Would you walk on by

United States
January 13, 2009 12:53pm CST
Or would you stop to help or call the cops. I see this so many times here were I am living that someone sees another person in trouble that they will stop and try to help that person. No matter the situation. If you see that there is a man and a woman on the side of the street arguing, and he's yanking her around, would you stop and try to help the woman or would you walk on. Or would you call the cops. Me I would call the cops and stick around till they got there and try to see if someone could help her. Because I am so little I wouldn't be of much help. I remember seeing something similar to this while I was riding the bus before I even had my car. I was sitting at a bus stop waiting for the bus to come and then all of sudden I hear this screeching and yelling. In fact there were alot of people that were near by and heard this. The lady was screaming and telling the man to stop. The man was trying to drag her down the street with the lady still attached. I think what was going on the man had ahold of her arm, and would not let go. And the lady was trying to get away. One of the men that was on the bus, went over to help the woman get free. Eventually the man in the truck let her go and drove off quickly. So lets say you saw that going on what would you do, would you try to help her, or call the cops. Or would you just stand by and watch.
4 people like this
14 responses
@Valenas (1507)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I am currently flipping through my Psychology papers to try to find the term that this is given. And after ten minutes of searching, I finally found it within my notes: Social loafing. Basically, as members of a group, people feel less responsible for their individual actions. One person thinks that someone else in the group will handle a situation, but they don't realize that almost everyone in the rest of the group is thinking almost the same way. So, if none of them is going to step forward, who will? I've never come across someone being attacked, but I have been behind a woman when she fell and couldn't get up. She had broken her nose (and the paramedics said that she may have injured her neck). A lot of the people kept walking, and I was the only person who ran up to her to see if she was okay. I noticed that once I did something, people were more willing to respond to me asking them to call 911, and asking them to get a towel for her to use to wipe up her nose.
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I would call the cops. The truth is that you can't be sure the situation and you may try to help and get invilved in a mess you didn't realize you were getting in. It may be a married couple that fight all the time and you step in and they both get mad at you. That's not to say that was the situation but it's better to leave these type things to the authorities I think.
• United States
13 Jan 09
I totally agree but I think in that situation the girl's life was in danger and it was a good thing that the man at the bus stop stepped in to help. Cause she was crying out for help.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I think it was a great thing too.I'm like you in the matter of being to small to handle a situation like that myself. That guy was very brave and I'm sure the girl was very grateful.
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I am the kind of person who would want to help. It would depend on the situation as well. I am tiny female and it would be pointless to try to help another female who is being attacked by numerous males persay. In cases i know like that i would call for help.
• United States
13 Jan 09
I definitely agree, I would call for help as well. I could not just stand by and do nothing.
@kerri1981 (133)
• United States
13 Jan 09
Well I'm the type of person that hates when woman are getting treated badly from a man. I would so try to help but I would also call the cops first to let them know whats going on. Now if it was a car jacking issue and I couldn't make it in time to help that person I would so call the cops right away and get there licese plate number and give that to the cops. All reasons I would try my best to help but I would always call the cops to in any situtaion that looks bad.
• United States
13 Jan 09
I totally agree, with that. I am the type of girl that hates violence on anyone women, children or whatever. I always tell my husband to call the cops when we see things like that.
@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
14 Jan 09
Well I am not a big girl, I am quite small. So if I saw someone in trouble I wold like you, call the cops. Now a days I do not think it is safe to get involved, you can never tell when someone involved has a weapon. It's just not safe and I feel bad saying it. I would never just walk by though. I personally don't know how anyone could pass someone in need and not feel the obligation to try to help out in some way. I just know that if the situations were reversed, I would want someone to try to help me and that's the way that I look at it.
• United States
15 Jan 09
Exactly I can never understand those people that just walk on by and not think much of it. Especially when it looks like that person's life is in danger.
• United States
13 Jan 09
Some women get mad at the person that is trying to help her because they think the man that is trying to harm her is the love of her life! It is really unfortunate and I guess some women wont wake up until it is too late. I definitely would call the police and help out. I know that if I was in that situation I would hope someone would help me!
• United States
13 Jan 09
I would want people to help me too. I can never understand why a woman would get mad cause you are stepping in though, but like you said because they love that person. In this situation, the woman was very grateful that the man had helped her out.
@xbrendax (2662)
• United States
14 Jan 09
I could NEVER just stand by and do nothing while something bad was happening. I would call the cops, but I would never try to break anything like that up because you just never know what could happen to YOU!
@tammytwo (4298)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I would be sure to call the police but if possible I would not get involved. Often when you try to stop and help someone they will both turn on you. I have seen this many times even when the police arrive. This is why a domestic disturbance is so unpredictable and police approach them cautiously.
@silverjam (969)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I wasn't been in a situation like that but if I do I'd rather call a cop because I believe it's the best way to do that; call an authority to help solve the case, that way it's more legal and proper. However, I had been in many situation where I saw and witnessed people who were in trouble and i remeber I always helped them as much as I could. This happends I guess a couple of times already that I was late for a certain appointment for helping people. Specially if the one asking for help has been a victim of fraud or being taken advantaged of. There is always that burning desire in me to help, sometimes it even costs my time and money and sometimes the risks.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
14 Jan 09
I'm a small woman. I've been in that position several times. I just use my mouth and keep talking (yelling actually)saying to the bad guy to stop it. After a while someone else who is bigger and stronger will step in and physically intervene. I'm not afraid to get hurt by running my mouth non stop at top volume, even though they threaten to harm me. I know I'm not strong enough to do anything physical, but I can make a huge scene and pull others in to help.
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
13 Jan 09
I would definitely intervene as it comes to be just my nature. I would have to call the police and have things checked out. I wouldn't want harm coming to a fellow human being. You could save a life when you think about it. Take care Trisha.
• United States
13 Jan 09
You take care too. I really would have to commend that guy for stepping in and helping her, if it wasn't for him, things would have gotten worse.
@artaucan (97)
• United States
14 Jan 09
I think that the best thing to do is call the cops, we don´t have any right to interfere in a couple´s problems and it´s definately none of our business, but if I see that the guy is getting to agresive with her, I will call the cops for sure and like you say I would stick around until they get there.
• China
14 Jan 09
Hi,i will call the cops if i see such things.Because i am female and i don't know KongFu.
@70nyh0Ax (177)
• India
13 Jan 09
I will tell you frankly in many cases this happens when the people are not literate Coz they don't have civic sense. That's the main problem. Everybody loves to help even i do, but i depends on the situation like it was one time i was sitting near my window and it was 11:30 pm in night the girl was gone out with her bf and her bad luck that there occurred some problem with the transport and she was unable to reach home at time (she didn't told her parents that she is going out) so her father started beating her like anything and in this case even i can't help coz this was suppose to happen coz she always keeps on lying around. ALL i want to say is we are the third person what we see is what we believe we don't know the hidden aspects like who is the main culprit, our sympathy always goes with the girls. So what you think from the above eg, well i don't say that we must not help we must help those people who really need our help like blind or physically challenged people. This world is a beautiful place and is made beautiful by us. So always help those who require help... well the eg which you've given above i'll say that i'll call police in that and i'll surely try not to involve myself in that kinda trauma.. that's it.