I sometimes really hate humanity.

[Super T.I.B]

Link.

Why are people & humanity in general just so f*cken sick! 

[JDucati]

that is f4ckin bullsh)t.  That angers me to no end.  Some people have no soul... 

~JD

[Holden]

That's pretty messed up.

Nevertheless, in general:

1. Anything's better than hurting someone by intervening improperly.

2. Taking photographs is a good idea in the event of a dispute. For all you know, it's a crime scene.

3. Public roads or private, you accept that this could happen by driving on them in the first place. You shouldn't be surprised when someone glowers at you and tells you to get off his lawn if you were the one who got drunk/high and spilled your friend's guts all over it.

[TiNi]

it's an awful last sight to see... a group of people standing around, entertained by your death.

while i don't think this is true in the case of the article,
some people CAN'T react in life threatening situations...

[VisceralReaction]

The sheeple that stand by and do nothing while something happens to someone, anyone,
are why we are sliding down a slippery slope to oblivion. I seem to remember some 70's apocolypse movie
where people would die or get killed etc and the sheep would just watch with only passive interest.
Of course there was a moral but I forget it now 

[somegirl]

I was once on my bicycle and attacked by a driver (case of road rage) in downtown Palo Alto, mid-morning.   

Bunch of people stood around watching doing nothing.   Luckily I wasn't really hurt, mostly just shaken up.

[DCXCV]

Those were some sweet excuses.  I don't know CPR so I'll just watch like some ghoul.  Or, you know, if you're that useless, you could just walk away??

Then again, the irony of the news media actually calling people out on being ghouls is just great.  I mean, what kind of people go to accident scenes just to watch and take pictures?  Pot, meet kettle.

[Mother]

The sheeple that stand by and do nothing while something happens to someone, anyone,
are why we are sliding down a slippery slope to oblivion. I seem to remember some 70's apocolypse movie
where people would die or get killed etc and the sheep would just watch with only passive interest.
Of course there was a moral but I forget it now 

ZARDOZ!!!

[Drunken Monkey]

I read somewhere that the odds of someone stepping in and helping are inversely proportional to the number watching.

In small groups, humans are fine. It's when we get into flocks crowds that we start behaving  poorly.

[Ash]

I was once on my bicycle and attacked by a driver (case of road rage) in downtown Palo Alto, mid-morning.   

Bunch of people stood around watching doing nothing.   Luckily I wasn't really hurt, mostly just shaken up.

other end of the spectrum, last year i witnessed (was following) a driver consistently trying to run over a bicyclist who was clearly frightened to death.

cars around me did nothing, i honked and got the driver to move on and stop the nonsense, then asked the cyclist if he was ok, and he was clearly not (emotionally, thankfully he didn't get hurt).  i then sped up to the car and got his license plate and immediately called the police and gave a report.

hopefully he was paid a visit.  i don't know because the po po didn't follow up with me.

only thing i regret not doing was getting the cyclist's information for the cops to confirm the story.  i wasn't thinking straight (adrenaline) and i didn't want to lose the car (hadn't gotten the plate yet).

i was a little irritated with myself on that and still am. 

but not all people are sheeple!

[Popeye the Sailor]

but not all people are sheeple!

You ain't a sheeple.


You are an Ash though

[the_Journeyman]

Some people are hesitant to help because of our sue-happy society,

JM

[VisceralReaction]

Ash, I apologize, i didn't mean to generalize that all people are of the flock mentality.
There ARE those of us that don't have a problem getting involved to help those in need.

this winter, I watched a car three cars ahead of me on a back road slide off the road and down an
embankment. Not one of those ahead of me stopped to help, they just kept going. I had the family with me
we stopped and helped. No one was hurt so we just made a couple phone calls. My daughter then
asks "why didn't anyone else stop?" How do you explain this to a 5 year old? I'm kinda bitter about humanity
in general. I know there are good people out there but they are rare.

[Mduc]

I think that some of that I don't want to help anyone in trouble mentality is the fault of the legal system. At least in the US. I seen numerous articles over the years where someone got into an accident and would probably die if some descent person didn't help. After the person saved the victoms life the victom sued the peroson who saved them and won huge amounts of money!!! Shit like that discusts me, you try to do the right thing and get anal probed after. 

[swampduc]

About 2 yrs ago, the car in front of me on a 2 lane back road went off into a ditch and flipped into a stand of trees. I immediately stopped, called 911, and helped the guy out of the car. I then gave what aid I could until EMT's arrived.

Louisiana has a Good Samaritan law which is supposed to shield people who render aid in emergency situations, but a number of my colleagues (I'm an MD) said they would have not helped for fear of lawsuits. I don't know. It never crossed my mind not to stop. I guess being able to look at myself in the mirror counts for more than fear of lawyers (and that's saying something  )

I have since been deposed several times about this case, and so it's cost me some hassles, but really, no big deal.