One day I was walking home from work. There was lying a man on the pavement, unconcious. I saw him from a distance. A lot of people were just walking past him, no one did stop or even pay any attention to him. Maybe he had just passed out because of drinking too much. Or used drugs. Who knows. But there he was. Someone's son, father, husband, boyfriend or ex.
I was walking closer. A man on a bike had stopped. He had his phone in his hand, still hesitating. Another man turned around with his bike and stopped too. They started to discuss with each other, who of them shoud call 911. The other said " I have to go to the lecture, can you handle this?" Silence. Luckily (for the man lying on the ground) some passenger stopped to feel his pulse. And a women stopped with her car and asked: "Has somebody called?". This all happened while I was approaching the place. If someone else hadn't called, I would have done it.
How much time did pass before someone stopped, or someone called? To act in situations like this is not easy, unless you have the training for it. Of course, anyone knows how to call 911. Just the thought, that you would be lying there on the ground and not getting help fast enough is scary.
And the thought, that everyone has a story, a past and a future.
This is a very compelling topic. I've read that in situations like this, it's very common for people to hesitate and/or freeze. It's kind of baffling that anyone would do that. But, unfortunately it's part of the human condition. I know first hand how crucial time is in a traumatic situation. As silly and horrific as it might sound, I dropped a car on top of myself. I was trying to fix the starter and the jack gave out. Fortunately enough, I was in a public place and a whole slew of people were able to pick the car up off of me. In this situation it took about a minute or so for anyone to hear me yelling. Naturally, they were a bit concerned about how to move the car. So, there was definitely some hesitation. However, they did react quickly and I wish I could find those people and thank them for saving my life. It's all in the past now, but it will always be with me. Thankfully I'm here to see my future.
ReplyDeleteThis scene is used countless times in psychology classes, and it is horrifying how common it is. The more people witness an event or a person in need, the less each individual feels responsible for taking action. No one should be left to die because of inaction, especially when the more people see that you are in need, the less likely you are to get it. Everyone should be given training to act independent of those around them...
ReplyDeleteGood points! I guess training would help a lot, because then taking action becomes easier (maybe more a routine). Luckily there are people who are able to react quickly...
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