When? The lady at the mall?

The last accident that I saw was in early summer, on westbound West Chester Pike near the 202 on-ramp.

A block or two before the on-ramp, I watched some yutz in a sports car dart from the left lane to the right, squeezing into a 1.000001-car-length space between two cars somewhat in front of me, making the rear car jam on its brakes and swerve a bit. "What an asshole," thinks I, and stayed several feet back in case he'd try anything else.

He got up to the on-ramp, and could've easily gotten onto the on-ramp smoothly; he wasn't pulling the cut-from-the-left-lane-to-the-right-hand-exit-lane-in-one-motion stunt that's very common in the morning rush. Instead, he waited until the last second, and then tried to pull a turn straight out of Grand Theft Auto 3 -- jamming the wheel to the right and blasting up the ramp.

Unfortunately for him, we have this thing called "gravel" in Chester County in places where there isn't actual road. He hit it, skidded sideways and smacked into a utility pole, and he couldn't have hit it any squarer if that'd been his intention all along.

The rear car he'd cut off had turned off into the Wawa, so I was now the next car behind him (albeit in the far left lane), but I didn't stop. First off, it took me a few seconds to process what'd just happened (did he REALLY just have a ridiculous wreck with no other car within twenty feet of him?), and by the time it registered fully, I was past the scene. There were a number of other cars behind me; to return to the scene, I would've had to go around the block and circle back, and by that time I reasoned that someone in a better position to stop would have done so, or someone in the Wawa lot (within easy sight range of the accident) could've called for help.

I finished my quick errand, and adjusted my route home so that I'd be on the other side of that road and see what happened. There were two cop cars there almost immediately, standing next to the (assumed-to-be) driver, so I didn't feel quite as bad. One less shithead on the road for a while, and nobody seemed to be badly hurt...

There is an interesting issue of "group thought". Nice experiment that was done was to stick a single person in a room and tell them to take a test. While they're taking the test, smoke begins pouring through the AC vent. Without hesitation, the test taker runs for help.

But put in a group of people in a room and the hesitation to leave once the smoke is noticed becomes much greater. In fact, they found that often no one goes for help despite it being clear that no one is going for it. Group thought always makes it seem that surely someone else will go for help, so why should you?

These types of experiments were done after the Kitty Genovese murder . 30+ people during a warm night heard her cries and saw her being murdered, but not one person called for help out of the group of apartments. Its not that the witnesses to the murder didn't care, it is the nature of thought in large group of people.

Stopping is always a good thing, I think. You might be the only one to do it, despite so many others being around.

YOU GOT IT

i can still see her face

freaks me out....i'm stopping next time

I've never driven past an accident that wasn't already "fully staffed" but would surely stop to aid someone clearly in need of help.

If its a guy and he doesn't look hurt (walking around, scratchin' his butt ), then I would probably just call someone on my cell phone and not stop.

I would never not stop for a woman with children no matter what the circumstances appeared to be.

What were april and FnF doing at the mall together? :)

Huh? What??? HUH?!!

I don't get it. Enlighten me.

I think the difference between stopping at an accident and the Genovese case is that in KG's case, everyone probably thought everyone else was calling the cops or racing down the stairs to help whereas when driving past an accident, it is clear that no one is helping and that you are the only "help" at that particular moment.

I can forgive KG's neighbors - they probably all made the wrong assumption. But I think failing to help someone in an accident (when its clear no one else is) is akin to stepping over a guy on the sidewalk who's having a heart attack - its YOUR turn and YOU know it yet you continue.

Just kidding! :D

Group thought is creepy that way. Many people thought KG's case was because people in the city were so used to it or that no one wanted to be involved with the crime. So they did another experiment that was really revealing.

I wish I still had that old pysch book, but it went like this: a large group of nuns were brought into an auditorium and lectured on the importance of being a good samaritan and helping people. One nun was picked out of the audience and told to see someone several buildings over. Between the buildings, the researchers had placed a man dressed in ragged clothes who was hunched against the wall, clutching his stomach, and given the appearance of being in a great deal of pain. He was very visible and, as the nuns came across him, they stopped to see if he was okay and assist.

...but only when released one at a time to walk to the other building. When released as a group to the other building to continue the lecture, the nuns all passed and noticed him, but even after the lecture on helping others not one of them stopped to check on the poor guy.

Group thought is really strange.

I have stopped at the scene of 3 accidents, fortunately although serious, the injuries weren't.

Would I have stopped, absolutely. However whenever this happens my bodies reaction instinctively is to get the hell out of there, you don't want anything to do with that!

Seeing other people in bad wrecks scares the hell out of me. In a sense, I have to go against instinct and convince myself to get involved, so I can understand those who didn't stop to some degree. This is probably why I've never picked up a hitchhiker or helped with a disabled car....by the time I "talk myself in to it" I am way past....although always on well traveled roads.

Can understand, but not condone the folks who passed you by tho.

why so that i actually KILL myself next time! too much power, anything turbo just turns me over, i would lose my head and certainly lose my licencse. More of a boys car. Give me a stock V6 anyday :)


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Blue58
my bodies reaction instinctively is to get the hell out of there, you don't want anything to do with that

I know what you mean, although when i see something dramatic or life threatening i tend to freeze up probably from fear that I could make things worse - or get hurt myself. Many years ago i watched my grandad get electrocuted from a power socket he was fixing- I didnt run for my grandmother, scream for help or anything I just stood there. he was nearly unconcious but he was just in shock. he was ok a few days later. but at the time I didnt want to be there and I didnt want anything to do with the resposonsibility of anyone elses safety.

To the Aussies on the F3 highway the other sunday however - my blood is still boiling over your actions! :mad:

Hey! I had a dead alternator too! PA turnpike, near Beaverfalls. Heading back to college in Ohio, about 10 at night,during the winter. I tied a rag on the antenna. This is long before cell phones. I had a trucker stop. He radioed for a tow and a cop. I sat in the cab and listened as my little datsun was all the talk over the CB. I was still a not disillusioned young girl, and looking back it was probably stupid to trust this trucker and get in his cab. But this is but one of my kind trucker stories.

So the tow truck comes, loads up the Datsun, and as we're headed to Beaverfalls, the tow driver gets radioed that his garage alarm has gone of. He floors it. Poor Datsun is screaming hanging on for dear life back there. When we get to the garage, he tells me to stay in the cab cause the "dogs are loose." After calm returns and damage was assessed, I was dropped off at the Beaverfalls Motel, where a sign proclaimed "Jesus is Lord". Car was fixed the next day.

At the risk of showing everyone exactly how frigging stupid I am, I've got to ask...is 'sticky beak' the same as 'rubbernecking' here in the US?

I'm guessing that it is a truncation of 'sticking one's nose into someone else's business'?

Translation, please?

I had to change my alternator in Illinois in the midst of a cross-country drive. Did it in the parking lot of the auto parts place in 95 degree weather - blacktop is very hot - and people have no problem stopping to give dirty looks to someone helping themself.

Yes it is the same as rubbernecking, although in Australia if your rubbernecking, it generally means your kissing someone. so i didnt want to use this term. :3eye: