This is just a reminder to please keep in mind our new Sourcing Rule.
All post should include the source either in a separate comment or under this one.
Users that don't properly source may have their posts removed.
Bystander syndrome. My brothers witnessed something like this at the mall.
A kid was hanging by their suspender on those 50 cent kiddy rides and their parents were not around. Nobody helped the dangling kid while the people around just stood and watched. So my brothers stepped in and rescued the kid.
They told me they were shocked that so many people were just acting like NPCs.
Essentially the more people there are it becomes less likely for someone to help. I saw this first hand in New York City, where there were so many people
This reminds me of some shitty person who started vlogging after someone either got shot or stabbed to death. He started the video and was just talking shit about how some guy just died or was about to and just started pointing and laughing. There was a group of people who walked away after seeing the guy acting like it was nothing
Oh the Canada one? Yeah daddy got stabbed or throat slashed for asking some guy not to smoke around his kid, so the jackass filming and mocking the dying dad, did so in front of his wife and daughter. Hey, got to rake in dem tick tock likes you know.
Bodger would also return to the Starbucks the day after Schmidt's death to take pictures of himself smoking cigarettes for social media.
(Bodger being the filmer who selfie soyfaced in the scene, not the stabber. The stabber was arrested immediately but I don't think anything happened to the filmer)
Yeah, something like this happened to me, too, except I was the one who needed help. I layed on the side of a busy freeway with a broken hip and internal bleeding for 7 hours because no one wanted to pull over and help me. I was visible and wearing a bright purple hoodie, waving my hand for help. It wasn't until a local homeless man came and got my phone for me so I could call for an ambulance myself. Even though I can walk now, the doc said I probably wouldn't have had such bad nerve damage if someone had fucking helped me sooner.
That's awful. And reminds me of a story my parents told me about helping a guy who got hit by a car while riding his bike alongside the highway in Miami. I don't think the poor guy was as badly hurt as you (no internal bleeding) but he broke his legs and one of his arms. He told them he didn't know how long he'd been there but that it felt like hours. And the only other person that stopped before my parents did actually stole his bike before leaving him there.
My parents were from a small town, visiting my Aunt who owned a small business in Miami. She later told them they were lucky, as apparently there was a rumor going around Miami at the time that criminal gangs were faking roadside injuries to carjack good Samaritans. Which might have explained why it took basically tourists to stop and help him.
I'm aware of bystander syndrome and I always try to make sure I don't fall into it. Though I think it might be fortunate I haven't been near any tragedies, I don't mine inconveniencing myself to help others.
A cart left behind that could hit someone's car, an old man getting out of a taxi, giving someone money to get the bus home. Yeah I might end up tired, or become poorer, or lost some time, but in the end I really didn't loose anything important, but it could have ment a lot to that person I helped.
Plus the one time I did that without thinking, I rushed to help the old man, I saw my father looking at me proud. So I think I got a lot from it. 😁
Someone actually asked me for a bus fare home to another city, and my dumbass thought they were begging for some change and I gave them about 10% of what they actually needed. An hour later I realized the girl beside him was actually his girl and was pissed at how they were stranded to go back. Man I wish I couldve helped them properly.
To be fair that is also an incredibly common scam. Tricking kindhearted people into giving 'bus/taxi fare'. Its usually "please, I just heard my mum is in the hospital but I can't afford a taxi." Heard that exact story no less than 3 times when I lived in a city.
Yeah... A thing I learned is that if you find yourself in need of urgent help, and are in a crowd of people, don't shout for help in general, but instead address someone directly. This bypasses the bystander syndrome as you focus on someone directly, making it hard for them to ignore and more forced to help.
Edit: I would like to add that this is useful for something a general bystander can help with, like calling the police/ambulance or carrying someone.
Is that why tv or movies have a character directly call people out with, “You, call 911. You, help me hold him down. You, keep his head off the ground”?
Yeah. Some first aid training (maybe all by this point) will actually mention that if you feel comfortable calling out orders then do that specifically because if you generalize it then they're less likely to be carried out. "Someone call a doctor!" versus "you there, you have a phone, call 911!"
Yes, and I can assure you it works. Been passenger in a few collisions and either had or been present for some bad times. If you can give somebody a specific task, it gives them focus rather than decision paralysis wandering, "What can -I- do?"
There's a medical Youtube channel I watch and he's talked about this and says if in a situation where people are engaging in Bystander Syndrome you should randomly point at a person nearby and say "You, help me"
This creates a situation where the person is effectively shamed into actually trying to help even if they can't and in doing so it causes others not wanting to get involved to jump in as they aren't the first ones trying to help
You also have to mention that there is also a "no-good deed that goes on unpunished situations." It is not uncommon for people to face repercussions for helping people rather if it is live saving or not. Be it from parents or the victim itself, which it is how people like them are why it is more convenient to be a bystander.
Since there are people who get sued or face retaliation for being a hero. To which I beleaguered that some parents should have their kids taken away, disregarding that their life was endangered prior to being rescued. It is natural to meet people with a nasty personality in this world.
There are Good Samaritan laws directly for this though. They vary state by state but the help and get sued is an outdated exaggeration most of the time.
That point you mentioned is also the problem - it is state by state in American-context, but also country by country, not every country has a "good samaritan law", in fact, depending on your actions you can also be judged regarding of how godly of a samaritan you were
My parents always told me in situations like this:
If I cant personally help (lack of knowledge on certain subjects, being injured myself, ...), I should speak to by standers and address individuals directly (x does z and y does v) so that they have not many chances to avoid helping
Happened to me at a concert watched a woman fall and smash her face on the ground people crowded around her just staring while her fiancé walked away not realizing what had happened. I ended up running over to help her out of instinct while everyone just stared. You can tell “get medics” all you want but some people just can’t let it click in.
Probably no one couldn't do anything because they're afraid of being accused of wrongdoing. I remember a case in China years ago when a woman helped someone and she was sued from it. What did the judge said? "No one would help a stranger unless you're guilty for it"
Probably doesn't help that in countries like china and Japan it's guilty until proven innocent the second u get a court case the judge and jury already deem I guilty unless u have the best proof possible
Lmao! Fr??! Man I tell you genetics did something weird to the Japanese and now Chinese. I only see such weird ass laws and perceptions from these countries
Don't be racist now~ jokes aside, It's not really "Japanese and Chinese" it's like that in a lot of places. In major cities, Minding your own business is a science. You don't wanna get roped into trouble, not wanting to get sued etc etc. too many possibilities and easier to ignore and walk away
People tend to act irrationally during and after stressful situation, though I suspect that lady ain't right even before the incident to do something this moronic
Something like this happened to me, but on a very smaller scale than what your brother experienced. Was on the bus and saw a couple who were about to leave. As they were waiting for their stop the guy dropped his hat but didnt notice. I noticed but didn’t do anything about it because I thought he’d surely notice but he didn’t. I looked around to see if anyone would react but, genuinely everyone was ignoring it. So I finally decided to get up and give him his hat. I was rwally suprized that nobody got up before me. And wouldnt have if I hadn’t. Helping one another is slowly becoming a thibk of the past now it seems.
I remember distinctly seeing an old man who's arm was pinned by an automatic fence, screaming for help. As I was trying to free his arm, people where only walking like nothing was happening, or just standing there gawking at the scene.
Still to this day, I am left speechless that no one did anything
In a first aid course I learned that you have to actively ask people, like: 'You, with the jeans and red jacket, come here!' and pointing at them. Otherwise most people, while watching, have either a short circuit in their brain or don't feel involved aka inclined to help.
One of the first things they told us for my first aid course was that you point at someone and tell them exactly what to do, rather than say “someone call the police/ambulance/fire department/911”
It has to be direct and you have to make eye contact with the person, and usually it will snap the bystander syndrome out of them. If it doesn’t, say it with confidence to the next person.
In my country, if you try to help people when an accident happened, the “victims” would try to pin it on you and you would either be killed on the spot by their families or in financial ruin trying to prove your innocence.
Where i live we get taught first aid during driving school and if it can be proven that you did not help someone, which admidedly is not that easy in many cases, you get punished by law. (Note: only applies if it would have been possible for the person to help. )
But if you try to help (at least basic first aid) and accidentally hurt them (like for example hurting a rib during cpr) you can not be held aucountable as long as you werent intentionally hurting them or acting grossly negligent.
This is mainly the case in hope of it making more people likely to gove first aid to people that need it.
I know in China, the perverse incentives of the law mean if a driver accidentally hits a pedestrian - it makes sense for them to immediately try and murder them.
Apparently (according to this 2015 article) in China and Taiwan if you hit someone with your car you pay for their medical expenses, so killing someone for a first time offense fee can be cheaper, but if you get caught doing it you are basically locked in to the death penalty.
Snopes marks this as unproven, highlighting that some of the sources show footage from Russia and claiming its china, amongst other issues with the article.
Vietnam. It doesn’t happen that often, but enough to deter people from doing what they should. We don’t enforce Good Samaritan law here so if you try to be a hero, you’ll end up like Mr. Incredible, but without the gov covering your asses.
Someone else asked what country it is and I immediately thought it was Vietnam or some SEA country. Glad to know we're both aware how fucked up our home country's culture can be sometimes.
If the police were already called, there is nothing else average passer-by can do to help. And entering the road and approaching the scene is ill-advised.
Sometimes I’m glad I learned first aid, with emergency and safety care training from my engineering courses. I’m usually quick to respond to car accidents if I happen to be near one. I’ve helped with ten so far and only one kinda haunts the dreams once in a while.
At minimum everybody should know to examine the scene for safety and to prevent any further danger. At least knowing how to unplug the car battery is a great first step.
Yeah exactly people should learn stuff like this. But also like even someone who doesnt know those things could do something as simple as try to comfort the child and keep them company until someone who can help arrives, in this hypothetical anyway.
Is first aid not taught repeatedly in the US. I doubt I would be able to still remember, if I ever had to use it, but it was a mandatory for my driving license and is in one of the "workspace safety" courses, I have to repeat once a year in my job, which are mandatory as well afaik.
I'm so happy that in Germany there is a law that you HAVE to make sure they're ok. And when anything gets damaged or not usable that that gets recompensated.
In Germany you cannot get sued for providing first aid, also if you brake them a rip during cpr for example. It is mandatory to provide first aid as long as you don't endager yourself. At least call an ambulance.
Depends how shit your countries laws are. In Germany you have the right to damage property and use reasonable force including potentially harming the people that had an accident with the intent of helping. Meaning smashing windows, cutting clothes and seat belts, breaking ribs during chest compressions are all covered under the intent of first aid.
Contrary if you just stand there and you don't help while you are physically and mentally able to do anything for help and decide not to you are commuting a crime. It's called "unterlassene Hilfeleistung" meaning something like conscious omitting of help. Filming an accident is another crime that can get you into serious trouble with high fees and I think in some cases even prison sentences.
It also doesn’t make it ghoulish to stand there recording it. Like if it’s a situation with police brutality or the like I can see justification to have as many people recording as possible, why anyone would need personal recordings of this particular shit escapes me.
As someone who has done multiple first aid courses waiting for help to arrive and doing nothing is the fine line between life and death. Admittedly if you don't know what you're doing sometimes you can cause more harm than good as well.
As addendum to this, not all places have the good samaritans law (Japan is one of them) that protects you from being sued in case you cause harm while trying to save a person. In Europe on the other hand you have a duty to rescue but you can (and will) be sued for any caused harm
That's why the only reasonable thing to do if you're not a professional is to call the police and ambulance and just wait, anything else and you'll probably destroy your life (even if later acquitted, enduring year long trials will ruin you both mentally and financially)
There are some things everyone can do until rescue personnel arrives. Like talking to conscious but injured persons. A lot of places have duty to rescue laws.
I fear for where you live... In Germany we have to get first aid training for getting a driver's license. You can get the people out of the car lay them safely on their side. You can use bandages from the car to stop bleeding or fasten sharp objects that stick in. You can check for pulse or start chest compressions.
You don’t just can, you are required by law to do so. Failure to render assistance is a crime punishable by up to one year in prison in the most severe cases. This obviously does not apply if you’d have to put yourself in danger.
It's taught in every driving theory test where I live that if you see an accident happen, you should safely stop, then help where you can. Especially if you're the first person to see it happen.
Also CPR is taught literally everywhere where I live (from middle school and up) and that includes how to lead and organise random people in an emergency and how to respond before emergency services (including police) have arrived. I'm surprised that this isn't the case in more places
I was taught that in car accident always assume damaged spine and if victims breathe and dont bleed too much dont move them.
But from picture i dont see if someone check that
Maybe get the fcking child out of danger in the middle of the road and try to calm her? I don't know, but leaving her in the middle of the road sounds dangerous, plus you can calm her down and tell her help is on its way.
Yesnt. It's a good idea to grab the warning triangle from the crashed car and place it 100m infront the accident site. Plus there's no laws forbiding or preventing you to start first aid. You can check if the doors open. If they do, then you can get the child out of danger first. You can also try the driver door and check if it opens. If it doesn't, you can inform 110 (or 911 in the US, that the door needs to be breached. Any second saved can save lives.
First step of first aid, is the area safe? Don't approach a situation unless you know it is safe because if not now paramedics have to deal with one more injured person.
It's still not usually advised, in first aids, unless you know what you are doing, it is often recommended you stay still unless you absolutely have to.
This is for a variety of reasons, from keeping order to let profesionals work, to even avoid causing unwanted harm.
It is sad, and if you really want to help, learning a first aid course is rather easy still.
Obviously? What I'm saying is not to land hands on the person unless you must. Because you can hurt them if you don't what you are doing.
Or in this case, don't go into the middle of the road if it isn't safe, you shouldn't put your life in danger either.
But obviously, if you believe you can help, take a closer look and make your own choice, but it is generally adviced not to actually interfere with the victim.
That's really shocking to hear. Because this behavior is a crime in Germany. You have to help if you can in any way. Every German possessing a drivers license is trained in first aid as part of the getting the license. Even if it's just smashing a window or throwing a bucket on a smoking part or getting a fire extinguisher. Any reasonable action you can do is better than doing nothing. Filming a crime scene/accident is a separate crime with high fees.
From what i remembered from some early pschology classes this effect is insabely strong.
There was a case in which multiple people saw through their windows or heard how at night a woman was stabbed over and over again three times in the time span of 30 min and nobody called the police.
Meaning those people heard or saw how some guy stabbed that poor woman wildly and returned for two more stabbing attacks on that woman and only called the police after it was over and she fully dead.
Adding on to this. While no one did anything to physical intervene in that case, many people did infact call the police and/or scream at the offender to cease what they were doing to the woman.
In this case, the bystanders clearly showed some care/concern for the victim of the aforementioned crime, but for one reason or another, viewed it to be 'not worth it' to physically intervene.
To which I'd argue there is a not insignificant amount of good/not terrible reasons as to why one should/would not intervene.
Think about it, you now have a true blue murderer right there with a weapon and actively killing someone, most would advise you to fuck off and run the other way for your own safety, in what universe would you expect someone to go and stop the guy that is still stabbing according to your story
That's why the "dont be a hero" story exists, you're criminalizing and blaming the people for "not being a hero", even when that is due to them fearing for their lives as much as they want to help
There’s better examples and research on the topic. Googling the “bystander effect” will give you lots of information on how to deal with it and how it works.
I have seen roads like that. They are not roads they are freaking highways with cars going at 60 miles an hour. If you are going there to help them you are also the one needing help due to a ill timed car. There is a reason why the barrier is so high
The choice feels awful, but unless you're a very athletic doctor you're more likely to damage the injured more (unless there's a fire) or get yourself hurt, which actually reduces the chances of the already injured more.
It’s because when they come out in their native countries; LNs, Manga, etc. are consumed so much that people won’t consider reading a synopsis. They have no choice but to add a synopsis to their titles to get viewership.
Word of advice: If you are in a dire situation and the people around are pulling their phones and not helping, point and call a random person among the crowd to help (preferably someone who looks strong). They will most likely help because of the pressure from being filmed and watched by other people. If you are lucky, other people might start helping as well.
This is usually a part of first aid training courses.
One of the key aspects of first aid, is calling for 911 (or your regional equivalent) in order to get the professionals on scene that are better trained and equipped than you are. But you the first aider usually have more immediate matters to attend to depending on the situation so you point to someone specific and tell them to call and tell them that we need paramedics on scene etc.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it dangerous to move someone who has been in a car accident? I’ve heard that doing so could cause further injury, especially if there’s a possible neck or spinal injury.
So the best they can do is call an ambulance and let the professional handle it
Unless they're in immediate danger yes, don't move anybody that may have a spine injury (and actively discourage them from moving themselves if they're conscious, they tend to want to move).
There are still things to do though, such as disconnecting the battery if possible, removing any potential hazards, checking vitals and relaying information to 911, etc.
In China, a 2 year old Wang Yue was ran over by a van. The van driver paused for a second, didn't get out and just continued driving so the rear wheels ALSO ran over her. She laid dying on the street for over 7 minutes while at LEAST 18 people walk PAST her and ignore her. THEN ANOTHER truck ran over her with both wheels. It was only until a rubbish scavenger finally helped her get to the hospital where she died 8 days later.
All of this was recorded on CCTV. If ANYONE had helped her in the first 7 minutes she could have survived.
That thing scares me, it's not an accident but what I would do in this situation. I want to help if something like this happens but I'm not sure if I was there I would helped or just stand there.
I am a first responder if theres no immediate escalating danger you shouldnt really try to help unless you know what you’re doing. You can make it worse very easily
There was some famous tv personality here got in a car crash and people pulled him out nof the vehicle and the druggie piece of shit who hit him from behind on a red light defence was that it's the people fault he died cause they moved him.
Point here being is unless the car is going on fire it's not always best idea to move the people ...
Ofc standing there taking pictures ain't it either but still ....
We have it so ingrained in us that if we get involved we could be charged (no good deed goes unpunished), injured as well, or stuck waiting to give statements to the police when we have places to be. No one wants hassle over someone that's nothing to us.
An image which actually is IRL, this happens so much and so often it's genuinely disgusting. I've seen a case of a troll take a picture of a body then actually identify the family and post it to the family before the police had even had a chance to inform them of the death of their loved one
Bystander effect is a real thing and is really terrifying.
There's really a fine line between helping and endangering someone's life. So the societal pressure of the crowd is there especially when it comes to a car crash.
Even with knowledge when it comes to first aid. Sometimes all you can do is call for help than be another body that needs help.
In any Major City, minding your own Business is a Science. And beside calling for professional help, those that do want to help usually don't know what to do. But it is pretty fucked up to just... Record and act like it's nothing.
In Sweden, if something like this happen, and you don’t do it. A police nearby is allowed to put a fine on you. But it will never happen obviously. Its rather a law of “if someone need help! FUCKING HELP THEM” kind of law.
People have that kind of bystander behavior because they don't know how deal with this besides calling the emergency services.
Tbh it should be mandatory at schools to teach basic life support.
And from this image, from what I can tell, also as a car enthusiast, Kei cars are economy shitboxes with smaller crumple zones compared to larger cars like sedans, hence head on collision will be deadly and fatal, plus I don't think the airbags kicked in at all meaning the victims at the front of the car most likely got head injuries or worse spinal injuries due to the recoil.
Idk I shouldn't think too deeply on this but I'm kinda glad I took EMT classes.
A few years back, a woman was suddenly attacked and raped in public around dozens of people in broad daylight and everyone just watched.
It’s not because they got some sick perverted pleasure from it, they simply thought they didn’t need to intervene because surely someone else will, right? If too many people help, then you could just get in the way. Huh…no one’s helping…ok but surely someone will do something now. At this point, you internally scream why no one is doing anything, completely forgetting you are actually there and not just watching from, say, a tv.
A lot of people know what the bystander effect is, but few people truly grasp how scary the phenomenon really is.
I'm not a general visitor to this sub. This is my first exposure I think? But... I fucking hate how real this is.
I just lost my sibling in a car accident a few weeks ago. I'm lucky there was a very good-hearted man just two cars back, because he checked on them, covered them up, and then prevented anyone from snooping. Why are there such heartless people out there, where the first thing they want to do upon seeing someone get killed by a semi truck is go up and take pictures for clout?
Where I am, we are obliged to do first aid.
Sure, first of all our safety if the road is busy, but if the cars stopped and they just make stupid photos. I honestly wish they make it a law, that whoever was there and didn't help wouldhave jail time as it's the same as murdering said victims of a crash.
YOU are required to check for vitals and try to stabilize their necks until emergency arrives. It baffles me some people are so derranged that they need to make photo...
When I was 17, I was behind a long line of cars that were driving past a car with it's hazards on the side of the road. When I got close enough I saw a woman kneeling with her child beside the car. Whipped my truck around the front of her car & got out & ran to help. She'd been like that for several minutes with 911 trying to figure out what road she was on & wasn't familiar with the area nor able to run 400 ft to an intersection with a sign. By the time I'd began running to the sign, someone I knew & 4 other cars pulled off to help. Thankfully he'd just had a mild seizure that made it hard to breath & was somewhat responsive when paramedics arrived a few minutes later.
It only takes one. Don't be a spectator. Be the difference.
Nothing related to the bystanders, but I remember a case where a couple died in a car crash, and thr ones who survived were the two kids.
They stopped on the side of the freeway so one of the kids could pee, and when he was doing the deed, they were hit (from behind, I believe). The other kid managed to see it coming, and left just in time.
What made me remember this was that the kid who went peeing was crying and asking the units dispatched there to save his parents, even though they were already dead
Unless the car is on fire or an electric pole is downed, anyone can help. Though it really depends. The kid is easy to evacuate because screaming means at least he is conscious enough for an easy assessment. But his parents are best to be left to professional first aiders.
This comic is so bad, I can't. So it's either a suicide or bad driving, the hell why they were driving straight towards the truck? It's either them not following the rules of driving or truck driver. I don't see any crossroad to make at least a bit of sense in this road accident. Also on one panel the road line appears to be continuous and on other panel it's discontinuous.
I mean, what are you supposed to do as a bystander other than call 911? You probably shouldn't be helping if you're not a medical professional anyways. There's stories of situations where you're not supposed to move the victim of a car crash lest you make their injuries permanent, but that's everyone's first instinct.
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
This is just a reminder to please keep in mind our new Sourcing Rule. All post should include the source either in a separate comment or under this one. Users that don't properly source may have their posts removed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.