[MaxTorque]

Kudos to your Father. His timely intervention saved life of a precious soul.

Overall we have become more selfish. To give an example, in our childhood I remember, when we were travelling in public transport we used to vacate our seat to those who are in need like elders, pregnant women, or someone who is sick etc. But I hardly see the same trend nowadays.

I wish we had a better ambulance/emergency services network. In many cases an injured need a special care in handling, transporting and treating.

[arnieshwartz]

Your Dad did the right thing. No doubt about that.

However, as others have pointed out in this thread, past sour experiences and a general fear of harassment are what make people hesitate in lending a helping hand to accident victims. I've even heard of people expressing unwillingness to help a bleeding accident victim because of what the blood stains would do to the car upholstery.

I reside in Hyderabad. A lot of times things do get ugly even if it's not your fault. A lot of times they do not. It's hard to judge beforehand. I remember this one time an elderly man darted out on a scooter from behind a parked Innova and crashed into my vehicle. He must've been a trader in recycled materials and had come to a residence to pick up some old newspapers, plastics and such. I got down from my vehicle and rushed to help him up. He sat on the ground and howled bitterly, complaining that he had twisted his ankle, his scooter was damaged, and that I was to blame. A crowd gathered and the general sentiment was that I was to blame and that I had to pay for "damages". Two policemen showed up as well and stated that I needed to accompany them to the police station. I resisted. The language quality soon deteriorated and body language became more menacing. The home owners from whose residence this man had exited, came out and told everyone off, saying the man was at fault, he had rushed out the front gate without looking if he had a clear exit, and that I was in no way to blame. When the man realised things were not going his way, he stood up, started up his scooter and left. Masterful acting, I must say.

But that experience did not stop me from helping out someone in need of assistance. Very recently while on my my way to work, a biker lost control and fell down while taking a turn. This was a few feet in front of me and I had slowed down because I had a hunch this was coming by just watching him take the turn hard and fast. I pulled over and went to his side. He was bruised pretty badly. I offered to take him to the nearest hospital, where I stayed until his wounds were cleaned and dressed. I left once a colleague of his showed up. Both were extremely thankful for everything I'd done.

But I digress. We need to have empathy for others around us. There's always something we can do, and no matter how small, a good deed always comes around. Atleast, if you believe in the concept of karma.

[DheerajNK]

Not only during accidents, in general I feel we Indians are becoming very self centered day by day. Most of the people don't care about the other people around them unless they know them well & feel free to throw garbage on the road, cut the queues, fight in the traffic & do not bother to help each other even in situations of life & death. Humanity is getting lost and people are becoming cold day by day.

A kid running to the hospital trying to save the chicken he run over is a big thing these days. While I totally appreciate the goodness that kid carries in his heart & his parents for the upbringing, as human beings are we all (at least all kids) not supposed to be like him at heart in some form or fashion?

Thanks,
Dheeraj

[pacman2881]

The apathy everyone is referring to here is NOT specific to India and is a Psychological Phenomenon called the Bystander effect

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that one of them will help.

Wiki

May I request not to single out Indians alone in this

In an age of cellphone camera and social media the phenomenon takes more complicated forms. Check this one-

https://youtu.be/78jz1PNnYaQ

I am not an expert. So I'd request everyone to just Google around or search YouTube. You'll find lots of interesting and shocking information about this topic.

[car love]

Couple of years ago while i was riding back home at around 11.30pm, i witnessed a horrific accident on the opposite lane of a divided two lane road wherein a scooter rider fell and was dragged something like 50feet. I immediately parked my bike and rushed to help on the other lane. Another guy too stopped to help. We found the scooter guy to be completely drunk and the left side of his face was scraped off with the ears cleanly shaven off his face. The rider was so drunk he didn't feel the pain but was asking where is my Ear
We called the mobile police van and it arrived after about 20 minutes. The police officer asked the rider how this happened and we couldn't believe what we heard: He said i think these two guys knocked me down. We only escaped because our bikes were parked on the opposite lane and the cop understood the situation. If not, we would probably be running around cops/courts to this day.
Being a good Samaritan can have deadly consequences from the accident victims also. Bizzare, but this is what happened.

[Rajiv0909]

I can't help but think of an exceptional experience that I underwent earlier this year.

It was a quiet evening in residential quarters of Adyar in Chennai when I decided to try a friend's brand new 650 GT from RE. It was in one of those by lanes, when i was enjoying the throttle response of the 650 twin engine, a dog just jumped out of a garbage can and hit the front wheel of the motorcycle. Since I was accelerating at the time of impact, both the dog and I went sliding along the 230 kg motorcycle for a good 20-30 mtrs. I ended up with a broken Tibia and the dog turned vegetative.What happened in next 10 minutes of the accident really overwhelmed me, I clearly remember the following outstanding acts of humanity

1. A couple who had a coconut water shop just next to the accident spot, took the motorcycle off me, picked me up and as i couldn't move, offered the only chair they had at the shop for me to sit.

2. An eldery gentleman who abandoned his evening stroll to arrange for the ambulance, made calls for my friends to reach the spot. Since my tibia bone was dislocated, my leg was hanging off the knee, I couldn't move at all and was sitting right in the middle of the road. For the time i was sitting there, this gentleman made sure that the traffic was diverted to a different lane so that vehicles don't come close to me.

3. A Doctor, who was also enjoying his evening walk,noticed me crying in pain,did a prelim assessment, called someone to arrange for a pain killer injection and administered it even before I was put in the ambulance.

4. The ambulance from 108 arrived in 8 minutes from the call, didn't charge a dime and someone followed up after 2 months to check on my health.

5. In all of this, this friend's daughter noticed that the dog needs attention as well. An Auto driver agreed to drop it to blue cross. The dog got treated for 9 fractures it acquired during the accident

Maybe i was just lucky to have good samaritans around or possibly what goes around comes around (have rescued someone in the past and motivated to do more in future). Humanity exists in the era of apathy

[kiranton]

Circa, 2004. A chilly Sunday evening in Bangalore. I was out on my bike to buy some groceries nearby. While coming back, I saw a small crowd gathered around a corner. Since I was single at that time and didn’t have much to do on a Sunday, I stopped my bike and joined the crowd. I saw a beggar woman unconscious on the side with a cut on her forehead. The driver of the car which hit her was standing shell shocked helplessly looking at everyone around. As a good Samaritan, I told him to take her to a hospital. Since the crowd was not interested in helping and watching the whole thing like a street play, I decided to act. So this beggar woman must be 60 years old and extremely thin. I could lift her without any help. The driver opened the rear door and I went in along with the woman. My idea was to keep her in the rear seat and let the driver take her to the hospital. Before I could get off, the driver locked the car and we got moving. Now this woman is on my lap, like the famous Michelangelo sculpture, Pieta. But the difference was my sculpture was stinking of alcohol. She had more alcohol in her body than a micro brewery. At some point she woke up, saw my face and started slapping me on my face. She must have thought I was kidnapping her, but in reality I was getting kidnapped. So this slapping happened quite a few times. She would slap me couple of times, pass out. Slap me. Pass out.

Finally, we reached CMH hospital, but now I am the one who require medical attention. The hospital guys moved her to a stretcher and told us that since this is an accident, you need police report before treatment. Suddenly this woman woke up and said she wants to complain to the police. May be she didn’t find my face at a slapping distance. So now I am with this woman in a maruti omni ambulance on my way to the police station while the driver who hit her is leading in front. At one signal, the driver took a left turn and we didn’t see him after that. So now I am left with my muse and every time she woke up, the slapping continued. We reached the police station. I have to admit that the SI was very kind. He looked at the woman and then me and said this. “It’s just a small cut. Buy a band aid and drop her where you found her”. So we went to the same place where this incident happened in the ambulance and got her out. Couple of her beggar friends who were loitering around came charging towards me and slapped me saying my car hit her. But the ambulance driver spoke to them in Kannada and I was let off. I paid the ambulance driver Rs. 200 and came back home and ordered biriyani from Imperial.

[coolmel]

Well, I have too many incidents to share. But these being most prominent of late.

Scene 1:

Back when Chris Nolan was visiting India last year, I left for the Dunkirk premiere. Didn't take SCLR and had to take a U turn post the ONGC circle at Chembur. From out of nowhere I caught sight of a puppy, an Innova ahead of the car ahead of me zipped away & all of us came to a shuddering halt. I immediately got out, the kid got beneath the taxi, took him out & it was in shock. Immediately got my first aid box out and checked for fractures. Thankfully none! Comforted him and then gave some food which he happily ate. Got beneath the flyover where there were other dogs and a security. Gave him some money to buy the kid milk which he did. Did my best in whatever little time I had and left for the event. Upon reaching beamed it to my animal welfare circles and luckily a lady feeder who takes care of that area took on the responsibility to check on the kid in the evening. I can till date never thank her enough. AND all the while all what people could do was...WATCH and sigh!

Scene 2:

I was traveling south to Bandra when on the WEH airport curve before Vakola was a huge snarl. I was in the right most lane. Only until I passed the accident spot I saw an Activa guy shielding what was a bleeding cat in the middle of the highway. I quickly pulled over and ran to him despite the crazy snarl. The kitty was bleeding and first task was to get her medical help. I called my ambulance sources and as always since it was rush hour time, no one could come sooner. From what I learnt later on about the story was the kitty hid in the engine bay of the pickup as it traveled back from Andheri. And as it popped out, the driver also pulled over. The Activa lad saw this. Thankfully the driver did not run away. Out of nowhere a God sent samaritan brought his WagonR right before us and said he will take care of the kitty and shall rush to the vet right away. The cat was in complete shock and after attempts from all of us, the co driver of the pickup managed to grab her, put her in the car and off they went. Worth mentioning was the Activa lad called the VileParle east police station but NO ONE turned up. Even more ridiculous was a police SUV carrying an inspector and his family did not even bother to stop as they passed by us in the snarl! Aint it cool?!

Scene 3:

While on my way via Prabhadevi to Kamla mills a taxi ahead of did not slow down as a cat was crossing the road. The kitty had a smashed eye and the entire eyeball was popping out. Died on the spot. As usual it was a busy day and being a 2 laned road traffic jammed up. I pulled over, shielded the body, my friend picked her up and kept her aside. A good shopkeeper who saw the entire episode gave us a box and some newspapers. Also gave some flowers. Then we went to SPCA and got her final rites done.

Scene 4:

This was when I used to ride the ZMA a lot. Evening time, returning home, usual 2 lane jam and out of nowhere from between the stash of autorickshaws popped out an old uncle when the cop green signalled our line. Everyone made a dash and since he came out from the blind spot I could not even brake. Slammed into him. Uncle flew one side, me and my bike on the other. Took a toll on my left knee. Somehow got up and uncle also had some bleeding on the mouth. Luckily there was a clinic next to the spot. Got the old man there and somehow managed to get back home. Again: NO ONE helped! Just watched and zoomed away.

I have learnt a lot from these incidents. On a daily basis I see all kinds of motorists driving rash(esp our so called hunger saviours from apps we know of). I go feeding at night and literally have confrontations with such a-holes daily. Very rarely I find folks who actually slow down and drive responsibly.

And it has helped me communicate on social media better than ever before. For eg, taking the right pics/videos and the correct, clear text which follows. It sure is an appalling scene but you and I can help make a difference. I have learnt one line which is: If it is up to you, it is up to you. No one else! Since I also do animal welfare, I always carry a first aid box, dry food and a bowl for water in the car. Trust me, it has helped umpteen times.

Drive safe mates. Cheers!

[Mortis]

This apathy is generally the norm in India unfortunately. However I have seen some positive changes.

1) In Mumbai atleast in the last couple of years I have seen drivers making an effort to giveaway to Ambulances

2) I had a small skid and fall on my scooter a couple of years ago and 2-3 people stopped to help me including a taxi driver with customers in his car who got my bike to the side and also helped to kick-start it before leaving and checking one last time if I needed anything

[VaidhiR]

Do motorists and taxis still follow Ambulances?

[blackasta]

Your father did the right thing , basic empathy is expected of every human being.

Apathy in India chiefly comes from 2 things - fear of the police dragging the good samaritans into undue hassles, and (i hate to say this) incorrect upbringing, wherein parents teach kids to only be concerned about themselves.

Quoting a couple of incidents from the first aid thread when I stepped in to help accident victims - note the second incident and role of police:

I had to break open and use the first aid kit that came with my car on two occasions - both of the times it was required to help someone else, both in the Rajarhat New Town area.

First was while commuting to office, saw a lady and her child take minor injuries when their scooty skidded on sand / gravels and both of them fell. Thankfully it was at low speed, so no more harm was done. Used the antiseptic lotion / cream / gauge / bandages.

Second time was while returning at night, an elderly gentleman lost control of his car somehow and hit the side barrier, barely a minute before I was passing by. That was a pretty serious accident, with the car suffering a lot of damage but thankfully the gentleman & his wife suffering non-serious injuries to their arm, face & torso. Helped them with first aid & water. Then called a tow truck to tow their car to Mukesh Hyundai Gouripur service center, fended off the police by lining their pockets (they were adamant of registering a case, wanted to drag those elderly people to PS in that state at night & wanted to seize the car), and finally dropped them home.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ml#post4322945 (First Aid supplies, medicines & procedures for motorists)


Also, a few days back, a fellow IT professional driving a Verna had miscalculated the braking distance on a busy road, and had rear ended a tempo traveler. The Tempo traveler suffered maybe a dented rear bumper and left the scene, but the Verna's front side was toast with airbags deployed. The driver , luckily, was uninjured, but he was helplessly trying to call someone and flag down other cars. I saw that, parked my car in the service lane, and went up to him. He was looking for a tow truck, and as I have owned a Hyundai car in the past, had numbers of quite a few bodyshop SA / SMs. Couple of calls and he was set up with a towtruck - that's all he needed on a rainy evening. Ensured he was good to go , and left the scene.

P.S - Having a dashcam helps immensely to fend of unscrupulous elements, who may try to make a living out of taking advantages of accident situations / good samaritans offering help.

[jailbird_fynix]

"Shame On You"

Here is a video of a German police officer, shaming other nosy drivers following a highway accident. He confronts the people taking pictures by asking them to follow him to see the dead body of the truck driver who was involved in the accident. Following which, they become ashamed & stop taking photos.

This sends out a strong message. People who prefer taking photographs rather than actually help the victims after an accident, ought to be treated like this.

http://youtu.be/8ffetIbzyK8