How messed up is this?

Question

I was on my way to the local skatepark, when this one guy tried to grab me. When I yelled "STOP" and "HELP ME" no one looked twice. When I yelled "FIRE" everyone looked up and asked "Whats on fire?" "Is it my house?" I reported the guy and he got arrested but Im still rattled over what I had to do to get someone to even think twice about it. What are your thoughts?

thanks for your ideas everyone. i brought up suggestions to my mom and got me mace and enrolled me in karate. i took kung fu in japan, but i was too shocked, and surprised to use it. thanks again

Answer 1

It's a sad reality that many good citizens have themselves been wounded or killed by trying to help another citizen being assailed. Most people now leave the hero work to the police because it is their job. However, the least a good citizen could do would be to call 911. I'm glad that you are okay, and I hope that from now on you will always be aware of your surroundings and never let strangers get within grabbing distance when you are walking alone in isolated places. Good luck!

Answer 2

I was born in a small town but I left because everything was so small and backwards. I wanted civilization, not a primitive culture.

In less than a day, I saw what passes for "civilized" in a big, heartless city. But I had the wrong priorities when I was young. All that mattered was that I made a lot more money.

I was robbed at gunpoint twice in less than a year, both times in front of people who acted like they saw nothing. When I was robbed the second time, I worked in a steel mill and I only got paid every two weeks. I had fifteen hundred dollars in cash, and that was a lot of money in Houston, Texas, in 1978. I was dressed up nice to go away for the weekend. I was taken off the street into an alley, and nobody did anything to try to help me.

When he found all my money, the robber was convinced that I was either connected to society people or the mob. He was afraid that if he let me go, he'd be caught and pay bigtime. He argued with his partner on whether or not to pull the trigger. It was a very big pistol and just an inch from the back of my skull. He was shaking so bad, even worse than I was. To this day, I cannot believe they let me go. I moved home that same night.

I've only lived in small towns since. It has not gotten any better in the city. Small town people look out for each other, and even strangers. There is more civilization in smaller numbers. The bigger the population, the less humanity you see. Those are my beliefs and thoughts.

I'm sorry for what happened to you. Even all these years later, I get nervous in crowds. They took much more from me than mere money. They took my trust in my fellow human beings, for the most part.

Answer 3

Now you have an insight on what you have to do to get attention. Many people are scared and apathetic.

Take a self defense course. One of those one day workshop wonders things is not that good. You need to train on a regular basis or when push comes to shove you won't remember what to do.

Carry a whistle.

Pay attention to your environment. Walk around corners widely and kind of look first. Before you get into a car look under it and inside. Don't always use the same route every day. Periodicly change your routine.

Answer 4

I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I was actually looking at a show on tv recently, where they were staging incidents such as yours to see what passersby would do. I was completely shocked to see that hardly anyone stopped to help these supposed victims. One woman was being 'intimidated' by her 'controlling' boyfriend, almost to the point of him 'beating' her up, & guys were passing by and not even stopping him. Imagine the only people who did stop when anyone stopped at all, were women. I think that people have become so desensitized that it doesn't affect anyone anymore when something wrong is going down. or people just tend to want to mind their own business, its sad.

Answer 5

My mother always told me to yell fire in a situation like that ,she must have know years ago that people are apathetic.I never had to use it but I will remember that from now on.I'm glad the person was arrested and that you weren't hurt. But I want to believe that all people wouldn't turn away from a cry for help.

Answer 6

my daughter is 13 she was mugged by 3 girls and they had a knife to her neck
the thing was it was in the afternoon after school waiting for a bus
grown adults watched what happened to my daughter
no one would even call the police
there was CCTV there and even the police could not believe how not one person even called the cops
it seems it is a way of life now people turn there heads as long as it is not happing to them
i am really sorry for what has happened to you but i really do understand how you feel
the only thing is i can say is keep your head up don't let the bad man win
respect
shaz

Answer 7

We have become more and more of a narcissistic society. Unless it effects someone on a personal level, there are quite a few who won't come to the aid of others. There are exceptions to that rule I'm sure, but it's been my observation that our world is more filled with the "me'isms" that the "we'isms." Sad really because together we can achieve more than we could alone.

Answer 8

Start carrying a can of Mace or something to defend yourself with. Plus there are many classes - most of which are free - that teach you how to defend yourself in any type of situation. You can't just rely on surrounding people anymore. Sad isn't it? What is this world coming to?

Answer 9

I saw a report that you should yell FIRE if you are attacked for just the reason you mentioned...it effects other people, where as your being assulted does not and they know they may even be hurt. You were a smart woman to yell FIRE.

thank you for reminding me of this!!

Answer 10

People respond to an anouncement that doesn't involve personal responsibility. People don't want to be involved in issues that are not theirs (diffusion of responsibility), such as when a person's in danger. However, when you yell "fire", people respond because they are looking out for their own safety.

It seems to be the way humans function.