Helping Strangers in Need

southsiderosie · 05-12-2012 03:51AM #1

A man got into an argument with a stranger and was shoved onto the tracks in a Manhattan subway station. While he tried to climb out of the way of the oncoming train (the platform is about five feet above the tracks) not only did nobody help, but a photographer actually took his picture moments before he was hit - which the New York Post printed on its front page the next day (WARNING: although it is not gory it may be disturbing for some). The photographer claims that he wasn't taking the man's picture, but using the flash to warn the conductor (which I don't buy for a second), and the photo doesn't really show anyone near the man on the platform, but witnesses said the man had about 30-45 seconds to get out of the way of the oncoming train.

If you saw something like this happen, would you have tried to pull the man back onto the platform? I would like to think that I would have, and I hope to god that if I ever fell/was shoved onto train tracks that someone would help me. I certainly wouldn't stop to take a flippin' picture, that's for sure.

(And as for the question of should the photo have been published - hell no, it shouldn't have).

Eathrin · 05-12-2012 03:56AM

I couldn't possibly imagine nobody in this country trying to help you. We're not total asshóles like that :mad:
And the picture should never have been published. That's absolutely horrific.

stiffler123 · 05-12-2012 03:56AM

Any decent person would have tried to help him.

Grimebox · 05-12-2012 03:58AM

Negative times negative is a positive so why don't we just multiply the national debt by more debt and wipe it out with a huge profit?

Where To · 05-12-2012 03:59AM

I remember pulling a child out of the path of a lorry once (wasn't really in that much danger, the lorry was almost stopped). The looks I got from people standing around you'd think I tried to abduct the kid. It was just an instinctive reaction, I'd hope that I'd do it again, but until you're in that situation you don't know how you will react.

In short, I hope I would help, but nobody can say 100% certain that they would.

policarp · 05-12-2012 04:02AM

A photo of the assailant would have been more appropriate IMO.

wonderfullife · 05-12-2012 04:03AM

to be honest the part that sickens the most is anybody trying to help the man was basically in no danger. His hands on the platform all anybody had to do was try pull him up. it's not like anybody had to do any Jason Bourne esque moves to try help.

1ZRed · 05-12-2012 04:20AM

"Pushed onto subway train, this man is about to die. DOOMED" is the heading?

Fairly disgusting if you ask me. Imagine just stepping back to take a photo of a guy about to die without even a hint of hesitation to do that over trying to save him.

Fvcking twisted. I think it'd be any decent person's first instinct to try and help someone in danger.

The world has gotten a bit fvcked up

Stheno · 05-12-2012 04:26AM

1ZRed wrote: »

"Pushed onto subway train, this man is about to die. DOOMED" is the heading?

Fairly disgusting if you ask me. Imagine just stepping back to take a photo of a guy about to die without even a hint of hesitation to do that over trying to save him.

Fvcking twisted. I think it'd be any decent person's first instinct to try and help someone in danger.

The world has gotten a bit fvcked up

The World's been ****ed up a while. Remember Veronica Guerin? I learned she was dead well ahead of most of the world due to a photographer arriving into my media studies group wanting taxi fare so he could take photos.

That was longer ago than some posters on this site!

1ZRed · 05-12-2012 04:40AM

Stheno wrote: »

The World's been ****ed up a while. Remember Veronica Guerin? I learned she was dead well ahead of most of the world due to a photographer arriving into my media studies group wanting taxi fare so he could take photos.

That was longer ago than some posters on this site!

True, but I'd have only been 2 years old when that happened never mind posting on this site.

I more meant this obsession with pic posts. Like, I've heard so many stories of people hurt/dying/getting beat up, or something along those lines, with people only stopping to tweet a photo of it and carry on because it doesn't concern them much further than that.

It's that shít I don't like and it's a strange self obsessed culture thing with some people. Fairly often when I'd read stories like that I'd see it was younger people that'd snap a pic and carry on, which sometimes makes me embarrassed of my own generation.

3rdDegree · 05-12-2012 04:52AM

Do you think this is a symptom of life on New York, or could it happen in any modern "civilized" city? Are the people of New York really that cold?

TheFisherKing · 05-12-2012 04:53AM

Photographer should have tried to help. Not a chance that you would want to spark your flash to warn the train driver in such circumstances, that's nonsense. The truth is that his photographer mindset kicked in and he wanted to get the shot of some guy stuck on the train tracks. He may not have succeeded but whatever time he spent taking photos would have been far better spent sprinting towards the guy and trying to grab his hands.

starviewadams · 05-12-2012 04:54AM

People always like to think that they would be the 'hero' in situations like that,but through panic/fear/shock some people can't.

Also the bystander effect comes into play.

Maximus Alexander · 05-12-2012 04:54AM

On the other hand.

And.

Oh and.

The only thing I can think of is that nobody was near enough and / or there wasn't time. People help people.

TheFisherKing · 05-12-2012 04:59AM

News report here with video of suspect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxKBI_62vv0

southsiderosie · 05-12-2012 03:53PM

Stheno wrote: »

The World's been ****ed up a while. Remember Veronica Guerin? I learned she was dead well ahead of most of the world due to a photographer arriving into my media studies group wanting taxi fare so he could take photos.

That was longer ago than some posters on this site!

1ZRed wrote: »

True, but I'd have only been 2 years old when that happened never mind posting on this site.

I more meant this obsession with pic posts. Like, I've heard so many stories of people hurt/dying/getting beat up, or something along those lines, with people only stopping to tweet a photo of it and carry on because it doesn't concern them much further than that.

It's that shít I don't like and it's a strange self obsessed culture thing with some people. Fairly often when I'd read stories like that I'd see it was younger people that'd snap a pic and carry on, which sometimes makes me embarrassed of my own generation.

Forbes had a short piece on the ethics of taking the photo. It's one thing to witness something horrible that you have no power to control, but it's another thing altogether to stand there taking pictures when you could potentially save someone.

krudler · 05-12-2012 03:57PM

then there's the opposite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIGTyANMFb4

Lollers · 05-12-2012 04:07PM

krudler wrote: »

then there's the opposite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIGTyANMFb4

God they where brave, it looked like a fireball was about to ignite.

krudler · 05-12-2012 04:09PM

Lollers wrote: »

God they where brave, it looked like a fireball was about to ignite.

Interestingly its the guy in the suit's car, who just stands there doing nothing as a bunch of random people save the guy he just knocked down. He was probably in shock at that stage.

Lollers · 05-12-2012 04:18PM

krudler wrote: »

Interestingly its the guy in the suit's car, who just stands there doing nothing as a bunch of random people save the guy he just knocked down. He was probably in shock at that stage.

Yep, he looks spaced alright, shock kicking in there I'd say.

Logical_Bear · 05-12-2012 04:33PM

i take it he survived?

jomc · 05-12-2012 05:39PM

Logical_Bear wrote: »

i take it he survived?

The guy hit by the train did not survive. R.I.P. Disgraceful that its what our world has come to

CruelCoin · 05-12-2012 05:43PM

southsiderosie wrote: »

A man got into an argument with a stranger and was shoved onto the tracks in a Manhattan subway station. While he tried to climb out of the way of the oncoming train (the platform is about five feet above the tracks) not only did nobody help, but a photographer actually took his picture moments before he was hit - which the New York Post printed on its front page the next day (WARNING: although it is not gory it may be disturbing for some). The photographer claims that he wasn't taking the man's picture, but using the flash to warn the conductor (which I don't buy for a second), and the photo doesn't really show anyone near the man on the platform, but witnesses said the man had about 30-45 seconds to get out of the way of the oncoming train.

If you saw something like this happen, would you have tried to pull the man back onto the platform? I would like to think that I would have, and I hope to god that if I ever fell/was shoved onto train tracks that someone would help me. I certainly wouldn't stop to take a flippin' picture, that's for sure.

(And as for the question of should the photo have been published - hell no, it shouldn't have).

A pram full of babies could roll onto the tracks, but i'm not risking my life by jumping down there and trying to act the hero.

Were it someone i gave a crap about (friends/family/etc) then i'd jump down, but rest can go hang.

Lollipops23 · 05-12-2012 05:44PM

CruelCoin wrote: »

A pram full of babies could roll onto the tracks, but i'm not risking my life by jumping down there and trying to act the hero.

Were it someone i gave a crap about (friends/family/etc) then i'd jump down, but rest can go hang.

Wow. Nice.

Hope you never need a stranger's help.

jomc · 05-12-2012 05:54PM

CruelCoin wrote: »

A pram full of babies could roll onto the tracks, but i'm not risking my life by jumping down there and trying to act the hero.

Were it someone i gave a crap about (friends/family/etc) then i'd jump down, but rest can go hang.

While this is hideous in itself, nobody had to jump down on to the platform to help him. All they had to do was stay on the platform and just reach to his hand, which was over the platform. Maybe they would have managed, maybe not, but not one person even tried and now this man is dead. Even though he wasn't your family or your friend, he was someones family, and someones friend. Disgraceful, i'm genuinely sickened at this and i thought not much would surprise me anymore

wp_rathead · 05-12-2012 06:13PM

well.. cheers OP- clicked on this thread expected a nice uplifting tale about helping people... f**k me how wrong I was.. How could people have such apathy towards other humans

as for the person who took the photo... disgusting.. Worse still, the Newspaper who put it front page to sell papers..

05-12-2012 06:21PM

CruelCoin wrote: »

A pram full of babies could roll onto the tracks, but i'm not risking my life by jumping down there and trying to act the hero.

Were it someone i gave a crap about (friends/family/etc) then i'd jump down, but rest can go hang.

I think the point was that there was a few seconds where someone could still have helped. Nobody needed to have jumped down on to the tracks. Merely bent down to pull him back up.

Rubber_Soul · 05-12-2012 06:30PM

I'd like to think I'd be able to react quickly and help but shock can make you freeze at the time. I know one thing for sure though, it would never even enter my head to take a picture.

kumate_champ07 · 05-12-2012 06:40PM

its dificult to know what one would do it that situation, Im sure shock had a part to play in the lack of help. I find it hard to believe that people couldnt be arsed to do anything to help

kumate_champ07 · 05-12-2012 06:41PM

some could have seen it as attempted suicide, people generally keep to themselves on the subway, they could have just seen the guy there thinking he was nuts and been afraid to help in case they had been pulled down by some lunatic

Lollers · 05-12-2012 06:42PM

Poor chap he was trying to help himself on to the platform, and no one gave him a hand, as others have said if one person went to help him I'm sure others would, but the bystander effect took place. The guy who said he was taking a flash photo to warn the train driver can get fu@ked.

Helping Strangers in Need

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