My father in law slipped on ice yesterday

B

Bill Struth

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My father in law slipped on the ice yesterday just outside his local shop. He's 60 years old and quite frail, and has a debilitating lung condition. You can imagine the state he was in.

Now imagine how he felt when a man in his 30's first looked at him, then walked right past him as he lay on the ground struggling to get to his feet. Luckily a young lad of about 15 years old then came to his aid and helped him up.

I was so angry when I heard this yesterday, how could anyone behave like this? it doesn't quite fit in with the lazy stereotypes we have does it?

Well done young man.
 
What a w*nker. He'll be elderly himself some day and hopefully will meet some more pleasant people than himself if he ever needs a bit of assistance.
 
I fell on the ice yesterday and there was no one around to help or ignore that ol' one in the middle of the road . Luckily there weren't any cars around either. Landed on the spot that has plenty of padding so back is not too sore.

Generally speaking the bad weather is bringing out the best in people and they are helping each other.

For a healthy frame of mind it is best to think that the 15 year old's attitude is in the majority
 
I think its just some peoples nature not to help other people, im sure the fello that walked right past went home alone and watched tv for the night and will do the same again for the next 30 years.
 
May there have been mitigating circumstances?

I don't agree with the simplistic view that if a person doesn't help an old man therefore he is a complete bollix, end of.

What if the guy had just been told that his children had been killed and was a bit distracted? What if the guy suffered from mental or physical problems himself? The OP's father-in-law may at a glance appeared to have been drunk or something?

Like it or not, people are under no obligation to help anyone and often, the sad truth is, they are wise not to.
 
Holtend82 said:
I think its just some peoples nature not to help other people, im sure the fello that walked right past went home alone and watched tv for the night and will do the same again for the next 30 years.
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Jasus! and I get accused of being hard on people!
 
Caveat said:
Like it or not, people are under no obligation to help anyone and often, the sad truth is, they are wise not to.
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Really? Why's this?

I've been lucky enough to have been able to catch a few people just before they fell, it was more instinct thing just grabbing them as they slipped. Would never have thought it might be wiser to see them fall and crack their skull on the pavement.
 
Latrade said:
Really? Why's this?

I've been lucky enough to have been able to catch a few people just before they fell,.
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I have done the same and i will continue to do the same as i hope if i fell someone would try to catch me.
 
Delivery man on the radio just rang in to say he has stopped 4 times already this morning to help people who had fallen, good on him.

Separately would people stop walking in icy conditions with their hands in their pockets. Get a pair of gloves.
 
Bill Struth said:
Now imagine how he felt when a man in his 30's first looked at him, then walked right past him as he lay on the ground struggling to get to his feet. Luckily a young lad of about 15 years old then came to his aid and helped him up.
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I share your anger Bill. Unfortunately there are people like him in our midst who couldn't give a toss about anything or anyone but themselves. The actions of the young lad, however, should prevent us from despair and give us the reassurance that not all people are dragged up.
 
Latrade said:
Really? Why's this?
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Thought it was obvious, plenty of scams around where people pretend to be in distress. You could get involved in a drunken domestic too. Or worse, some sort of gang dispute.


I've been lucky enough to have been able to catch a few people just before they fell, it was more instinct thing just grabbing them as they slipped. Would never have thought it might be wiser to see them fall and crack their skull on the pavement.
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Not what I'm saying at all.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying I wouldn't help someone who appears to have fallen, but I wouldn't be so quick to judge those who don't.
 
Caveat said:
Thought it was obvious, plenty of scams around where people pretend to be in distress. You could get involved in a drunken domestic too. Or worse, some sort of gang dispute.
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Honestly, it wasn't that obvious, as it wouldn't even enter my head in most circumstances that these could be an issue. Maybe where there's some dispute or fight going on, I can understand someone's reluctance to get involved, but not when someone has just fallen over.
 



Caveat,

I think from the situation described that it was not a scam, simply a man falling on ice. No gang involved or a drunken domestic either. I agree we cannot judge someone motives when they fail to act as we think they should but if I had been the falling victim I would have been angry too.
 
My scam comment was in relation to people who appear to 'need help' generally, not specifically to the OP.

My first post was in relation to the OP.

Look, I feel sorry for the man, I genuinely do, and I'm sure it was upsetting for him and those close to him. It just isn't remotely surprising to me apart from anything else.

Put it this way, 15 years ago my (then) girlfriend was randomly punched in the face by a junkie, in broad daylight at a busy bus stop. Have a guess what the reaction of those queueing was?

They turned their heads and moved away from her as she lay on the ground clutching her bleeding mouth.

I detect a 'what have we come to?' attitude in relation to Bill's FIL. We have 'come there' a long time ago.
 
Its a different situation though Caveat, in a city if someone attacks someone else people ARE more likely to look away rather than draw attention to themselves and have the junkie attack them also.

An old man slipping alone on ice is not the same as this - to help him out is not drawing any negative attention to oneself.

I came on my bicycle on black ice a good few years back close to a junction out onto a main road, I landed on the ground, bike on the other side of the road. As I sat up shaking my head trying to figure out what had just happened and was I hurt a man in a car behind me leaned out his window and shouted 'cmon, get off the road, youre in my way'. I could have had a broken leg - I didnt know, he didnt know!! I crawled to the side of the road and the next car along had a woman who stopped and got out and checked to see was I hurt. Ive never forgotten the man who just told me to get out of his way.

I also witnessed a dispicable act in a supermarket during the height of xmas business, there was a huge queue for an express checkout and a man collapsed (heart problem I believe it was), the person behind him in the queue stepped OVER him and just left him there. Obviously staff and other customers were onto it immediately when they saw him fall, but to step over someone who has collapsed is AWFUL!!!
 
truthseeker said:
Its a different situation though Caveat, in a city if someone attacks someone else people ARE more likely to look away rather than draw attention to themselves and have the junkie attack them also.
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I understand, but it didn't really apply in the situation I described. The junkie approached the bus queue from across the road, walked up, punched my gf and walked off immediately and didn't come back.
 
I'm not defending their actions, Caveat, and I hope they felt ashamed of themselves afterwards, but it was a more threatening situation . She could have been the junkie's girlfriend, he could have been still lurking around the area, he might have had a knife. People's self protective instincts probably took over.
An elderly man slipping on ice on a snowy day is not threatening or dodgy and I think the young man either had something wrong with him or is just a selfish so and so.
 
Well I don't want to go on about it but for many reasons I think it would have been fairly obvious that she was not his girlfriend. Not least the pleas and protestations immediately after being attacked.

This was a long straight road too - the guy could be seen walking off into the distance, there was quite obviously no immediate danger for anyone else in the aftermath.

I should say that after some minutes, someone from a shop across the road did come to her aid.
 
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