Fell off the Train

Fuzzy_Duck

Regarding the bus clip, why on earth does that schoolboy jump right in front of the bus?? A similar thing happened at my school, when a kid kept running into the path of cars to p$ss off the drivers. He ended up getting knocked by one as the driver managed to slow down in time, but he still made a point of holding his knee and screaming his head off. The driver was furious and started shouting at him for being a stupid little boy. I agreed with her, and totally ignored him. I know it sounds awful, but as far as I was concerned he was a prat who had it coming to him, and the only sympathy I felt was for the shaking driver.

Everytime I've seen someone in need there have been plenty of people helping so I've kept out of it, as I'd just crowd them otherwise. Of course I would come to someone's aid if everyone else around was a heartless git, as I'd like to think people would help me if I was in trouble too.

Once saw a girl trip up coming on the tube, it make a tremendous bang and she landed on her face. It really must have hurt. I felt awful then as me (and everyone else around)! were so shocked we just looked open mouthed for a second, by which point she'd got up herself and moved off the tube swearing to herself. I always take too long to react, but I would never ever walk over someone or worse laugh at what happened. I hope those people get what's coming to them.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I find London tube commuters to be invariably really professional when someone faints (including when it happened to me). Most people know not to pull the emergency chord, but to get them sitting down, head down, offer water, and help them off at the next stop. I've also seen someone leap off a carriage to follow someone down the platform to return a dropped phone, and have myself chased someone down the street when they forgot to take their cash from an ATM, returning to find my place held for me in the queue.

Freddie_Snowbits

I remeber being in Kensington a few years back, getting out the tube station with map to find the place where I was on a course. Old lady come over and pointed me in the right direction without even waiting. She even showed where a cold Freddie could get a decent mug of tea and bacon sarnie.

fluffnutter

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

I remeber being in Kensington a few years back, getting out the tube station with map to find the place where I was on a course. Old lady come over and pointed me in the right direction without even waiting. She even showed where a cold Freddie could get a decent mug of tea and bacon sarnie.

When I was last in the big city and paused at the end of Hungerford Bridge to tie my shoelace, some woman pressed a fifty pence piece into my hand and exhorted me to 'get yourself a cuppa, love'. I tried to protest advising her "I'm middle-class" but she insisted, saying "don't be proud". So you see, there are nice people in the world.

qetu1357

Justicia wrote: »

Your thread made me think of that video, currently on the BBC news website, of the schoolboy in Scotland that fell in front of the bus - similar situation, as in people just stood about and looked on. Even his friend stopped to pick up (what appeared to be in the blurry image) a trainer before even going over to see the boy in the road!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7598674.stm

Check this one

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-10904263

Check out the man who keeps gambling then hides behind the post whilst a robbery is going on!

woody01

I was at the shopping centre last week, and a bloke got out of his car, clearly not being able to hardly walk, and he went around the back to get a motor scooter out of the boot. This fella was a good 200yards away.

Not ONE person stopped to help, so i did. You would've thought i gave him a winning lottery ticket the way he thanked me.

I growl at people and have little sympathy for most, i admit that, but if someone GENUINELY needs help, i will do it in a flash.

joeyboy

luckily I've never been in a situation where I've needed help from the general public, I wouldn't be surprised if a few folks walked by though sad to say.

My friend fell off his bike once, going really fast, he had horrible grazes especially on his upper body as we has only wearing a thing T-shirt, so had a few gashes as he'd gone over gravel. He said to me he lay there for like a minute in total shock before even moving and he felt numb, about 3 people walked past, 1 right next to him, 2 other side of the road(but it's a small road quiet road, wouldn't be hard to go over and see if he was ok). All in all he was there for a good few minutes, no one helped at all.

Pretty pathetic IMO and these people would probably be the first to complain if the roles were reversed.

WolfSong2000

I seem to remember there being sort of psychological explanation (apparently)...something along the lines of, if an accident/incident happens in a crowded place, everyone assumes that someone else will deal with it. This is men have managed to get away with raping women on subway trains (think it happened in New York). You're actually better off having an accident/getting attacked in an area with less people as theoretically those fewer people will feel more obliged to help? Who knows?

KittyPryde

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

I seem to remember there being sort of psychological explanation (apparently)...something along the lines of, if an accident/incident happens in a crowded place, everyone assumes that someone else will deal with it. This is men have managed to get away with raping women on subway trains (think it happened in New York). You're actually better off having an accident/getting attacked in an area with less people as theoretically those fewer people will feel more obliged to help? Who knows?

Could be the 'Kitty Genovese Syndrome/Effect'.

We learnt about that at Uni. It was in 1964 when a woman in New York was raped and murdered. Up to 38 people either witnessed the attack or heared her screams over a 45 minute period but no one went to help because they all assumed someone else would help. It was about diffusion of responsibility and the larger amount of people around, the less likely it is that someone will feel responsible to help.


I can understand that some people may have reservations about intervening if there is a danger to themselves, but it's sad that not a lot of people are even willing to help people who have fallen etc.

marleyboy

EllaKeat wrote: »

At the risk of sounding like a cliche, is this a problem in cities where no one has any 'buy in'? I have been horrified reading these stories, but live in the North East - a small village admittedly, but have witnessed a few falls/trips/acidents in the bigger towns around here and have just have not been quick enough to get to the person involved without barging aside the dozens who have already gathered to help out!! To be honest, i always thought the vast majority were just being a bit nosey and busy bodyish, but I have to say, the alternative is frightening! I also think there must be a knock on effect too, if you see that helping people out is the norm, you are far more likely to get involved yourself. I travel to London regularly and think nothing of doing what I can to help out, and have done so on a few occassions (nothing major, just helping a guy in a wheelchair and helping to pick up the contents of a shopping bag)! But, I probably do that because it is expected behaviour.....
Hope everyone above is doing okay now:D

Your post reminds me of a time when I was upstairs on the bus, there was a young woman sat a few seats behind me, the bus was rammed, two blokes getting off and one snapped off her gold chain blatantly in front of everyone, right behind her seat there sat a strapping body builder, built like a brick he was, he didnt even flinch, nobody was prepared to help so I stuck out my foot and tripped the thief up, as he was twice my size I must admit I thought "Oh !!!!!!", as he got back up to face me, but it was this act that caused about 8 or 9 other passengers to rise, he might have been big, but he was easily outnumbered and together we got the chain back for her.

Had I NOT got involved, I am certain nobody else would have, I think in those circumstances, everyone is prepared to help, but not without the assistance of others, my actions of tripping him up was more than enough for everyone else to get involved.