Wednesday February 15, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Video shows bystanders ignoring hit-and-run victim in U.S.

World Jun. 06, 2008 - 05:30AM JST ( 20 )

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20 Comments

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japanyesterdayJun. 06, 2008 - 07:45AM JST

as bad as the world think americans are, atleast this made the news and people are taking a look at themselves and speaking up about it.
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rjd_jrJun. 06, 2008 - 08:09AM JST

It's time for open discussion about yet another Kitty Genovese type of phenomenon.
-1

SezWho2Jun. 06, 2008 - 09:17AM JST

There was also a time when, if you stopped to help a person, that person didn't suddenly pull a gun or knife and try to rob you or carjack you.

And then there was also a time when if you stopped to help a person, that person or his family didn't turn around and sue you for not quite knowing how to help.

Apparently there were several calls to 911 and apparently the police did arrive promptly. I don't think it's so much a case of callousness as it is a case of not knowing how to help.

The question that I have, however, is how the media got hold of the surveillance tape without the authorities being able to control the story to see that it was reported accurately.
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cleoJun. 06, 2008 - 09:53AM JST

Good on the people who did call for help. I hope the victim recovers soon and that they catch the driver of the car that knocked him down.
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tclhJun. 06, 2008 - 11:55AM JST

(And then there was also a time when if you stopped to help a person, that person or his family didn't turn around and sue you for not quite knowing how to help.) I agree with you 100%.The fact is after reading the news everybody seems to care but because of too much ,too many laws that make people confuse,not sure what to do except calling emergency number.
0

proxyJun. 06, 2008 - 12:01PM JST

In defence of Americans, and I know quite a few, this incident does on no way reflect on Americans I know.
0

dany505Jun. 06, 2008 - 12:06PM JST

this is appauling
0

adaydreamJun. 06, 2008 - 12:12PM JST

It brings about talk.

It's a shame that that's all it brings.

People are becoming more and more, it's not my business, I don't want to get involved.

It's a real pitty. < :-)
0

skipthesongJun. 06, 2008 - 12:24PM JST

From one of the most so called liberal states in the Union, humanity to one of my kind is shown its best.
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ZaphodJun. 06, 2008 - 02:56PM JST

So disgusting.
0

BadseyJun. 06, 2008 - 06:31PM JST

Heartless, Connecticut
0

TriumvereJun. 06, 2008 - 07:50PM JST

While the story is rather appaling, it should be noted that 4 people called 911 to report the incident withing a minute of accident.
0

TriumvereJun. 06, 2008 - 07:50PM JST

within, sorry
0

USNinJapan2Jun. 06, 2008 - 07:54PM JST

Time for a "Duty To Rescue" law? If one existed in Connecticut all of these bystanders could be tried and locked up like in the final episode of Seinfeld...
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OssanULTRAJun. 06, 2008 - 09:24PM JST

I saw the video and I think this is blown out of proportion. People don't walk around expecting an accident of this sort to happen. When it does, there's disbelief, confusion, curiosity, trying to figure out what's going on, all before they psychologically accept what has happened. Then there are those who deny what's happened. The video shows just that. If several 911 calls were placed that would be expected. And if a police cruiser was on-site in 90 seconds hell that's pretty damn fast. Finally I don't understand the victim walking across the street diagonally ignoring the obviously active two way traffic to start with. Third party passerbys are going about their own business, they didn't all witness the accident from the videocamera's point of view, and they aren't all trained emergency medical personnel. Addition here in the U.S. one can not jump to take action in a case like this without the risk of being sued by the victim or victims fanmily later because one acted as a good samaritan without any medical training or jurisdiction. Calling 911 ASAP is the correct thing to do. I do not think this video, showing the first 90 seconds of an accident reflects negatively upon the people of Connecticut or the U.S. in any way.
0

USNinJapan2Jun. 06, 2008 - 10:33PM JST

OssanULTRA

That's precisely what the Good Samaritan Law does, it protects anyone (professional or civilian) who comes to the aid of someone who's in trouble. Connecticut, along with all 49 other states plus DC have some form of a Good Samaritan Law in effect. You're right that 90 seconds isn't a whole lot of time, but the sad thing in my opinion about this case is that the bystanders' first instinct wasn't to render direct assistance in some way but was to do absolutely nothing beyond acting bewildered and making a 911 call, which although is important in itself, isn't the same as offering/rendering basic emergency first aid, redirecting traffic away from the scene, or simply comforting the victim by talking to him and assuring him that help is on the way. I just watched the video too, and the amount of time that it took any of the bystanders to take any action, anything, seemed like an eternity. I hate to say it but once upon a time it wouldn't have taken a fraction of the time for someone to run up to the poor guy and offer some kind of help. Evidently the Hartford Chief of Police doesn't share your opinion on this either...
1

usaexpatJun. 06, 2008 - 11:18PM JST

Where are the people who regularily condemn the Japanese for their unwillingness to help people? This is a world wide epidemic of humans not caring about other humans. The world has just gotten a lot less cival in the last 10-20 years.
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OssanULTRAJun. 06, 2008 - 11:49PM JST

USNinJapan2

I think you're being excessively harsh (expecting an awful lot from) on CIVILIANS who may have never experienced or have not been trained to respond to an unexpected emergency situation. For most civilians, it takes time to understand a given situation and then to respond, in whatever manner. And responses for the untrained can range from trying to administer help personally (if so trained), calling 911 (which it seems some did), going into denial, right doiwn to having a nervous breakdown. If you're argument is that we as a society in general have become more insensitive to others in need as compared to say 30-50 years ago, yes, that's an undeniable fact. Probably true in all major cities around the world. If something like this happened to me, which is unlikely cause I dont cross the street in the middle of moving traffic, I would be happy to get help in 90 seconds.
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USNinJapan2Jun. 07, 2008 - 11:43AM JST

I'm not so sure Ossan. It wasn't like these bystanders walked around a corner and came upon a murder scene or something really shocking. These folks witnessed him get hit by the car but still kept their distance. It's just really sad to me that in the dozen or so people who were on the scene not one of them had the sense or situational awareness to take any action to help the poor victim. I was hoping that the heroic quality common in emergency responders wasn't that rare in regular people.
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KwaabishJun. 08, 2008 - 09:18AM JST

How about the guy on the scooter that did a half circle around him and then rode off?