Why are people so unwilling to help

car.crash

So I was on my way home this evening in greenford west london around 9pm when I see a cyclist had crashed into the railings off the cycle path and was laying on the floor not moving. I pull over immediately to aid him only to see 3 other lads and another cyclist just ignoring him. It turns out the lad was just 16 and in alot of pain and had an accident with the other cyclist who rode off and left him for dead mangled in the railings and his bike and gave the lad abuse before making off. I called him a ambulance and offerd what aid I could but people just stare and then leave and offer absolutly no help, for all they knew I could have been attacking him but people just don't care. I'm utterly disgusted with the way many choose to live like this. Anyway rant over the lad was taken away along with his bike and seemed to be okay in the end thank god but I dread to think how long he would have been there if I didnt stop for him.

cloggsy

Unbelievable! Only in London I guess...

It's often been said, "you could be dead on the street and people would step over you!" I didn't think it was actually true... :evil:

Well done you for stopping and giving the lad some assistance!

mouth

I stopped to help a guy with his puncture the other day. His response was "thanks. better tha the three other c**** that rode past". turned out he'd only had hos Giant 45 mins and was test riding for seat position etc and hadn't bought a kit with him. my response was 2make sure you stop and help someone else some day". Must admit if someone is already getting help and i'm tight for time i'll ride on.

rolf_f

Mouth wrote:

I stopped to help a guy with his puncture the other day. His response was "thanks. better tha the three other c**** that rode past".

Sounds like you helped a knobhead........

andrewlwood

I crashed the other day - three cyclists and a pedestrian all came over to check I was okay, help me off the road etc. Not all bad! Glad it wasn't in tottenham at the weekend though...

I find it's better to be thankful for the people that stop, rather than critical of the people that don't. And do what you can!

bails87

I always make sure someone's ok if they're stopped as I've always got a puncture repair kit, pump, mulitool and quicklinks on me, which can fix most problems you'll have on the road or trails.

When I got hit by a car, a couple of pedestrians and a couple of drivers came over to help, one driver just sat in his jeep and beeped his horn at me though. :roll:

Finlab6

I'd stop if it was an injury. I'd stop if I'm just out on a ride, for a cyclist with mechanical problems but if I'm on my way to work and I see someone with mechanical problems then I'm not going to make myself late by stopping. If they're sensible they'll have the right equip anyway and are in the middle of a fix.

The Rookie

I'd always stop (unless there was already help there when it's easy to end up with too many cooks....) and see what is needed to be done to help.....I believe in Karma in this things.....

Simon

cje

People are more selfish nowadays. They often don't want to get involved as there's nothing in it for them. I was once first on the scene of a fairly serious car accident, in which a lorry tail-ended a car. I got out to go to the aid of the car driver and all the following cars just picked their way through the wreckage and drove off.

spen666

cje wrote:

People are more selfish nowadays. They often don't want to get involved as there's nothing in it for them. I was once first on the scene of a fairly serious car accident, in which a lorry tail-ended a car. I got out to go to the aid of the car driver and all the following cars just picked their way through the wreckage and drove off.

I would probably drive on as well, as I am not able to offer first aid and too many cooks spoil the broth...

I would of course stop if there was no one else helping & would ensure emergency services have been called where necessary

phillipjohnson

My mate toppled off his road bike at the top of Crawleyside at Stanhope. A really nice old woman took him in, gave him a cup of tea and a full pack of Jafa cakes and let him use her housephone to call a relative to pick him up.

To be fair, about three people came out of their houses to see if they could help him.

Must depend on hwere you are I suppose. Plus I think people are less likely to help if they are on their way into work... sad but true.

mouth

Rolf F wrote:

Mouth wrote:

I stopped to help a guy with his puncture the other day. His response was "thanks. better tha the three other c**** that rode past".

Sounds like you helped a knobhead........

so if you'd forgotten to take your kit with you or were just riding a mile or 2 to sort out seat/bar positions etc would you also be a "knobhead" as you politely put it? what would you think of anyone that rode past?

andrewlwood

Mouth wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Mouth wrote:

I stopped to help a guy with his puncture the other day. His response was "thanks. better tha the three other c**** that rode past".

Sounds like you helped a knobhead........

so if you'd forgotten to take your kit with you or were just riding a mile or 2 to sort out seat/bar positions etc would you also be a "knobhead" as you politely put it? what would you think of anyone that rode past?

I think the point is that it's pretty ungracious/unhelpful to start bandying the 'c' word around at the guy that's stopped to help, about people just because they didn't stop.

allen.coulson

car.crash wrote:

So I was on my way home this evening in greenford west london around 9pm when I see a cyclist had crashed into the railings off the cycle path and was laying on the floor not moving. I pull over immediately to aid him .

Well done for stopping! Good bloke :!:

blacknosugar

It's not all bad, even in London.
Last time I got knocked off in the East End, two motorcyclists pulled over and helped me up, picked up the bike, left me their details as witnesses and one even texted me the next day to make sure I was OK. That was morning rush hour too. Top blokes!

Well done you for stopping.

rolf_f

andrewlwood wrote:

Mouth wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Mouth wrote:

I stopped to help a guy with his puncture the other day. His response was "thanks. better tha the three other c**** that rode past".

Sounds like you helped a knobhead........

so if you'd forgotten to take your kit with you or were just riding a mile or 2 to sort out seat/bar positions etc would you also be a "knobhead" as you politely put it? what would you think of anyone that rode past?

I think the point is that it's pretty ungracious/unhelpful to start bandying the 'c' word around at the guy that's stopped to help, about people just because they didn't stop.

Exactly - if you have a problem you should be appreciative of someone who stops rather than regarding it as your right.

I've stopped to help someone with a flat and handed over a patch and waited for them to prove it was OK before moving on but he flagged me down. If someone is just getting on and sorting themselves out then I'll ride by. Crikey, it's not as though we are little old ladies always needing help across the road.......

Long_Time_Lurker

I always slow down and ask - even if they are in the middle of repairs.
Last week some bloke was making a complete pigs ear of changing his inner tube.
He had the kit, but admitted that he had never changed a tyre.
Took me 5 minutes and he learnt how to do it the next time.

mouth

Long Time Lurker wrote:

I always slow down and ask - even if they are in the middle of repairs.
Last week some bloke was making a complete pigs ear of changing his inner tube.
He had the kit, but admitted that he had never changed a tyre.
Took me 5 minutes and he learnt how to do it the next time.

Like the attitude. the condition that I stop and help is that the person then helps another cyclist when he sees a problem.

Capman

Sort of related a couple of years ago . I was filling up at petrol station and a lad was asking the cashier if he could fill up and pay later .as he had obviously lost his wallet . I slipped him a tenner . He thanked me but I couldn't help.feeling I'd been scammed

msmancunia

I would probably drive on as well, as I am not able to offer first aid and too many cooks spoil the broth...

So learn some first aid. Every employer has to have a qualified first aider at work - if you volunteer they pay for you to learn and you have a new skill into the bargain. I've needed it in three or four serious situations; it's a good feeling when you know what to do. It's better than watching someone die, knowing that if you'd spent three or four days on a course, or even done a quick St John's Ambulance thing, that you may have been able to make a difference.

mudcow007

i always ask "you OK?" when riding past a cyclist who has stopped an looking at verious parts of their bikes on my commute

like "Beginner" up near the top, i believe in karma an would like to think that if i was ever stuck somewhere, someone would offer to help

ive given tubes to people in the past who were struggling with sticking a patch on

mark63

some of the comments on here reminds me of a few years back of a report in the motor cycle news of a biker who got knocked off his bike suffered a broken leg, the driver of the car pulled up got out and proceeded to kick the biker's broken leg for making him late for work. The driver was arrested and done for assault :shock:

my attitude is I'll stop for any one on two wheels motorised or pedal power, if they're dicks that's their problem I know I'd have done my good deed for the day

andrewlwood

mark63 wrote:

some of the comments on here reminds me of a few years back of a report in the motor cycle news of a biker who got knocked off his bike suffered a broken leg, the driver of the car pulled up got out and proceeded to kick the biker's broken leg for making him late for work. The driver was arrested and done for assault :shock:

my attitude is I'll stop for any one on two wheels motorised or pedal power, if they're dicks that's their problem I know I'd have done my good deed for the day

What the fuck is wrong with people?!

Ginjafro

Three years ago at the Dartmoor Classic I stopped for a badly injured rider who had gone down after some slippy cattle grid. There was already two people helping him but I asked if they were coping and if there was anything I could do. They responded that they were qualified first aiders (so that was good) but they needed an ambulance but had no mobile phone signal. So, I dashed off to get someone to phone an ambulance. A mile or so up the road a car driver was able to get a signal and make the call. I returned back to the scene to let them know an ambulance had been called. In the meantime numerous cyclists cruised on by, only one asked if there was anything he could do to help.

You should never assume that anyone attending an incident is able to apply first aid or that they have been able to get further help such as an ambulance. So, personally I would always stop and check.

solosuperia

I always offer to help if I see someone stopped for any reason, I'm talking about the rural East Midlands here.
There was this guy consulting his map as I was nearing home the other day, offered my assistance. No don't go that way you will end up having to ride a couple of miles on the main road and it is hell....
Take the first right, second left etc.
Riding off into the sunset 10 minutes later thought Oh Poo! that wasn't correct.
So if you are out there my sincerest apologies......Was a nice evening for a ride though even if you ended up going further than you planned..

tonye_n

Finlab6 wrote:

I'd stop if it was an injury. I'd stop if I'm just out on a ride, for a cyclist with mechanical problems but if I'm on my way to work and I see someone with mechanical problems then I'm not going to make myself late by stopping. If they're sensible they'll have the right equip anyway and are in the middle of a fix.

+1
One SHOULD take kit to cope with mechanicals anyway....

PolyphonicBoy

I had my first puncture a few months ago. Had a spare innertube with me, but didn't have the tools to change it. Numerous cyclists passed by ignoring me as I struggled helplessly. One guy asked "You ok?" as he passed by, not slowing down. "Um, no. Could do with a ...". He was gone!

I ended up going into a Nissan garage and asking a mechanic for a hand. We quickly changed the tyre, and I was off... for about a mile, until I got another bloody puncture. Obviously hadn't put the innertube in right, must have had a knick under the tyre. So a long walk to work, again with no one asking if I needed help.

veronese68

I usually offer assistance. I was riding a motorbike through Richmond Park a while ago and caught up to some traffic wth a scooter at the back of it. The bloke on the scooter obviously didn't want me to pass so closed right up on the car in front. The car's brake lights came on and bloke on scooter grabbed a handful of brakes and fell off. I was far enough back to see this happen and stop safely at the side of the road. Picked him up, picked his scooter up and asked if he was alright. He started f'ing and blinding about idiots in cars. I ignored this and asked him if he would be ok ar if he needed me to call anyone. He carried on ranting about idiots in cars. After a bit of this I pointed out it was his fault for driving too close and left him to it.
Some people just can't be helped.

ooermissus

The reason why people fail to help a victim (the 'bystander effect') was studied intensively after the murder of Kitty Genovese in New York in the 1960s.

People tend to be heavily influenced by what others are doing. If others are passing by or not helping, they tend to do the same. A victim is less likely to be helped when there are more people around.

In most cases, people who fail to help do so because they are embarrassed, feel inadequate, and don't want to do the wrong thing (so they do nothing) - not because they don't care.

Many people who help have made the concious decision to do so before they encounter an incident. This decision then overrides the instinct to hang back.

Wrath Rob

The bystander effect is pretty powerful. I was on a crowded commuter train (the days before I re-discovered the joys of the bike) and a lady kept banging into me, pretty hard. I gently pushed back but when this kept on going I turned around to say something, only to be confronted by what I can only describe as a zombie. The poor lady was on the verge of fainting, and as I sad "Are you alright?" she collapsed to the floor. I tried to catch her but she was a dead weight. I checked she was breathing and then looked around at the rest of the commuters who were either reading their papers or staring. The closest one was a guy sat on a seat next to us, so a curt "Can you kindly offer your seat and give me a hand?" had the desired effect and gave me someone to help pick her up. Shortly after she started to come round and was obviously pretty freaked out to find herself in a seat (yes, I know, on a packed train!) when she had been standing. After asking around, someone offered some water. The train pulled into a station and everyone else then simply buggered off. Fortunately a guard came past and fetched a proper first aider.

No-one else helped.

On the bike, if I see somoene struggling I'll offer help. If its a woman dressed like the Girls in Lycra thread, I'll stop even if she's got all the tools and is pretty much finished

Brian-Mc

msmancunia wrote:

I would probably drive on as well, as I am not able to offer first aid and too many cooks spoil the broth...

So learn some first aid. Every employer has to have a qualified first aider at work - if you volunteer they pay for you to learn and you have a new skill into the bargain. I've needed it in three or four serious situations; it's a good feeling when you know what to do. It's better than watching someone die, knowing that if you'd spent three or four days on a course, or even done a quick St John's Ambulance thing, that you may have been able to make a difference.

+1
Definitely get yourself some first aid training! If for no one else then for at least yourself and any family and friends you may have.
Luckily i have some training, first learn't in the Scouts many many years ago, and have refresher courses through work. Have also attended first aid courses specifically aimed at children through the National Childbirth Trust, when we were expecting our first child. All have come in handy, as I've been able to help with broken bones, cuts grazes etc on the trails and in the mountains. But most of all my then year old daughter put a coin in her mouth and started to choke, instinctively and thanks to the training, i knew exactly what to do with a child and managed to dislodge it. What if i didn't know what to do?
I'd like to think that if i was in the position to help anyone, then i would n't hesitate - how would i know that everyone else who stopped had the same training as i did, unless i stopped and made sure.

Ride safe!