone hates me and I never make any new friends?!?
All very reasonable things to consider...unless you’re the boy who put a post up on Reddit asking for advice about drug dealers in Leicester where he’s about to start his studies.
The boy in question, a dopey student who was appealing for help finding a new cannabis dealer, is now being investigated by police.
The boy wrote on the site: ‘Me and a bunch of people are moving to Leicester for uni the month and we were wondering if you guys could advise us on how to find a dealer in Leicester.’
‘We are all very new to the place and would appreciate your help so much.’
You’ve got to hand it to him, his request is nothing if not polite. And, politeness does open doors. The boy’s question prompted several very helpful replies:
One person posted: ‘Dealers are pretty easy to find at uni. If you’re in halls there will probably be a few on your campus.’
Another helpfully chipped in with some very detailed advice: ‘I’m not even joking when I tell you that dealers will also move to Leicester for uni. When I was in uni I’d spent a grand total of about 45 minutes in my halls making friends before I found my dealer for the next four years. Be patient and be careful, don’t go shouting off trying to find someone, but don’t hesitate to ask if you see someone smoking! All the best!’
Another commenter added ‘you are going to Leicester and you are going to uni. Just follow the smell, its everywhere in Leicester.’
Because of the nature of the internet being, you know, completely public and permanent, the police soon became aware of the online exchange and presumably weren’t too happy Leicester’s budding drug scene.
According to the Leicester Mercury a spokesperson for Leicestershire Police said: ‘We have been made aware of the post and an investigation is underway with a view to identifying those involved in illegal activity.
‘We take drugs misuse extremely seriously and will investigate any reports received.’
A spokesperson for the university where the boy is due to begin his illustrious career as a student also told the paper: ‘De Montfort University takes the issue of illegal drugs extremely seriously.’
‘We work closely with police to highlight the dangers of drugs, with campaigns and awareness events.’
‘However, if drug misuse occurs, the university will not hesitate to take the appropriate disciplinary action.’
We can’t help but wonder if this boy will still be taking his place up at Leicester this month. And while it’s a) a bit worrying that this is his main concern before heading off to university and b) probably (definitely) not a good idea (ever) to go on the hunt for a new drug dealer on a public forum we do admire him for his impeccable manners.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.