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Would you help a guy on the sidewalk?

I would do my part to help this person, i would not do something that could lead to me being harmed in any way (giving him a ride somewhere, etc). My mother's best friend was killed by a man when she asked for a ride to school and since she told me that story i will never do something of that nature, you just never know with people.

I'd of course wait with him for an ambulance, something, but i just couldn't take that chance. Call me selfish or whatever, but i don't think threatening my own life in that way is my requirement to help someone...
 
i just went out to get a cup of coffee (in center city, philadelphia) and i passed a group of alcoholics hanging out at a busy street corner. some were begging, others were smoking, and one guy was laying on the ground. he looked either dead, or asleep from drinking too much. i just walked by because he looked so peaceful snuggled up on the sidewalk...
 
Probably most of us would like to think that we'd help in this situation, but in reality the cues that we'd look (consciously or otherwise) for are missing from the scenario. If he appeared to be a panhandler, we'd probably walk on. If he appeared to a person experiencing a medical emergency, the majority of people (I'd like to believe) would try to help. The other sociological variable is the community. I can much more easily imagine taking the chance in my own community (a small city) than if I encountered this situation in a large city.
 
I'd probably be more cautious if it were at night.During the day,I would do a quick assessment and take it from there.Here in Boston,there have been all sorts of scams involving "injured" people or a person in "distress". Sad that it's like that these days,but it's the world we live in...
 
If he asked me for help I would, depending on if I could what he asked. Even if I was on my way to something, I would still stop and help. If someone can't understand that you are late becaues you helped someone they can suck it.
 
ask what he needs and go from there.

the problem with today's society is that people put themselves ahead of anyone else, when it should be the other way around.

great topic.
 
I'd think most people would like to wipe their feet on the guy, but somebody usually tries to help.

However that lady in the bar getting beat up by the cop sure shoots holes in that.
 
IJ Reilly said:
If he appeared to be a panhandler, we'd probably walk on.
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That's true but the original post here suggests that he's not.

Having said that, going home via Victoria Station in London, there are a lot of very drunken homeless bods around passed out on the piazza or the bus station. With them, I'm not going to play Florence Nightingale - but if they look to be in trouble, I'll draw the station staff's attention to them.

A few weeks ago there was a guy on the upper deck of the bus who was stinking it out - he'd pissed himself on the seat and it was disgusting. I told the driver as I went back downstairs but he wasn't that bothered.
 
Doctor Q said:
There a man who begged at a freeway offramp we frequented. He had a hand-written sign, with something like "vet - please help" and had tattered clothes. Maybe he lived off dollars that people handed him out the car window when they stopped at the light, or maybe he walked from there to his luxury SUV and drove home to Beverly Hills. I knew that I didn't know. Since we don't have complete information in these situations, it's a personal decision what to do, not one you can prove has a right or wrong answer.

Giving assistance or goods always seems better than giving money. It's less likely to be done under false pretenses. I'd rather save the cash for a chartible organization that, despite spending a percentage on its operating overhead, is likely to help someone who definitely needs it.

The freeway man isn't there any more. Perhaps he's in trouble, perhaps his problems were solved, or perhaps he continues begging at another location. Oddly, I find that I half-miss seeing him.
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I saw a similar guy a few times at a local offramp, though his sign read: "Why lie? -- I need a beer." Unfortunately, I couldn't offer assistance. ;)
 
When alone, I will listen to anyone asking for help and discern whether I am being scammed or if the person really needs help, in which case I do as much as I can; money or whatever.
When my beautiful wife is with me I am much more cautious and do not place us in a vulnerable position. Just the other day a stranger approached us in a Home Depot parking lot asking for a ride... I gave him a clear "no." right in the eyes and that was that. Had I been alone, I would have asked him if he was carrying any contraband (he kinda looked that way) and if not, taken him. I consider these opportunities to help someone else a blessing in disguise, what goes around comes around...

I bought a homeless couple in South Beach a case of budweiser for Chrismas one year... am I a bad person? I was like what would you do with $20 and the girl goes "get some beer" so I got 'em some beer.
 
Anyone who has guts to beg to a bunch of strangers deserves a dollar in my opinion. I've given any begger I've seen on the train a dollar whether they had looked needy or not. I've given my last dollar to what looked like a homeless person on the train.
 
I usually give a dollar or spare change to beggars if they ask for it. I'd probably help a man asking me for help on the street, although the situation has never occurred. The closest was the time when I noticed smoke coming out of a house and called 911 as the family evacuated, and I waited for the fire truck to arrive.
 
sry for the length but i found this interesting. source=wikipedia

WHY SOME PEOPLE DONT HELP
A common explanation of this phenomenon is that, with others present, observers all assume that someone else is going to intervene and so they each individually refrain from doing so. This is an example of how diffusion of responsibility leads to social loafing.

People may also assume that other bystanders may be more qualified to help, such as being a doctor or police officer, and their intervention would thus be unneeded.

People may also fear "losing face" in front of the other bystanders, being superseded by a "superior" helper, or offering unwanted assistance.

Another explanation is that bystanders monitor the reactions of other people in an emergency situation to see if others think that it is necessary to intervene. Since others are doing exactly the same, everyone concludes from the inaction of others that other people do not think that help is needed. This is an example of pluralistic ignorance and social proof.

can u believe people actually study this shiz?! ;)
 
A little old lady fell while crossing the street near my house. Helping her up and across was a no-brainer.

Luckily, she didn't pull out a pair of knitting needles and demand money!
 
Good Samiritian story :)

TequilaBoobs said:
i just went out to get a cup of coffee (in center city, philadelphia) and i passed a group of alcoholics hanging out at a busy street corner. some were begging, others were smoking, and one guy was laying on the ground. he looked either dead, or asleep from drinking too much. i just walked by because he looked so peaceful snuggled up on the sidewalk...
Click to expand...

Wow, I used to live in Philadelphia. Was this at Market and 15th?
 
thedude110 said:
Ha! Unless the mob has correctly read the situation and determined that help is, indeed, not needed.

Pluralistic literacy? :p
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the excerpt was describing the bystander effect, not bystander intervention.
but i could see how you would come to that conclusion. ;)

dunno why i felt compelled to defend wikipedia...:confused:
 
For me it kind of depends on how I assess the situation at that moment. I mean I at least tend to have a gut instinct that warns me when something doesn't feel right which I don't have when posed with an abstract question (obviously!). I would help a drunk out if everything seemed safe.

Although I'm in dinksville IA right now, I'm not a village person... for 20 years before this I was living in: London, Duesseldorf, Tokyo
 
I actually helped someone and it was probably pretty darned stupid on my part. Shrug. I do think I'd help someone again (even that same dodgy person in that same dodgy situation) if put in the position to do so.
 
My cell phone is always ready to call for help if someone should need it.

If they're asking for money, the answer is usually "no." If I had the chance to offer them food instead, I probably would, but so far I haven't had the opportunity.
 
TequilaBoobs said:
basically in a nutshell, if there are more than two people in the vicinity of the person in need of help, the tendency is to keep walking because people assume someone else will help.
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True, but I think what makes it more likely for people to help is this part:

Doctor Q said:
It's broad daylight, and there are other people around, but he's asking you.
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In a way, I think that opens up communication between you and him, in that more people would ask him if he's ok if he'd directly asked them for help. I think the bystander effect would be more apparent if he was just lying there or wasn't directly asking someone for help.
 
EricNau said:
My cell phone is always ready to call for help if someone should need it.
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Same here. If I see another human being in distress (broken down car, etc), I offer them my cell to call anyone that can help.


and as a rule, I don't give people money. If they want $4, I'll offer to get them $4 worth of food, but not the cash. Someone could SAY they're going to spend it on food, but it goes into the "I need some booze" fund or something.
Banh Mi Hoang (my favoritest sammich place in the whole wide world) used to be in a location where homeless guys would hang out and open the door for you, and ask for a buck or two. I'd always offer to get them a sandwich or a drink, but they always refused and wanted the money instead. (Sandwich shop has since moved across the street from school. Seriously. I cried tears of immense sandwich-related happiness when they opened. The owner was glad to see me. I've been every day since they opened.)

Although if mysterious guy asked for a ride, I'd have to defer to my fellow humans. Too many crazies in the world to give rides to random people. Murderers and the like, you know?
 
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