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Would you stop to help someone who had collapsed on the street?

41 replies

SenoraPostrophe · 16/03/2007 20:28

...only apparently only one in 3 people who collapse get help from a passer by according to this news story . Now some of those would have got no help because no-one passed by, but the implication is that a lot of people would just walk on by.

what would you do?

what if the person smelt of alcohol?

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fryalot · 16/03/2007 20:30

Don't know. Would like to think that I would stop and help. At the very, very least, I would ring the police, or an ambulance, or SOMEONE.

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southeastastra · 16/03/2007 20:30

i'd stop and help. i think people will assume someone else will stop.

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pooka · 16/03/2007 20:30

Oh, that's a tough one (the alchohol addition I mean).
I wouldlike to think that if I saw someone collapse on the street I would help, regardless. But I do suspect that if the person reeked of alchohol my reaction might be less hands-on (would probably call 999 depending on the situation).

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whoopsfallenoveragain · 16/03/2007 20:32

Yes & I have done - I stopped to help someone that had fallen off his bike he was drunk and it turned out I knew where he lived so I took his bike home for him It was abou midnight and he was drunk

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BarefootDancer · 16/03/2007 20:34

Yes, I would stop.
And I have 'collapsed' too, and lots of people (in London) walked on by. And a nice man stopped to help.

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Posey · 16/03/2007 20:35

I have done in the past, but not blindly waded in iyswim. I made sure I wasn't putting myself at risk unnecessarily. It was a busy London street, a chap fell in the street in front of me. I was the first to stop, then several more people did. It was outside the town hall. They helped too. In the end he refused an ambulance, but wanted someone to walk home with him ("just around the corner"). He said his lock was stiff and he was worried he wouldn't manage it. I declined his invitation and left the guys at the town hall to deal with it from there.

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pooka · 16/03/2007 20:36

Golly - that's reminded me of something that happened to DH before we were married. He went on a cycling holiday in Ireland with his friends. Got spectacularly drunk one night (who am I kidding - sounds like every night) and cycled back to the campsite. Fell off his bike but his clips were stil on. Just lay by the side of the road.

A car stopped and 2 women got out. They got him into the car and one woman drove him back to the campsite while the other rode his bike behind them.

What Samaritans. He was fine by the way just completely bladdered.

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DumbledoresGirl · 16/03/2007 20:37

I would want to stop and I was once a qualified first aider so I think I would still know what to do in many situations, but as an emetophobe, I would be irrationally afraid that they would be sick on me! For that reason I wouldn't help anyone smelling of alcohol or actively retching.

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SenoraPostrophe · 16/03/2007 20:38

my answers are yes to the first one, don't know to the second. But I like to think that I'd stop for the second.

My mum says she saw a man in the gutter one night, and lots of people just stepped over him. she stopped and asked if he was OK. he shouted "I'm FINE" and then said "...but, thanks for asking".

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fuzzywuzzy · 16/03/2007 20:40

Yes to the first and I have done in the past.

As to the second, I'd stop to see the person is OK, and ask them so, call for help if needs be.

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southeastastra · 16/03/2007 20:41

i helped a really drunk bloke on the tube once onto the train, he was all over the place and when we got to the station, the guard said 'don't worry he's one of ours!'

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Blu · 16/03/2007 20:42

yes.

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sammac · 16/03/2007 20:43

This happened to me last year when I was staying with my brother for the weekend. Was making a coffee (about 9.30 Sunday morning) and an old man walking outside caught my eye. He was obviously struggling to walk and collapsed into some trees. There was no-one outside. Icalled upstairs for someone to dial 999 and ran out (in my jammies) It was a really busy road yet there was no-one around and no-one else had seen him. My sil ran over to join me and we held him and covered him with a blanket till the ambulance came. Turns out he'd had a heart attck when coming back from getting the sunday papers and was trying desperately to get home. I'm shaking writing this. His wife was still in bed waiting for him to return. My sil had to go and tell her what had happened and her and my bro took her to the hospital. He sadly died on the Thursday, but would have died outside in the trees if I hadn't happenend to have been downstairs at that time. I didn't think what I was doing and just reacted. No-one else came to see what was going on- we were just off Manchester Road next to a hotel, and although it was a Sunday morning there were still cars passing.

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wilkie50 · 16/03/2007 20:45

Yes I would and have....how could you walk past someone and not stop? Even if they smelt of alcohol (in which case I would probably call police/ambulance rather than deal with myself in case they got violent).

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colditz · 16/03/2007 20:46

Of course! Even if someone was clearly drunk and drugged! If they had collapsed I would call an ambulance, not question. Someone collapsed is someone who needs help, no matter how they got themselves there.

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colditz · 16/03/2007 20:46

I did, actually, a couple of months ago. It was Sat afternoon and very young man was clearly dangerously drunk.

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PeachyClair · 16/03/2007 20:47

yes, have done and wuld in past

hell, I even stopped to heklp the chap who wrote off my car whilst drink driving.

I couldn't live with myself if I didn't, its appalling that people don't.


On the occasions I have felt at risk, I have called 999 and stayed nearby. You can't just ignore need

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hillary · 16/03/2007 20:51

Yes I would and have, a couple of months ago I was driving down the road and an old lady(in her late 80's) fell over on her back - shopping went everywhere. I stopped the car and got out to pick her & her shopping up, she did look rather startled like I was going to steal her handbag or something but I made sure she was ok & got home safe.

I always pick up the old grannys(no offence in term) I dont like it when its raining and they're clinging onto the railings, I always take them home.

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DrMarthaMcMoo · 16/03/2007 20:53

Yes, I would. I have - and, in fact, the person I stopped to help (a woman) was clearly drunk and reeking of alcohol. I really didn't know what to do - I couldn't get any sense out of her as to where she lived. In the end I kind of propped her up in the nearest bus shelter (she lay down on the bench and went to sleep).

I remember after my Mum had her heart bypass she wanted to go out Christmas shopping - just to a nearby shop - to get something for my brother and I. She hadn't been out on her own and was still very weak and I really didn't want her to go. I was trying to dissuade her and I said "what if you collapse?" and she said - with absolute certainty - "then someone will help me up."

Wasn't there a story recently about a woman who had, I don't know, some kind of fit and countless people just left her, assuming she was drunk?

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PinkTulips · 16/03/2007 20:55

if smelling of drink and i'm with the kids then no but otherwise yes... even for a drunk i'll ring an ambulance and stand there til it comes and for anyone else i know first aid so am obligated to help.

couldn't live with myself otherwise if i didn't

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SenoraPostrophe · 16/03/2007 20:58

this is very reassuring!

I wonder who the people who pass by are then? maybe they don't post.

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Elasticwoman · 16/03/2007 20:59

Colditz, well done and I hope the young man was grateful.

I'd like to think I would help, because my favourite uncle was a diabetic who sometimes went into sudden comas and was often not helped straight away because people thought he was drunk. Just before collapsing, diabetics behave in a disorientated way reminiscent of drunken staggering.

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Blandmum · 16/03/2007 21:00

Yes, and I have done. I spent ages trying to help a collaped drunk in the street, while his drunken mate roundly abused me and another bloke who was helping for being uncaring bastards

I have also helped someone who had a fit on the side of the road

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Greensleeves · 16/03/2007 21:01

Yes, would have have. It horrifies me that anyone wouldn't tbh

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FrannyandZooey · 16/03/2007 21:04

Yes ds and I have stopped to help an epileptic man but I would be wary if I smelled drink I must admit

dp is very good, he is the one to pick up drunks. He has got 3 people back on their feet again that I can think of - in fact he seems to attract them

I was on the other side of this once when a friend of mine collapsed in the street and lay there twitching for quite a while We were both on drugs so I wasn't doing anything terribly useful to help, but I was stunned at how everyone just ignored us - people literally stepped over him. This was on a sunny day in the middle of a pedestrianised street in a shopping centre.

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