[Jamroll]

Do you think you'd help, or just walk on by?

I kept saying, "Help me, help me." But no one did.'

What would you do if you came across a dying man - stop to help or walk away? Last week (August 2005) Tara McCartney was caught up in a horrific attack on a bus. She was shocked by the response

I kept saying, "Help me, help me." But no one did.' | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

[ScorcherX]

Originally Posted by Jamroll

Do you think you'd help, or just walk on by?




I kept saying, "Help me, help me." But no one did.' | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

I'd ask them if their name had HIND in it.



Inshallah, i would.

[Anderson]

Most people are pussies- they talk big but don't help in a real situation, I know this from personal experience when people just walked past people in need and I was the only one who went and helped them, one of them was a 5 year old kid lost from his mother and nobody except me went and helped.

So to answer your question yes I would.

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by Anderson

Most people are *Bleep*...

Can't you talk normally without profanity?

[displaced]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

Can't you talk normally without profanity?

he meant that people are like kittycats

[shadha]

I'm always the one to stop what I'm doing to help, because if I don't and someone worse came of it, I would blame myself.

Anyway, aren't they trying to make that some law or something?


shadha-

[AM415]

We learned about an experiment done about this in my Social Psychology class. They were surprised someone could die on the streets of New York and no one responded. Basically, the test determined 90% of the people were bigots (in a sense). You're more likey to stop for an ingroup member (ie for us a muslim, or somone of your nationality). The reason? Group responsibility. No one feels personal responsibility.

So heres what you're supposed to do if you're in this situation. Point at one person, and tell them what to do. "You, stop the bus," "You, call me an ambulance." When someone feels personal responsibility, they will do it.

This also works in everyday life. If you're going to go to the bathroom and want to leave your laptop/books on the library table, dont ask a whole group of people to look after it, point at one person and ask them to watch over your stuff. It'll increase the chance of it being there when you get back.

[Anderson]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

Can't you talk normally without profanity?

Go do one, you *****.

[Bruinrab]

Originally Posted by AM415

So heres what you're supposed to do if you're in this situation. Point at one person, and tell them what to do. "You, stop the bus," "You, call me an ambulance." When someone feels personal responsibility, they will do it.

This is exactly what you're supposed to do if you're giving first aid. One person takes charge (hopefully the one with most knowledge) and others should follow their lead/instructions. Group instructions are useless - everyone wants to watch and hopes that other people will do it. And you get mean if you have to: "This guy is going to die unless you do xyz".

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by displaced

he meant that people are like kittycats

He should have said Kitties then donchaknow

[Sha_]

If I knew someone definitely needed help, and that I actually could do something to help, I would want to and try to help. It depends on the situation, sometimes you cant really do much or (personally) wouldn't always know what the right thing to do was, if you hadn’t come across these kinds of situations much. e.g., if you dont know first aid, it wouldn’t be a good idea to rush in and move an injured person in case of doing more damage (however it might be the thing that you need to do, you just might not know- so I might be slightly worried and hesitant of what to do) but I would def at least call for help or something.

But until you're in the situation you cant always tell what you will do.

One time when I was coming home I saw a scruffy old man lying on the floor, his eyes were closed. The first thing I thought was that he was probably a homeless and/or drunk person sleeping/lying there, though its not really a place where you'd normally find a person lying about. So then I wondered if maybe he was hurt or unconscious or dead or something. I haven’t been in that kind of situation before and I didn’t really know what to do and I was standing there thinking what should I do, should I call an ambulance?

A fair few people walked past, and I was looking at the guy, and looking at the people, wondering if anyone would stop or say anything, a few of them just ignored the guy and me...others, like a man in his 30's and a few old ladies looked at the man, looked at me, and rolled their eyes, and shook their heads in a disapproving way. That made me think okay, erm, maybe he is just a drunk layabout and I just didn’t realise coz I haven’t seen many drunk layabouts to know. None of the people walking past seemed the slightest bit worried as I was, so I figured I was wrong, and that he didn’t need help.

I crossed the road and started walking still feeling a little worried. I walked past the hospital, hearing ambulance sirens, and suddenly I just felt really guilty and worried and thought, maybe I should at least check on him or something. I turned back around and got to near the crossing, and looked across the road to see a few people (who were together) had gathered around him, kneeling down next to him, trying to talk to him or wake him up or something. Then more people gathered around. Then the people called the police (so now I'm confused). The police got there, and before they even got out of their car the guy got up without any help (I'm even more confused). I dont remember seeing if they took him away or if he walked off.

That’s what I mean about wanting to help and not knowing what to do. If anything I would’ve called an ambulance, how come they called the police? And that was before he got up, so it's not like they already knew he wasn’t injured or hurt or anything. Though if I had called an ambulance I would've wasted their time, cuz he was ok. But why would I have firstly called the police in that situation? He's lying on the street with his eyes closed, isn’t the first thing you’d think that he may need medical assistance?

[displaced]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

He should have said Kitties then donchaknow

you say tomAto, I say to-mah-to

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by displaced

you say tomAto, I say to-mah-to

Except neither of em could be considered profanity

[shsh]

if it was a woman...maybe i'd help.

[Rain]

i helped a guy once and he shouted abuse at me, which was very heartening...