I thought he was trying to used the flash of his camera to stop the train or something? That's what i heard at work today.
It's called the Bystander Effect. Nobody wants to get involved when they can pass the buck of responsibility onto someone else.
From what I heard, the mentally ill perpetrator had been arguing with the victim before shoving him. Other people had obviously taken notice because one person quoted the victim as saying "you're scaring everyone now" to the aggressor before he got pushed.
I was on the subway once and a deranged homeless man with a shopping cart filled with garbage bags came onto the subway and quickly zero'd in on me, pushing the cart back and forth in front of me, doing the whole skeevy "hey, Blondie" thing and muttering disgusting things. All I could do was avoid eye contact and hope he would leave me alone. That subway was full (it was evening rush hour). Everyone ignored what he was doing.
I got off at my stop and he followed me with the cart. The stop was semi-crowded with plenty of able-bodied business men and in an affluential busy area of the city. This guy basically chased me down the subway platform, weaving behind me with the shopping cart, trying to cut me off. I remember being shocked that nobody was intervening or attempting to help. One of my fears was that he would use the cart to push me onto the tracks. Finally as I neared a dead-end, an older woman in a long fur coat came to my aid, asking if I was ok and saying that she had seen what was going on. When the lunatic saw me with her, he quickly exited the subway station to avoid trouble.
It was an interesting wake-up call. Sometimes the more people in an area when something happens, the less likely anyone is apt to take action or get involved. And when they do, it's probably the people that you least expect.
In this case in NYC, surely though there had to be some physically able-bodied people who would gotten that surge of adrenaline and not thought twice about trying to help. That subway platform looks empty - not even one person trying to get near enough to help pull him over. But yet plenty are able to give details of the argument that preceded it and take out a camera to snap photos. I do think it was in very poor taste to publish the photo as well. Anything to make a buck, it seems.
I read somewhere today that there is video of the whole thing. The article said that from the time the man was pushed off the platform until the Subway train hit him, there were 22 seconds. More than enough time, I'd think, for one or two people to grab the man by the arms and hoist him out of there. It's awful that no one came to his aid. The thoughts that must have been going through his head as that train approached? The horror of his own impending death and the even more horrific thought of blank faces watching die. Shameful all the say around.
I also read that the photographer was flashing to try to get the attention of the driver. He shouldn't be held any more accountable than anyone else on the platform.
When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates This was very bad taste to publish the photo. But the 3 words on the top of the page, New York Post are synonymous with bad taste.
I have been on NYC (and its not limited to NY, sure it happens everywhere) subways many times and have seen people getting harrassed, homeless men pissing, even saw a guy jerk off once in front of a woman and her young daughter and no one said or did anything, including me. I guess we hear about the heinous things that can happen and we all are afraid to act. Although if I saw someone being attacked and not just harrassed, I like to think I would do something.
But like was already said, the guy was more interested in getting his picture published then helping out. Maybe we really do need a Good Samaritan Law like they had in Seinfeld!
There were witnesses to this? It looks like a posed photo from a disreputable tabloid, but if it really happened it's shameful that no one tried to help.
I'd be trying to climb out as opposed to staring at the train like a trapped deer.uvd4hBmouXRVB9sJ
just curious - don't they have some sort of crawl space where you can curl up if you fall onto the tracks, like a little recess under the platform? i think BART does this... i'm 100% sure, tho. and yeah, why the hell didn't a couple of someones run over and grab his hands and pull? i like to think that i would have at least tried to help.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Many call it "The NY com-Post" for a reason.
Choose n Practice Happiness
Life is simple; we are what we eat and what we read. Talk is superfluous.
This is gutter press in it's lowest form he may well have a family somewhere even if possibly estranged from them, just think of how they might feel finding out this way.
