Woman has heartattack - everybody stands there filming!

Right now, i personally hate the human race.

Today in town, an elderly woman collapsed with a heart attack, there were tons of people near by as its a busy shopping center (trafford center manchester).

Besides for my parents, and a couple of other people who rushed to help, there were about 20 other people around, and almost all of them stood there like dead zombies, holding their STUPID camera phones out.

I got so mad i wanted to smash each and every single one of their phones.

This is what society has become, its all about being soul-less robots OBSESSED with `video sharing` and twitter and the latest gossip, and by and large not giving a crap about one another.

Seriously, i have never been this angry before.

PS the elderly woman was pronounced dead by the way, i know that because my parents were called in for a witness statement afterwards.

reply to post by mlifeoutthere


We've become a society full of sick voyeurs. It's an addiction I think, and an illness. Like the rubber neckers at a horrible car crash..but 10x's worse. You don't have the ability to help save lives at a car wreck, usually...so no guilt for looking and not helping. This though???

On a strictly moral, not legal issue? Just where IS the line between detached spectator and contributory cause of someone's death by omission of action? Sounds like a fair philosophical question, if nothing else.

What scares me is that so many people are even susceptible to this kind of acute behaviour modification. Is the human condition really so easily malleable? I am somewhat cynical these days, and sometimes wonder if the majority of humanity has always been apathetic.
Perhaps our civilization and our morals are going against the instinctual truth of our species, and it is harder to be caring than it is to be apathetic?
Animals care about their family, or their "pack" and ignore everything else. This technological age is making us so disconnected that we have nullified this instinct. Instead of seeing the entire human species as our family, we have each become an island. It really is somewhat counter-intuitive.

This story has really ruined my day... I feel so sorry for that poor woman, knowing that the last thing she saw was a bunch of stupefied people waving cameras at her.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Isn't it legal in the US to sue someone if they try to save your loved one and fail or hurt them in the process of saving their life? The laws make people this way.

In Canada, we have the Good Samaritan Act which would protect us in the event that we caused harm while trying to save a person's life. In fact, when I took my First Aid, we were told not to help anyone that didn't specifically request our help if we are in the USA.


Edit: I feel that if you don't do anything to help someone, when you know you could, you are morally and ethically inferior and you should be carted off to jail for accessory to manslaughter or some other similar charge. I would risk the lawsuit if I hurt someone while saving their life in the US, I would just pray that the person has enough morality to realize where the best intentions were. Unfortunately, this isn't the norm as then you wouldn't have people standing around with their cameras. Poor lady.

Actually, mobile phones and cameras have nothing to do with it.

25 years ago, with a girl, I tried, to help a young man that had been stabbed, away from where he fell. About 60 persons stopped by, all yelling what they thought should be done, but none helped.

Half of them left quickly when the cops got there, and they had nothing to do with the murder.

Its human nature. Sadly.

Well? Only 1 person at a time can perform CPR

Actually most states do have some level of protection against law suit. Some jurisdictions, such as Vermont, do exactly what you say in your edit by requiring one to provide reasonable assistance or face the possibility of being fined.

superman2012
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Isn't it legal in the US to sue someone if they try to save your loved one and fail or hurt them in the process of saving their life? The laws make people this way.

We have Good Samaritan laws in the US too.

This is shocking me. I've been CPR/First Responder certified all of my adult life, I've been a lifeguard. Those are pathetic people filming, with the new CPR standards all a lay responder has to do it chest compressions, no more mouth to mouth.(i usually carry a mask just in case).

There are no excuses. I am not a religious person but those who can stand there and film that deserve to go to hell.

I don't think it is about the phones. It has been around a looking time that people just watch how others solve the problem. Only a handful of people will act in an emergency others...... well they just watch. What really is different is that peepz share the vid without consideration and that video watchers push the "Like" button.

Next to this... I heard a couple of stories (no sources because I actually don't want to know) that when you try to help someone by using CPR or something like that and your not qualified you can get sued. As far as I (don't want to) know ithappened in both the US and Japan. I think in Japan itvwas a guy who stopped by a hit and run victim and brought her to hospital and later was convicted because court told you don't bring a victim to hospital when your not guilty of hitting her in an accident. It could as well be an Urban Legend idk.

It ddoesn't really matter if its true or not but when people believe that they will avoid helping. I disagree so that's why I don't want to know.


Edit: already mentioned I got to read more before replying

reply to post by superman2012


Actually there are good samaritan laws here too. I happen to find a list, if anyone is curious to look up their own state.

Good Samaritan Laws across the US

Personally, I'd rather face a court for doing the wrong thing than face myself in the mirror every morning, knowing someone else never will again, after I chose to do nothing but could have.

reply to post by mlifeoutthere


You felt kind of like this you say?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


From your link Wrabbit for my state, PA.

(2) In order for any person to receive the benefit of the exemption from civil liability provided for in subsection (a), he shall be, at the time of rendering the emergency care, first aid or rescue or moving the person receiving emergency care, first aid or rescue to a hospital or other place of medical care, the holder of a current certificate evidencing the successful completion of a course in first aid, advanced life saving or basic life support sponsored by the American National Red Cross or the American Heart Association or an equivalent course of instruction approved by the Department of Health in consultation with a technical committee of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council and must be performing techniques and employing procedures consistent with the nature and level of the training for which the certificate has been issued.

So you see there is a CATCH! Even though my secondary MOS in the military was a medic, because I do not have any form of "updated certification" I could be sued in an attempt to save someone's life.

It wouldn't stop me! However, the law at least in my state, mandates that to be covered under the law, you must have valid and RECENT certification........

mysterioustranger
Well? Only 1 person at a time can perform CPR

Actually CPR with 2 people is more productive:

reply to post by PLAYERONE01


Ok, 2 then... but that doesnt mean that, although twisted, the guy doesnt have a point. He does have a point.

Honestly its not about "video sharing"... remember a few years ago when you saw a car crash and the stupid highway was blocked NOT BY THE ACCIDENT but BY THE PEOPLE THAT WERE STOPPING TO WATCH IT? Well......... now they're filming it.

Its not that big of a deal really... the same twisted principle applies but with new technologies - humans dont change, they adapt.

reply to post by PLAYERONE01


I was making a point. I am an EMT. Sarcasm. Happens all the time while I am performing CPR. Cameras everywhere...

mysterioustranger
reply to post by PLAYERONE01

 

I was making a point. I am an EMT. Sarcasm. Happens all the time while I am performing CPR. Cameras everywhere...

As a lifeguard we seem to have a lot of bystanders who are nurses who try to take control or tell us what to do. While they are well trained in the medical field, they really have no business to try to tell us what to do. There is one case I can recall when a obviously dead body(rigor had set in) washed ashore and a so called nurse was trying to do CPR and we the lifeguards took some bad press because many bystanders felt the lifeguards didn't do enough. The EMTs have similar problems sometimes when responding to say a car crash.

I've never been in a situation where everyone is standing around filming an no one trying to help. Maybe we just have a different mentality here in the south than elsewhere in the US.

reply to post by mlifeoutthere


I know exactly how you feel, i hope that lady was ok

mylifeoutthere:

Right now, I personally hate the human race.

It's understandable, but you need to try to check that 'hate' for your own sanity. I personally despair at the mindset displayed by many people. The indifference can be staggeringly harmful, and the apathy is a breeding ground for appalling exploitation and cynicism.

Even some of the comments on this thread seek to provide an excuse for not acting when one's conscience says that you should. Any empathetic person would act if there was a possibility of keeping the woman alive long enough for the paramedics to reach her, but the filming of her is an indictment of the society of indifference we have become.

I have utterly lost faith and confidence in people to do what is both right and necessary, and I tend to behave towards them in the manner in which they display their mindset. No matter what words people use as they communicate with me, only their actions tell the truth, and you only ever give anyone, man or woman, one chance, and one chance alone. If they mess up, by all means...forgive, but still get rid of them from your life. Let no one err twice towards you.

Give nothing of yourself to anyone unless you know for certain they will reciprocate in kind, and never empower anyone above yourself through your desires or needs. Help others when you can, expecting no reward, and take none. Never be obligated or obligate others.

Negotium of Verum
What scares me is that so many people are even susceptible to this kind of acute behaviour modification. Is the human condition really so easily malleable? I am somewhat cynical these days, and sometimes wonder if the majority of humanity has always been apathetic.
Perhaps our civilization and our morals are going against the instinctual truth of our species, and it is harder to be caring than it is to be apathetic?
Animals care about their family, or their "pack" and ignore everything else. This technological age is making us so disconnected that we have nullified this instinct. Instead of seeing the entire human species as our family, we have each become an island. It really is somewhat counter-intuitive.

This story has really ruined my day... I feel so sorry for that poor woman, knowing that the last thing she saw was a bunch of stupefied people waving cameras at her.

I know, and it wasnt even a case of people being shocked and too numb to help, it was a load of people with a mentality of `i gota upload this to youtube`! and this is what has made me angry

mysterioustranger
Well? Only 1 person at a time can perform CPR

Maybe so Mysteriousstranger BUT the rest can surely provide the privacy and dignity someone having a heart attack and ultimately dying deserves..??


Rgds

PDUK