This video of a hit-and-run in Hartford, Connecticut is very disturbing. It made our news, here in Canada, this evening. What is worrying is the number of people who drive past the victim, without stopping, and how the pedestrians in the street just stand and stare.
How common is this sort of attitude towards someone that is the victim of crime, and needs help, in American cities generally ? I hope Americans are going to tell me, it's not common at all, otherwise it wouldn't have made the news.
At the end of the day we've got to look at ourselves and understand that our moral values have now changed." Police Chief Daryl Roberts said. "We have no regard for each other." Roberts said the hit-and-run is the latest in a string of incidents that show the callousness of this city of 125,000. On Wednesday, authorities discovered a badly decomposed body of a man in the basement of his family's foreclosed home after he had gone missing for months. On Monday, former Deputy Mayor Nicholas Carbone, 71, was beaten and robbed while walking to breakfast.
"There was a time they would have helped that man across the street. Now they mug and assault him," Roberts said. "That's not a police problem. We no longer have a moral compass. Anything goes."Fox News
What "sort of attitude" are you talking about here? Shock? Disbelief? Turns out that a number of 911 calls were made almost immediately, and the police were there in less than 2 minutes!
Would you have the passing drivers stop, backing up traffic, making it difficult for emergency personnel to get to the scene?
As far as approaching an accident victim who is probably bleeding, exposing yourself to the blood of a stranger nowadays is a possible death sentence. The Red Cross trains it's workers not to do such a thing without mask and gloves, I doubt that any of the bystanders had masks and gloves with them.
And what makes you think that there is a substantial difference in how Americans and Canadians would react in this situation?
As far as the Police Chief's comments go, these cops day in and day out see people at their worst - they are seldom called to respond when good people do good things - so they develop a jaded outlook, it seems to come with the job.
Posts: 2007 | Location: Boise, Idaho, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Saddened at what I saw (Was on the Evening News) Many years ago there was a head on smash Between a car and a Lorry and I had to stand in the Road waving down traffic Not to go Piling into the accident too about 10 minutes before the Police blocked the road off, and about quarter of an hour before the Fire brigade and Ambulance turned up( and only me directing traffic!) Car driver escaped with head injuries Lorry Driver shaken up Time of the Day? Just after 2pm and all the Morning Shift are going Home and the Roads are busy till at least 3PM
Posts: 13517 | Location: 6 miles west of Wigan UK | Registered: 06-05-02
"The Me Generation no longer cares about anyone but themselves..."
While I agree that, due to a large number of factors, we in the US have lost our moral compass, I failed to see anything in the several articles I read about this that indicated anyone from the Greatest Generation stopped to help, either. Singling out a specific age group seems to me to be misplaced anger.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,
Posts: 17549 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
The psychologist that Fox News themselves interviewed gave an interesting opinion. She said that we respond differently when there are many people about to how we do when there are but few.She gave the example of being in an elevator [lift ] when someone collapses. If there's just one other person in the elevator he or she will help. If there are a few , they will take responsibility. Outside, in a crowd, there's a kind of mass inaction or indifference .There's a marked tendency for us to pass by, as though it's not our business to act.
Originally posted by GarColga: Would you have the passing drivers stop, backing up traffic, making it difficult for emergency personnel to get to the scene? .
Several cars drove past this man, not one of them stopped. Not one of them pulled over to the side of the road. It's very easy to make excuses as to why it wouldn't be a good idea to stop and help. But, yes, I would have stopped, if I saw someone lying bleeding in the middle of the road. If nothing else, I would have dragged him away from the oncoming traffic.
quote:
And what makes you think that there is a substantial difference in how Americans and Canadians would react in this situation?
I haven't heard of a similar story happening in a Canadian city. Sure, Canadians aren't perfect, we have plenty of social problems, but I'd like to think we wouldn't behave with complete indifference to human life, faced with a similar set of circumstances.
Eighteen months ago, I skidded on ice, while driving, and lost control of my vehicle. I ended up in a field. My vehicle was written off. Many people stopped to help me. So to a small extent I can speak about what is likely to happen in Canada.
quote:
As far as the Police Chief's comments go, these cops day in and day out see people at their worst - they are seldom called to respond when good people do good things - so they develop a jaded outlook, it seems to come with the job.
Think, before you stereotype people, Garcolga. Don't assume that because this Police Chief has dealt with some difficult things in his career, that he has a jaded outlook. I was a police officer for a few years before I moved to Canada, and yes, a lot of cops do get burned out, and are deeply affected by their experiences, but there were others that continue to have the same strong enthusiasm for their work throughout their careers.
To be perfectly honest, and here, I realise I too run the risk of stereotyping, news footage like this, is what makes Canadians, in general, fearful of American society. That's why I asked the question about the prevalence of this sort of attitude in American cities towards someone that needs help.
Multiple people called 911. A few drivers drove by. Some pedestrians didn't respond instantly for whatever reason. It's hard to understand where you see a great pattern of American unconcern for the injured here.
Neighbors rescue people from house fires all the time. People jump into lakes and rivers to save others from drowning on a regular basis here in America. I imagine a day doesn't go by here in the US where someone doesn't perform a heroic act to save someone.
I'd bet anything this scene or something similar has been duplicated up there in Canada. Only it didn't become a viral video.
And by the way 'dragging' that man would have been one of the most inappropriate responses - moving someone with unknown injuries is extremely irresponsible. The best thing to do is what the people in the video did - call 911.
Posts: 2007 | Location: Boise, Idaho, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Actually the cell phone, is our "way out" in this sort of situation, isn't it? We don't have to stay and help,and get our hands dirty, that way. Not one person approached that poor guy. And sorry you are wrong, while it's preferable not to move someone with unknown injuries, sometimes that has to be done, if their life is at risk if they are left where they are.
btw..had this happened in Canada, I would have posted about it. As you "can bet anything" it has, perhaps you'd like to do that instead
The most sensible way to help the poor guy lying in the road would have been to call 911 and then try to find some way to divert traffic around him. The video clip I saw didn't show an awful lot of time for people to devise some way to help without doing more damage to themselves of the victim, And, dg, how do you know that some of those people failing to take the action you'd recommend, were'nt Canadian?
And, dg, how do you know that some of those people failing to take the action you'd recommend, were'nt Canadian?
They might have been. Unlikely though, Hartford is a town of 125,000, not exactly big and not exactly a mecca for Canadian tourists.
Here's what I asked originally: How common is this sort of attitude towards someone that is the victim of crime, and needs help, in American cities generally ? I hope Americans are going to tell me, it's not common at all, otherwise it wouldn't have made the news.
Originally posted by dg: Actually the cell phone, is our "way out" in this sort of situation, isn't it? We don't have to stay and help,and get our hands dirty, that way. Not one person approached that poor guy. And sorry you are wrong, while it's preferable not to move someone with unknown injuries, sometimes that has to be done, if their life is at risk if they are left where they are.
btw..had this happened in Canada, I would have posted about it. As you "can bet anything" it has, perhaps you'd like to do that instead
Don't quibble. Obviously you'd want to move someone if they face a greater danger by not being moved. Of course I know that. In this case it would have been foolish to move that man.
The cell phone as a way out? Not buying that particular spin sorry. Would you rather the people with cell phones just gather around the poor guy and not call for help?
I just didn't see this video as giving a black eye to America. What could those people have done anyway?
Posts: 2007 | Location: Boise, Idaho, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
That is the way I'd do it too Frank Protect the Injured some way First before enquiring whats the situation regarding the Emergency services
Is that what they call Triage? pronounced "Tree-arr-ge"
M/W says Triage=
quote:
1 a: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors b: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care
In a word Prioritising
Posts: 13517 | Location: 6 miles west of Wigan UK | Registered: 06-05-02
Here's what I asked originally: How common is this sort of attitude towards someone that is the victim of crime, and needs help, in American cities generally ? I hope Americans are going to tell me, it's not common at all, otherwise it wouldn't have made the news.
Apparently I was mistaken.
It's not common at all to hear of things of this nature 'in the news' where people just won't help injured people. However, I believe things like this are happenings more frequently, but are staying on the local level. I know things are happening here locally that are way worse than things I see on national news.
As bad as this story is, I think it should have stayed local.
Posts: 6723 | Location: Land of Lincoln, USA | Registered: 07-04-02
I watched the video clip several times and it seems like the outrage should be directed at the drivers of the two vehicles that crossed the double yellow line to hit the victim, rather than at the bystanders whose actions seem perfectly understandable and reasonable. We aren't all trained emergency workers. Most of are temporarily frozen and unsure of what to do next, fearful that we may do more harm than good. They obviously had no reason to think that every other driver would cross to the wrong side of the street to hit them or the victim.
We also should withhold judgement until we know some facts. Did the offending vehicles make good their escape? They could have stopped as soon as they turned the corner and came back. I see items in the local news fairly often in which the person who panics and flees the scene of the accident, turns him/herself in to the police shortly thereafter. Often they are driving on a suspended license, under the influence, etc. These spur-of-the moment videos are frequently flimsy enough evidence of what a first impression suggests. IMHO. Honi is right, these things seldom make the national, let alone the international news.
Originally posted by frankvan: The most sensible way to help the poor guy lying in the road would have been to call 911 and then try to find some way to divert traffic around him. The video clip I saw didn't show an awful lot of time for people to devise some way to help without doing more damage to themselves of the victim, And, dg, how do you know that some of those people failing to take the action you'd recommend, were'nt Canadian?
Agreed Frank, the worst thing you could have done was to drag this man out of the street. Too many things can go wrong doing that, paralysis being one of the worst I could think of.
Hartford is a “big city” and there are police and people trained for such emergencies. Why so many people drove by I don’t know, but you should never, never move an injured person unless it is absolutely necessary. After watching this video it was not necessary to move the man from what I can see.
I was in a similar situation about a dozen years ago. A group of teenagers was crossing a busy main street (2 lanes each direction, no divider) and as I was driving westbound they broke and ran to get to the pool hall across the street about 200' in front of me.
I noticed one young girl hesitated then ran. I distinctly remember saying to myself “she aint’ going to make it” and I downshifted and hit the brakes. She was struck by a car heading eastbound and went over the hood. One of her sneakers bounced off my windshield.
I came to a stop about 20’ past her lying in the center of the road. I turned on my flashers and got out of the car and stood in front of her directing traffic to go around until the police got there. They were there about a minute or so later and asked my name. They took my information and asked me to leave.
Not being a trained medical person that was all I could or should do. I saw the young girl’s scared look on her face but I never touched her, I told her everything was going to be ok. I lied to her, she died that night.
Posts: 3713 | Location: Long Island, New York USA | Registered: 06-03-02
I saw the young girl’s scared look on her face but I never touched her, I told her everything was going to be ok.
My point is you DID something, Koz. You stopped your vehicle, and offered her some comfort. This wasn't meant to be a discussion about the pros and cons of moving an injured person, or recognising where blame should be placed for the accident. Of course the street racers were responsible. Hit and run accidents happen all over the world, every day. This particular one didn't make the news because of the nature of the accident, did it? Perhaps, as some people here say, not much could have been done for the victim, but sorry, I still feel to leave them lying alone and injured in the middle of the road is reprehensible.
] when someone collapses. If there's just one other person in the elevator he or she will help. If there are a few , they will take responsibility. Outside, in a crowd, there's a kind of mass inaction or indifference .There's a marked tendency for us to pass by, as though it's not our business to act.
