I witnessed a crimeFreddy Woo writes, "A group of us once staggered home so insensible with drink that we failed to notice someone being killed and buried in a shallow grave not more than 50 yards away. A crime unsolved to this day."
Have you witnessed a crime and done bugger all about it? Or are you a have-a-go hero?
Whatever. Tell us about it...
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chthonic, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 11:53)
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" *Shakes head in sadness at the human condition* "[Sorry, this isn't funny, but it IS very relevant]
Look up the 'Kitty Geneovese Syndrome' on that Wikipedia.
Basically, it seems very natural to Homo Sapiens that, when people are among large numbers of strangers, they *won't* make the first move.
They won't be the first to leave the room if there's a fire alarm.
They won't go to help a stranger being attacked (or broken down or ill).
They won't call the police when a young woman is being stabbed.
People have a STRONG 'herd mentality' / propensity not to change what they are doing without leadership.
In the King's Cross tube disaster, this 'isolation' effect led to people ignoring the Staff, pushing past, getting onto a smouldering escalator and riding up into the inferno in the ticket hall. Where they died a horrible death.
If you're reading this, please go through life prepared to react to fire alarms _before_ others do.
Be ready to see if people need help, even if you risk looking foolish.
React as a rational being, not by following primitive urges.
Yes, there are risks to being involved, but the alternative is what happened to Kitty Genovese.
Hoddy
(, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 13:02, 3 replies)
justfor the record its: "Kitty Genovese Syndrome"
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I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 13:25,
closed)
That's the one!I just mentioned this in reply to another answer.
I've seen it in action with a fire-alarm at my local youth group when I was little. Everyone froze still. I was the only one to go to the fire door.
Kinda scary really.
I've heard that the solution, on the part of the victim, is to single out a member of the watching crowd and ask them directly for help, instead of calling to the crowd in general and getting ignored. It's meant to snap that one person out of that mentality and get them personally involved to help.
(, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 14:00, closed)
your say that people dont react to fire alarmsbut the kings cross disaster was made worse by people stampeding towards the exit.
its a bit contradictary
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 19:33,
closed)
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