What would you do?

A nice old man? and even more surprising - a Malibu? Wth

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ May 14 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]442035[/snapback]</div>

You know, adrenaline can be a powerful thing - looks like it froze all those people with fear. I'm not so sure I could have stood by and watched.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ozyran @ May, 08:49 PM) [snapback]442173[/snapback]</div>

I figured the bystanders were friends of the perp. As for the victim, I don't see anything he could do. He was pinned by his door against the other car.

 

What would I do?

Now that the slimeball has been arrested, as a juror, I'd deliberate for about two seconds before convicting him on carjacking and attempted murder. A beating that severe on a 91 year old person is not your average assault. The likelihood of causing life threatening injury is extremely high. He obviously didn't care.

Life in prison with no possibility of parole would be too good for this animal.

 

It's a sad commentary on today's society.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ May 15 2007, 03:48 AM) [snapback]442257[/snapback]</div>

Unfortunately, the group of people not helping is not just today's society. The whole set of studies that ended up leading to the concept of the bystander effect/diffusion of responsibility (people are less likely to help if several are present) were done because in 1964, a New York woman was raped and killed over a period of about 30 minutes outside her apartment building. There were numerous witness who saw her or heard her cries, but none helped or notified police until a few minutes after it was over.

Course if you were talking about the carjacking in plain sight, that is sad too. I can't remember the guy's name (Joe something I think) did a special on of the news programs how people would rarely confront him when he was doing things like breaking into people's cars and into people's houses. People didn't want to ask the questions to figure out what was going on. Pretty scary stuff.

I had a similar experience a few years ago and it was really interesting to see how most people who heard the cries for help responded. Thankfully it turned out ok, at least no one was seriously injured.

 

Thats a horrible thing... and that guy definitely needs to spend the next 70 years in prison... that way, he'll be 90ish when he gets out, and can have some thug do the same thing to him.

Sadly too many people just stand by and watch things like this happen. Last fall i was out with a bunch of friends, and walking (by myself) back to my car on one of the back streets (parking in that part of town is horrible)... i clearly witnessed a guy breaking into a car, but was the only other person on the street... I pretended not to see anything and just drove away... calling the cops through blue tooth (i have them on speed dial just in case) as i went. I wished i could have done more, but without knowing if he had a weapon on him, i could have gotten myself into some serious trouble.

 

It is too bad the old man didn't kill him.

 

I know what I would have done. I would have made an uneducated, uninformed, and reckless decision to have helped the old man. I might very well have gotten me killed or beat up but it is what I would have done based on the way I was brought up. I have been in somewhat similiar situations before and have taken what some might consider "the high road" and helped out but to me it isn't about "the high road" but it is all about doing the right thing and helping someone not able to defend themselves.

I personally find it offensive that the people watching did not do something to help. It is pretty apparent from even the crappy tape quality that the guy was older and comparatively helpless although in the interview clip he sure looks good for being over 90 years old.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tnthub @ May 15 2007, 08:40 AM) [snapback]442357[/snapback]</div>

Yes, it's nice and well to say that when you're sitting there safely typing on your computer. But when that kind of thing happens to you In Real Life right in front of you, your brain sends much different self-preservation signals. Life is not a Hollywood action movie.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ May 15 2007, 01:17 PM) [snapback]442576[/snapback]</div>

Precisely. It takes a number of seconds to even process what's going. The way that video is recut (so you keep seeing the same hits again and again), you can't tell how long it all took, but I'd be surprised if it was over 20 seconds. And the people who could see it were viewing it through a car. Frankly, they probably heard something more than saw it.

One morning, a woman was being mugged at a bus stop my bus pulled up to. I'd say it was a good 10-20 seconds before anyone made a move because it was just so unexpected, and it takes a few seconds before just to go from What is that? to Are they friends and joking? to Holy Crap she's being mugged. (the mugger was another woman behind the first, trying to cut her purse away with a knife). About six of us piled off (and I was about the last of those six -- no claims to bravery). The mugger got pushed away, the woman helped up, the mugger ran off, a couple chased her a block, came back. The bus sat there the while. A doctor on the bus looked at the woman's cuts (small ones around her hand). The police came and everyone else got back on. I ended up waiting with the woman (who had now called a friend and the police) until her friend came.

This was a relavtively fast reaction on the part of the bus passengers, but there was still a good delay at first. I find it hard to judge that tape because it's all cut up in little snippets.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ May 15 2007, 02:17 PM) [snapback]442576[/snapback]</div>

I understand completely what you are saying and if I had not spent my youth working heavy construction, drinking too much beer, getting in bar fights with local fishermen, and generally living up to the stereotypical image of mis-spent youth I would agree with you. However I survived all that and at age 48 I am not yet dead. I have seen my shae of violent crap over the years and have never been one to stand by the sidelines while someone else takes it alongside the head when they didn't deserve it. Not that i'm a bad azz or anything, just that I have been in plenty of similiar situations and am stupid enough to put myself in one agin should it be warranted. I like to joke that I "won my last fight bu three blocks" but the reality of the situation is that I generally don't shy away from that type of thing...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tnthub @ May 15 2007, 05:59 PM) [snapback]442769[/snapback]</div>

tnthub, I'm with you all the way, I always "rush in where angels fear to tread." So far it's worked out ok, and I've even saved one man's life. Maybe it's all my Maine ancestors coming back to haunt.

Stevo's right though, it definitely takes a few clicks for the brain cells to kick on and realize that what's happening is real and bad.

 

with the amazing prevalence of cell phones now, you'd think one person would call 911. though i can agree that it takes time for something to click in your mind, for someone to switch from observation to understanding to action.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 15 2007, 04:19 PM) [snapback]442820[/snapback]</div>

...and for the 911 to actually answer

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ May 15 2007, 01:03 AM) [snapback]442226[/snapback]</div>

There's something to be said for some Asian cultures, that hold parents responsible for their adult children't actions. I once nearly intervened between a dude being held at gunpoint. But just as I began, the OTHER cops rushed up. Almost knocked out the good guy!