People of Salisbury: What the hell have you got to say?

[Shay HTFC]

For all those getting high and mighty on here, have you ever seen a tramp or someone else passed out in some doorway or something and walked on by?

You could bet with almost 100% odds that people assumed this bloke was a overly drunk tramp or someone. The real tragedy of this lies in the fact that as a nation we would happily walk by a tramp laying passed out on the floor and let them effectively die.

I am sure that had people known he was in trouble they would have stopped to help.

[Dave_ST220]

Seen this with my very own eyes. About 15 years ago some old boy fell over & cut his head badly right in front of me, the person nearest walked on by, I ran over & used his tie to stem the blood flow. People could see me looking around for help but no, they carried on walking(this was in the days of no mobile phone for me). Eventually a girl from a sandwich shop came over & said she would dial 999. People just do not give a st, they need to hope one day they aren't the one sat on the floor in trouble.

[Dave_ST220]

Shay HTFC said:

For all those getting high and mighty on here, have you ever seen a tramp or someone else passed out in some doorway or something and walked on by?

You could bet with almost 100% odds that people assumed this bloke was a overly drunk tramp or someone. The real tragedy of this lies in the fact that as a nation we would happily walk by a tramp laying passed out on the floor and let them effectively die.

I am sure that had people known he was in trouble they would have stopped to help.

Nice thought, now read my post above Tramps don't wear ties & look smart, the people of Shrewsbury still walked on by...........

[Shay HTFC]

Dave_ST220 said:

Shay HTFC said:

For all those getting high and mighty on here, have you ever seen a tramp or someone else passed out in some doorway or something and walked on by?

You could bet with almost 100% odds that people assumed this bloke was a overly drunk tramp or someone. The real tragedy of this lies in the fact that as a nation we would happily walk by a tramp laying passed out on the floor and let them effectively die.

I am sure that had people known he was in trouble they would have stopped to help.

Nice thought, now read my post above Tramps don't wear ties & look smart, the people of Shrewsbury still walked on by...........

Ah, but thats Shrewsbury

[IainT]

Terrible thing to happen but the question has to be asked - if he's in such a state that he passed out walking from the car to the Surgery then should he have been driving or making the journey unassisted?

Living in London, and I suspect many larger towns and cities, you get somewhat immune to the plight of homeless people and ignore most of what's going on around you. I find it hard to believe that people were stepping around some old bloke collapsed in the middle of the street to make their way down the pavement.

If he'd huddled in a doorway many might assume drunk/homeless.

If he was lieing in the middle of the pavement then it's shocking that noone, public, plod or CCTV operator came to his aid sooner.

[Bill]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Jasandjules said:

Oh dear.

I can only think it was dark and few people saw him? At least that's what I hope happened.

A frail pensioner who collapsed in a busy street almost died of hypothermia after he was ignored by passers-by for nearly five hours.
Great-grandfather Brian Courtney, 77, was walking to his doctor’s surgery when he fell unconscious on the pavement.
Hundreds of pedestrians and motorists are believed to have hurried past him without offering help until someone finally dialing 999 at 12.40pm

He collapsed before 8am then, and everyone else assumed he was a tramp. The person who called in apparently saw him on their lunch break having also seen him on the way to work.

[Frankeh]

Bah humbug. The bystander effect is bullst.
Or at least I'm immune to it.
I've got involved when someone fell over and there were lots of people about. He was a bit of an odd case and I didn't really know what to do, but someone who knew his name eventually came over and I left.

I would NEVER walk past an old man laying on the floor.. Maybe if he looked like a homeless man sleeping, but I doubt he fell in a doorway and put a sleeping bag over himself.

Pretty disgraceful, imo.

[s3fella]

Let's be grateful, perhaps, that the poor bugger got to Hospital with his wallet still on him.

[dandarez]

Disgraceful, but not the first time in more recent years. I can think of several, one of the worst was the cyclist hit and killed and motorist after motorist drove on!

I'm very tempted to say... well, ...I will...

Britain today.
Politically correct, frightened to death of litigation (copying the Yanks), too busy, always too busy... I could go on.
And on.


Didn't used to be like this!

[carreauchompeur]

Dave_ST220 said:

Seen this with my very own eyes. About 15 years ago some old boy fell over & cut his head badly right in front of me, the person nearest walked on by, I ran over & used his tie to stem the blood flow. People could see me looking around for help but no, they carried on walking(this was in the days of no mobile phone for me). Eventually a girl from a sandwich shop came over & said she would dial 999. People just do not give a st, they need to hope one day they aren't the one sat on the floor in trouble.

Precisely. I can't stand this particular human trait. I'd like to think it is not common, but increasingly I find it is, people just can't be arsed.

I take personal pride in being someone who doesn't look the other way.

[wiggy001]

Walking home on Tuesday night in the snow, I came across a young couple who had found a 29 year old lad who had fallen and broken his leg. In the time we were there, several people walked past without asking if we needed any help (actually stepping over the chap on the floor). Not to mention the queue of traffic not moving, all of whom had a full view of him and some of whom would presumably have seen him fall (the traffic was at a standstill).

So sadly, I can well believe people would prefer to walk on by than get involved in this poor guy's fate.

[torres del paine]

Northern European mentality: no backbone or conviction without alcohol.