How compassionate are you?

the keen edge

There's an email doing the rounds containing images of a car accident in north America. The fatally injured victim was purportedly texting on a mobile phone when he drifted into the path of a oncoming lorry.

The images show the initial crash scene of the entangled vehicles, and also the graphic images of the victim being removed from his car. These pictures are truly sickening and left me feeling hollow, partly due to the desperately graphic nature of these pictures, but more so that I had witnessed this poor man in such a helpless and terminal state after such a violet death.

I felt that by viewing these photographs, I had myself eroded some bit of the victims dignity. With this playing on my mind I decided to try and find out the name of this unfortunate soul, and at least acknowledge who he was.

This search only led me to more 'blog's' detailing the deaths of people in violent accidents. One of these blog's contained a video of a man cut in two after an accident but remarkable still alive.

I didn't view the video but read the comments relating to it.
Seemingly the victim of this accident is seen talking away, calmly, whist lying dying in the middle of the road, however despite a crowd of people standing in the background not one person goes towards the poor man who is obliviously facing the end of his life.
I cant imagine a more lonesome place for someone.

I've been by the death bed of family members, but never near the death of someone due to a violent accident where I would have had the choice to walk away.

So here's my question, If you came on the scene of such an occurrence would you be able to 'man up' and show compassion to someone who was obliviously in the last moments of their life, or would you turn your head and coward in the background?. Or maybe you have found yourself in this position?

I dearly hope I would have the strength of character to help some on their way.

MrStuffins

Sh*t happens!

I wouldnt be running out into traffic for anyone (apart for family)

(I'm also presuming his accident was a motor accident)

Slugs

And if he asked you to put him out of his misery, would you have the compassion to do so?

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Don't know if it bears thinking about, a situation like that cannot be anticipated, you could turn into a superhuman hero or a snivelling wreck, who knows.
I'd like to think the former but I dont know

Dyr

the keen edge wrote: »

This search only led me to more 'blog's' detailing the deaths of people in violent accidents. One of these blog's contained a video of a man cut in two after an accident but remarkable still alive.

I didn't view the video but read the comments relating to it.
Seemingly the victim of this accident is seen talking away, calmly, whist lying dying in the middle of the road, however despite a crowd of people standing in the background not one person goes towards the poor man who is obliviously facing the end of his life.
I cant imagine a more lonesome place for someone.



I dearly hope I would have the strength of character to help some on their way.

I've seen that video..it's bizarre that there's people just casually standing around the poor c**t, must be a cultural thing. :mad:

the keen edge

Slugs wrote: »

And if he asked you to put him out of his misery, would you have the compassion to do so?

No, I don't think I could. That would take some doing.

Charlie.

I would like to think I would comfort them in any way I could but I don't think anyone could truly say how they would react unless you were faced with that situation.

DarkJager

I would stop to help in any way I could in such a circumstance. You need to remember that that person is somebodies child, a loved member of a family somewhere.

entropi

Already possessing a compassionate side and first aid skills, my first instinct would be to help out if I could, but sometimes its not always the best thing to do...sometimes its better to leave them there incase of internal or spinal injury. Unless it is life-threatening, you should just call emergency services and comfort them as best you can.

Although, having been a viewer of /b/ for a number of years now, I can't help wonder how I managed to hold on to any sense of normality :P

Slugs

Master of Nothing wrote:

Although, having been a viewer of /b/ for a number of years now, I can't help wonder how I managed to hold on to any sense of normality

I know what you mean, /b/ has a greater effect than alcohol for killing brain cells, intellect and judgement... Among other things... :P

That's being used as a PSA in the States, isn't it? I thought our Don't Drink and Drive ads were graphic. I think I just threw up a little.

YouTalkinToMe

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055258370

Last been the word

starbelgrade

The victim was texting someone & then hit an oncoming lorry?

And you ask if I have compassion for him? F*ck that sh*t. It was his own f*cking fault. Driving a car is not something you do while you do something else, like reading a newspaper or fixing your hair. You need to give it your full concentration or you could end up dead. And he did. A lesson learned the hard way.

He was a tit. The person I would feel real compassion for is the unfortunate lorry driver whose car he hit & who has to bear the life long burden of having inadvertantly caused the end of someone else's life.

McChubbin

Previously, I would have walked away, not knowing what to do with the situation but following recent events in whcih I witnessed my own grandmother on her death bed, I would stay, if only to offer comfort during what would be a very distressing death.
Nothing more horrid that dying alone, methinks.

stovelid

starbelgrade wrote: »

The victim was texting someone & then hit an oncoming lorry?

And you ask if I have compassion for him? F*ck that sh*t. It was his own f*cking fault. Driving a car is not something you do while you do something else, like reading a newspaper or fixing your hair. You need to give it your full concentration or you could end up dead. And he did. A lesson learned the hard way.

He was a tit. The person I would feel real compassion for is the unfortunate lorry driver whose car he hit & who has to bear the life long burden of having inadvertantly caused the end of someone else's life.

That quite a ferocious dose of Moralism you've contracted there. Does it itch?

davyjose

starbelgrade wrote: »

The victim was texting someone & then hit an oncoming lorry?

And you ask if I have compassion for him? F*ck that sh*t. It was his own f*cking fault. Driving a car is not something you do while you do something else, like reading a newspaper or fixing your hair. You need to give it your full concentration or you could end up dead. And he did. A lesson learned the hard way.

He was a tit. The person I would feel real compassion for is the unfortunate lorry driver whose car he hit & who has to bear the life long burden of having inadvertantly caused the end of someone else's life.

So you have no compassion for anyone who is the victim of their own bad judgement/mistake?

Get off your fcuking high-horse. I've seen a lot of ridiculously excessive, belligerently hostile bouts of righteousness in this place, but this is right at the top.

liah

Yes, starbelgrade, he clearly deserved to die an absolutely horrible, painful death just because he sent a text while driving. Clearly, this should be the punishment for all those who commit this offense, regardless of what else they have done in their life, whether or not they have children or a family. Definitely. :rolleyes:

Some people do deserve to die a horrible death. Pedophiles, murderers, etc. A guy who texts while driving? Are you serious? Sure, he's being an idiot, but he hardly deserves to die violently because of it.

Get some goddamn perspective.

the keen edge

starbelgrade wrote: »

The victim was texting someone & then hit an oncoming lorry?

And you ask if I have compassion for him? F*ck that sh*t. It was his own f*cking fault. Driving a car is not something you do while you do something else, like reading a newspaper or fixing your hair. You need to give it your full concentration or you could end up dead. And he did. A lesson learned the hard way.

He was a tit. The person I would feel real compassion for is the unfortunate lorry driver whose car he hit & who has to bear the life long burden of having inadvertantly caused the end of someone else's life.

I wasn't asking if you would show compassion, in particular, to the individual involved in the texting accident, but to any victim of a horrific accident in general.

I should of made it clear that due to the circumstances of the above accident the victim must have suffered instance death, and there would not have been a opportunity to show him compassion. And like yourself I would feel awful for somebody who through no fault of their only, found themselves caught up in such a terrible event.

Are you saying that if you find yourself at the scene of some tragic occurrence(and touch wood you wont), you will stand there and judge if a sole victim is deserving of your compassion?

Well, I would feel compassion for him, but not as much as I would for someone he'd hit and killed while texting. I mean, yeah, we all make mistakes but when you get behind a wheel, you're taking responsibility for yourself and everyone else on the road. I was in an accident a few years ago where a girl was texting and forced my mum to go into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision. She was a complete airhead type, she had been texting, and she said 'oh, I do that all the time hee hee.' Stupid, selfish woman. We could easily have been killed or ended up in wheelchairs through no fault of our own and this idiot still didn't seem to grasp how serious it was. Perhaps this horrible PSA will do its job and get it into peoples' heads that you don't text and drive. But would I feel sorry for the guy, absolutely. What a horrible end.

the keen edge

[quote=[Deleted User];65900815]Well, I would feel compassion for him, but not as much as I would for someone he'd hit and killed while texting. I mean, yeah, we all make mistakes but when you get behind a wheel, you're taking responsibility for yourself and everyone else on the road. I was in an accident a few years ago where a girl was texting and forced my mum to go into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision. She was a complete airhead type, she had been texting, and she said 'oh, I do that all the time hee hee.' Stupid, selfish woman. We could easily have been killed or ended up in wheelchairs through no fault of our own and this idiot still didn't seem to grasp how serious it was. Perhaps this horrible PSA will do its job and get it into peoples' heads that you don't text and drive. But would I feel sorry for the guy, absolutely. What a horrible end.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't sure earlier what a PSA was, but the email I was referring to is no PSA. The images were pictures taken by some 'photographer' who arrived on the scene. Absolutely sickening, I really felt depressed after seeing them.

Is there no regulation/law regarding putting up images like this on the web? I feel awful thinking that this man's poor family would be aware of the existence of these snaps.

the keen edge

the keen edge wrote: »

I wasn't sure earlier what a PSA was, but the email I was referring to is no PSA. The images were pictures taken by some 'photographer' who arrived on the scene. Absolutely sickening, I really felt depressed after seeing them.

Is there no regulation/law regarding putting up images like this on the web? I feel awful thinking that this man's poor family would be aware of the existence of these snaps.

I think they later used the pics for a campaign, but I could be wrong. Perhaps the ones I saw were a different accident. I don't think there is a law about this, or if it is, it isn't enforced. I know when there were autopsy pics of the singer Selena floating around, her family had them all pulled down.

starbelgrade

liah wrote: »

Yes, starbelgrade, he clearly deserved to die an absolutely horrible, painful death just because he sent a text while driving. Clearly, this should be the punishment for all those who commit this offense, regardless of what else they have done in their life, whether or not they have children or a family. Definitely. :rolleyes:

Some people do deserve to die a horrible death. Pedophiles, murderers, etc. A guy who texts while driving? Are you serious? Sure, he's being an idiot, but he hardly deserves to die violently because of it.

Get some goddamn perspective.

Did I say that he deserved to die a horrible, painful death? Did I? No I f*cking well didn't, so stop putting words in my mouth.

--LOS--

[quote=[Deleted User];65900815]Well, I would feel compassion for him, but not as much as I would for someone he'd hit and killed while texting. I mean, yeah, we all make mistakes but when you get behind a wheel, you're taking responsibility for yourself and everyone else on the road. I was in an accident a few years ago where a girl was texting and forced my mum to go into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision. She was a complete airhead type, she had been texting, and she said 'oh, I do that all the time hee hee.' Stupid, selfish woman. We could easily have been killed or ended up in wheelchairs through no fault of our own and this idiot still didn't seem to grasp how serious it was. Perhaps this horrible PSA will do its job and get it into peoples' heads that you don't text and drive. But would I feel sorry for the guy, absolutely. What a horrible end.[/QUOTE]

That is the kind of thing that makes me hate driving.
As for compassion in the moment, I wouldn't be walking off leaving them to die on their own or videoing them but afterwards I would feel better knowing at least they didn't harm anyone else with their carelessness, like other people have said I'd have more compassion for those harmed as a result of an idiot driver or the lorry driver traumatised for life from an incident like this.

the keen edge

Lots of interesting posts to this thread.

To be honest I'am surprised by some of them.
I myself would think that to show true compassion to someone, in their last moments of life, wouldn't involve judging them or the situation at hand.

Its a interesting feature of some of the posts, that some people need to assign blame, and establish the 'guilty' and 'innocent' parties before considering who is deserving of their compassion.

starbelgrade

the keen edge wrote: »

Are you saying that if you find yourself at the scene of some tragic occurrence(and touch wood you wont), you will stand there and judge if a sole victim is deserving of your compassion?

Look, I'm not completely heartless, so yes, of course I would feel some amount of empathy for the guy.

However, my point still stands - if you get into a car & don't give it your full attention, you are asking for trouble. Whether you are texting, or have been using drink or drugs, the result can be the same & if you end up in an accident, you really have no-one else to blame but yourself.

storm2811

Just seen that video of the guy who was cut in half..I would probably cry from shock or something,or because it was such a strange unexpected thing to happen I wouldn't know what to do in that situation.

If I was able gather my thoughts and think straight i would probably try and comfort the person in a way though..but if they asked me to "put them out of their misery" I could never do that,even if it was what they really wanted,I still wouldn't feel right after..

InkSlinger67

I've been in life threatening situations before due to my own stupidity and all I could think of at the time were John McClane quotes

Abi

starbelgrade wrote: »

Look, I'm not completely heartless, so yes, of course I would feel some amount of empathy for the guy.

However, my point still stands - if you get into a car & don't give it your full attention, you are asking for trouble. Whether you are texting, or have been using drink or drugs, the result can be the same & if you end up in an accident, you really have no-one else to blame but yourself.

I agree with you.

Of course nobody wants to see someone die so horrifically. But common sense must prevail. Texting and driving is against the law. You couldn't get a driving license without knowing this.

I'm not saying that this doesn't sadden me, of course it does. But why attack someone who is honest enough to point out the obvious?

Sheep only impress sheep.

Abigayle

Abigayle wrote: »

Of course nobody wants to see someone die so horrifically. But common sense must prevail. Texting and driving is against the law. You couldn't get a driving license without knowing this.
.

Everyone on this planet is guilty of doing something stupid. Everyone. Fortunately not all have such dire consequences. And maybe if the man had killed someone because of his stupidity I would feel differently but jesus, a man dies because he sends a text... surely there must be some compassion??

If you died doing something that you probably shouldn't have been doing, I would hope that compassion was shown towards you, and not the attitude of "well tough, if she hadn't been doing that, she'd still be alive" and I know your response will be "yeh they'll be right too, if I am the stupid cause of my own death then so be it" but life isn't, and shouldn't be, like that.

the keen edge

starbelgrade wrote: »

Look, I'm not completely heartless, so yes, of course I would feel some amount of empathy for the guy.

However, my point still stands - if you get into a car & don't give it your full attention, you are asking for trouble. Whether you are texting, or have been using drink or drugs, the result can be the same & if you end up in an accident, you really have no-one else to blame but yourself.

Of course your not heartless starbelgrade, I wasn't suggesting you were.

And like I said before I agree with above points.
I remember hearing an Engineering lecturer saying before that there is no such thing as an accident; If you examine the events leading up to an accident someone along the line failed in their responsibilities somehow, and as such in every accident some person, or persons are to blame.
If everyone did their bit, and looked after their own business the world would be a far safer place.

I think the thread went off in its own direction.
What I was trying to enquire into, was the conferring of compassion on individuals who find themselves standing at the door of death, knowing they cannot turn around, and all choices for them are gone.
The type of desolation they can only know.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Everyone on this planet is guilty of doing something stupid. Everyone. Fortunately not all have such dire consequences. And maybe if the man had killed someone because of his stupidity I would feel differently but jesus, a man dies because he sends a text... surely there must be some compassion??

If you died doing something that you probably shouldn't have been doing, I would hope that compassion was shown towards you, and not the attitude of "well tough, if she hadn't been doing that, she'd still be alive" and I know your response will be "yeh they'll be right too, if I am the stupid cause of my own death then so be it" but life isn't, and shouldn't be, like that.

There are many different degrees of 'doing something stupid'. If someone takes a drug overdose at home and collapses and dies, they haven't put anyone else in danger. If a pilot has a few drinks in the airport bar before getting into the cockpit of a 747, that's far more serious because he's endangered other peoples' lives.

It's not like there are conditions for compassion, but there are degrees of compassion just like there are degrees of carelessness. Why shouldn't they correlate?

Abi

Deleted User wrote: »

Everyone on this planet is guilty of doing something stupid. Everyone.

Of course, to one extent or another.

Fortunately not all have such dire consequences. And maybe if the man had killed someone because of his stupidity I would feel differently but jesus, a man dies because he sends a text... surely there must be some compassion??

Whoops, I understand your angle completely. And I've had members of my own family in car accidents. But I don't expect the internet or the world genuinely care about it. I don't buy it.

If you died doing something that you probably shouldn't have been doing, I would hope that compassion was shown towards you, and not the attitude of "well tough, if she hadn't been doing that, she'd still be alive" and I know your response will be "yeh they'll be right too, if I am the stupid cause of my own death then so be it" but life isn't, and shouldn't be, like that.

Thats a bit too loose of a description tbh, and I can't be judged by it. Unless you put another 'something' into the bracket, I have no defense here. All I do know is, I haven't, nor ever will text or call while driving.

[quote=[Deleted User];65910329]There are many different degrees of 'doing something stupid'. If someone takes a drug overdose at home and collapses and dies, they haven't put anyone else in danger. If a pilot has a few drinks in the airport bar before getting into the cockpit of a 747, that's far more serious because he's endangered other peoples' lives.

It's not like there are conditions for compassion, but there are degrees of compassion just like there are degrees of carelessness. Why shouldn't they correlate?[/QUOTE]

Yeh, fair enough, I take your point, there are some things where my sympathy would be lacking, but sending a text, in my opinion, doesn't come close to drink driving. I guess that's my opinion though.

I haven't been in the position where I need to give compassion to someone who has caused their own death, but I have been in the position where my two children died because of someone else's mistake and bad driving, and not once did I ever think badly of the guy who made that mistake, I just felt sorry for him, that he had to live the rest of his life with that mistake. I sent him a card, I wrote a prayer of the faithful for him, I prayed for him. I never got angry - what good would it do - alot of the time the consequences are punishment enough without being judged by people on top of it.

Abigayle

Abigayle wrote: »

Whoops, I understand your angle completely. And I've had members of my own family in car accidents. But I don't expect the internet or the world genuinely care about it. I don't buy it.

I disagree, mostly because I've been there, and I've gotten many many written letters from complete strangers - so I know that actually - people do care

Thats a bit too loose of a description tbh, and I can't be judged by it. Unless you put another 'something' into the bracket, I have no defense here. All I do know is, I haven't, nor ever will text or call while driving.

Sorry, not sure what you mean by too loose a reference, I was only loosely referring to a hypothetical situation. And yeh, I believe that you would never text/call etc, me neither, and I give out shít about people who do, and if someone killed a family member because of it, I guess I would be angrier, but I just feel sorry for anyone who is stupid enough to think they're invincible - and then - aren't

Thomas828

No, I wouldn't want to be part of the crowd in a scenario like that. I would take one look and move on. Maybe I'm just totally misanthropic, but I've no time for other people's problems (which might explain why I've no interest in soap operas). So it follows that I won't be a rubberneck or a voyeur.

Giselle

Deleted User wrote: »

I haven't been in the position where I need to give compassion to someone who has caused their own death, but I have been in the position where my two children died because of someone else's mistake and bad driving, and not once did I ever think badly of the guy who made that mistake, I just felt sorry for him, that he had to live the rest of his life with that mistake. I sent him a card, I wrote a prayer of the faithful for him, I prayed for him. I never got angry - what good would it do - alot of the time the consequences are punishment enough without being judged by people on top of it.

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Your capacity for understanding is incredible, and humbling.

You are a far, far bigger person than I could ever hope to be.

Giselle

Giselle wrote: »

You are a far, far bigger person than I could ever hope to be.

I know but...... snickers > celery

Jigga

I can see the merits for the death penalty in some extreme cases, not sure if its a suitable punishment for texting when driving unlike some posters here....

xoixo

A friend of mine was on a bus heading into college a few months back, she was sitting on the top deck. A man who was sitting also on the top deck by the stairs started to have a fit of some kind, was foaming at the mouth and his body was jerking really violently. There was a nurse on the bus who went over to help him and she laid him out on the ground, which you know how narrow dublin bus aisles are so he kinda blocked it.
Anyways, the bus driver pulled in at the next stop and stayed there until the ambulance came, and this stop happened to be the UCD one where a lot of people at that time in the morning where getting off.
And I don't know if its just me, but I couldn't believe it when my friend said that people on the top deck just started to step over the man on the ground to get down the stairs! They wouldn't wait for the ambulance to come, so the literally stood right over his head and carried on with their day?

Unbelievable, me and my friend thought.

starbelgrade

Jigga wrote: »

I can see the merits for the death penalty in some extreme cases, not sure if its a suitable punishment for texting when driving unlike some posters here....

I don't see any merit in the death penalty & I also don't see anywhere in this thread where anyone suggested that it would be a suitable punishment for texting whilst driving.

You should read posts that other people have made properly before making daft assumptions based on skimming.

xoixo

xoixo wrote: »

A friend of mine was on a bus heading into college a few months back, she was sitting on the top deck. A man who was sitting also on the top deck by the stairs started to have a fit of some kind, was foaming at the mouth and his body was jerking really violently. There was a nurse on the bus who went over to help him and she laid him out on the ground, which you know how narrow dublin bus aisles are so he kinda blocked it.
Anyways, the bus driver pulled in at the next stop and stayed there until the ambulance came, and this stop happened to be the UCD one where a lot of people at that time in the morning where getting off.
And I don't know if its just me, but I couldn't believe it when my friend said that people on the top deck just started to step over the man on the ground to get down the stairs! They wouldn't wait for the ambulance to come, so the literally stood right over his head and carried on with their day?

Unbelievable, me and my friend thought.

Yeah, it seems a bit insensitive but it's not like they stepped on his head, or stepped over a dead body. If I was having a fit or had fainted, I'd hate for a whole bus full of people to be gawking at me. I'd prefer them to just get on with their day. What would be the point in them sitting there and ruining their own days (perhaps they had exams?) when they couldn't do anything to help?

[quote=[Deleted User];65910934]Yeah, it seems a bit insensitive but it's not like they stepped on his head, or stepped over a dead body. If I was having a fit or had fainted, I'd hate for a whole bus full of people to be gawking at me. I'd prefer them to just get on with their day. What would be the point in them sitting there and ruining their own days (perhaps they had exams?) when they couldn't do anything to help?[/QUOTE]

I dunno, I just couldn't walk away from a situation like that without helping. There are so many things that could be done in that situation. Like seeing as it's upstairs on a bus, if two ambulance men arrive, they may need assistance in helping the patient down the stairs. They may need info on the exact circumstances of his fit, or the ambulance may get stuck somewhere, broken down or what have you, and leaving one nurse to look after him in the mean time, doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to do.

I'm a bit stupid when it comes to stuff like this mind you, with a dad who volunteers for Simon, civil defence, is an EMT, and a mam who is a diabetic and could be the one having the fit, and the fact that when I had my car crash so many nice people helped, I probably just see things differently to most, which is fair enough.

the keen edge

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeh, fair enough, I take your point, there are some things where my sympathy would be lacking, but sending a text, in my opinion, doesn't come close to drink driving. I guess that's my opinion though.

I haven't been in the position where I need to give compassion to someone who has caused their own death, but I have been in the position where my two children died because of someone else's mistake and bad driving, and not once did I ever think badly of the guy who made that mistake, I just felt sorry for him, that he had to live the rest of his life with that mistake. I sent him a card, I wrote a prayer of the faithful for him, I prayed for him. I never got angry - what good would it do - alot of the time the consequences are punishment enough without being judged by people on top of it.

My God whoops, my heart goes out to you.
I've known lost myself, but not the lost of a young person, and then in your case two children, heartbreaking.
I hope you find peace.

MagicMarker

I don't think it's a lack of compassion that prevents a few people from approaching a guy who's just be cut in half tbh.

Larianne

But is it not more a case of people being scared and not knowing what to do?

I helped a girl on the bus a few weeks back who had fainted. I'm trained in First Aid so I knew what to do. But if it had happened a few years beforehand, I don't think I'd be as quick to help, not because I didn't want to but because I would have been afraid I would make things worse and not knowing what to do.

I think that's how a lot of people might feel.

davyjose

starbelgrade wrote: »

Look, I'm not completely heartless, so yes, of course I would feel some amount of empathy for the guy.

However, my point still stands - if you get into a car & don't give it your full attention, you are asking for trouble. Whether you are texting, or have been using drink or drugs, the result can be the same & if you end up in an accident, you really have no-one else to blame but yourself.

Your point doesn't still stand. Nobody was questioning whether or not the guy was wrong. He clearly was. What raised heckles was the glib way you dismissed his death with a "he deserved it" attitude. I personally found that shocking.

MagicMarker

Come to think of it, I was in Manchester on the tram to Old Trafford, it was pretty packed and some guy got on and was talking to people about how he'd been feeling really ill and just almost fainted. Well of course at that moment all I wanted was to get away from him for fear of him fainting again, low and behold he did, but thankfully there was people around him to help. I kind of just ignored it and went on my merry way.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I dunno, I just couldn't walk away from a situation like that without helping. There are so many things that could be done in that situation. Like seeing as it's upstairs on a bus, if two ambulance men arrive, they may need assistance in helping the patient down the stairs. They may need info on the exact circumstances of his fit, or the ambulance may get stuck somewhere, broken down or what have you, and leaving one nurse to look after him in the mean time, doesn't seem like the appropriate thing to do.

I'm a bit stupid when it comes to stuff like this mind you, with a dad who volunteers for Simon, civil defence, is an EMT, and a mam who is a diabetic and could be the one having the fit, and the fact that when I had my car crash so many nice people helped, I probably just see things differently to most, which is fair enough.

It depends on the situation. I wasn't there. I couldn't say I wouldn't have walked past. I walk past someone collapsed on a Tube platform at least once a week here in London. I walked past the bloke who got stabbed outside my building a few months back. In all cases, trained professionals were already helping, why stand around getting in the way and rubbernecking? The nurses/paramedics always tell people to move on.

I don't see the comparison between the incident described and your second paragraph. If someone can help, then yeah, they should help. Most people wouldn't have a bean what to do with someone who was having a fit on a bus other than the obvious protecting their head, and if that was being done, what more can people do? I've been witness to a few of these situations and people have always behaved appropriately. There is a fine line between helping and fussing. Nothing worse than people trying to get in on the action and rubberneck when they can't help.

the keen edge

MagicMarker wrote: »

I don't think it's a lack of compassion that prevents a few people from approaching a guy who's just be cut in half tbh.

True, but a sense of compassion is also probably the only thing that would make you approach him.

starbelgrade

davyjose wrote: »

Your point doesn't still stand. Nobody was questioning whether or not the guy was wrong. He clearly was. What raised heckles was the glib way you dismissed his death with a "he deserved it" attitude. I personally found that shocking.

Where did I say that he deserved to die? Where? No-where, that's where. I said that it was his own fault. There is a world of a difference there.

Kasabian

I did a first aid class a few years back and the last point the instructor gave was that if you were in a situation to help someone think carefully before you go to assist as you may end up getting sued.