Don't just stand & stare

[sleepyowl]

When I was at work the other day I was covering at the North Western Arcade branch of Thorntons (behind House of Fraser, Rackhams whatever you want to call it). It was pissing it down with rain & as North Western Arcade is a tiled slope was more than a little slippy. I was date checking in the store so didn't actually see the event, but I one almighty thud from a person falling over & then nothing not even an ouch. I went running out of the shop almost taking a box of fudge with me (until I realised I was still holding it & chucked it to one side) just to see whether the person was concious, she was but she had hit her head I took her into the store just to check she wasn't seriously injured when I was joined by a nurse who just happened to be having a coffee next door, who actually saw it happen, she was fine but we told her to go & atleast see her doctor just incase there was any concusion.

OK so far seems ok but there was a person who saw her fall over who was a lot a closer to her than what I was & all she did was stand there & stare, I was livid, how I didn't have a go at her I have no idea, how can people do that, the woman who fell over could have done herself some serious damage & the woman who watched just didn't bat an eyelid.

How heartless can people be, it is not the first time this has happened I made my self late for my first day of volunteer work doing first aid on a woman with cerebral palsey who fell into the road, as noone else seemed to want to know. Sometimes people make me dispair at humanity. But then again when you hear accounts like wyrdewood's it does make you think that there is some hope left even if the majority don't care.

[merrybel]

I had a similar experience when I owned the florist shop in Coventry, Rob. A (slightly innebriated, admittedly) elderly man fell over on the slope outside of the shop and hit his head on the pavement. Bearing in mind, this is the the busiest pedestrianised street in Coventry city centre, with people elbowing each other out of the way, only one person stopped to help. We needed an ambulance and two police men to direct the idiots who were trying to tread on him in their haste to get past. It made us feel sick.
There was the case of the little girl lying in the gutter a while back, with the cars speeding past her. It makes you wonder if we are immune to the sight of sickness and injury nowadays, and if so, when and why did that happen?

[evadarkness]

Not long ago I had the opposite experience.
I was in Erdington High Street to do some banking - I heard a thud and turned around to see that a man had been hit by a car and was lying in the middle of the road.

I went over and started first aid - luckily he was not badly hurt mostly just in shock and winded from being knocked down. Lots of people stopped to offer help, the driver of the car came out with blankets and called for an ambulance, other first aiders came to offer help, some people helped stop trafffic until help could come.

So sometimes people will still step up - but it does worry me how often they dont!

[scarlet]

I remember seeing an elderly lady fall in the street some distance from where I was stood but I ran with my son to help her. The number of people that walked past her before I got there was unbelievable.

My son and I managed to get her to her feet and called for an ambulance.

What got me more than anything was the disapproving looks we were getting from passers by, not one look of concern for the lady or any offers of help more looks of disgust. I couldn't believe it, makes me mad but at least there are us who do care.

[bloodtear]

To the first post. sometimes some people end up in shock which is why they freze and stare at what has happend. Perhaps the person has had simlar experiances and brought back bad memorys?

I am a first aider myself but I don't know how i'd reacte if somthing would happen infront of me.


I agree that some people are just idiots and just don't want to get involed.

[admin]

There's a lovely urban myth about some students training in theology on their way to an exam, all of whom ignore an old man begging on the street. They turn up to the exam to find out they've failed the section on compassion.

There have been lots of similar studies - people in suits who fall over will get help more than elderly people or those that look poor. I know when I've been out on the town at night there have been several people passed out due to alcohol.

Rhiannon

[sleepyowl]

I was a disapproving stare she was giving

[Purplegoddess]

Luckily a few years back when my grandad fell he had lots of people help and someone rang my nanas where I was to let us know so I went charging out there (was just round the corner), with the dog following after me, and somebody else had already called the doctors.

And last year when I made a prat of myself flying in M&S in Derby a women with 2 kids came over to see if I was alright and another lady helped me limp to customer services.