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AIBU?

Would YOU give your jacket to a freezing child on a bus stop?

45 replies

Quinteszilla · 20/02/2014 13:11

It seems a lot of people would.

People in t shirts in the snow, to help a freezing child. here

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NotSuchASmugMarriedNow · 20/02/2014 13:12

Yes of course. Who would stand there and let someone freeze?

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ENormaSnob · 20/02/2014 13:34

Yes i would.

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FoxesRevenge · 20/02/2014 13:41

Oh that made me cry

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squoosh · 20/02/2014 13:53

Aw, that brought a tear to my eye.

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Nancy66 · 20/02/2014 13:57

err, prob not. the kid has a long sleeve top on and a bus will be along shortly...it's not like he looks starving or vulnerable - just inappropriately dressed.

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squoosh · 20/02/2014 13:57

The guy with the skis is super duper uber handsome.

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Lj8893 · 20/02/2014 14:02

Yes he is squoosh!!!

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TitsalinaBumSquash · 20/02/2014 14:04

I'd give my coat/scarf/gloves/hat etc to anyone who was cold. Just like is give my food to someone who was hungry, my drink to someone thirsty and a hug and a listening ear to someone sad.

It's just common human decency no?

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HyvaPaiva · 20/02/2014 14:05

Yes of course I would!

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notthegirlnextdoor · 20/02/2014 14:08

Yes I would.

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Topaz25 · 20/02/2014 14:13

I have to say I would want to help but I live in a bad area so at the back of my mind I would be worried that the kid would run off with my coat or grab my phone or purse as I took them out of the pockets. Recently a group of kids approached me at the shops and said they were lost and one asked to use my phone to call his mum. I let him but held the phone to his ear rather than handing it over. I hate to be suspicious but I have had a gang of kids try to grab my phone before.

If I did help and then found out the whole thing was a set up and I had been shivering in the cold for nothing I would be annoyed and hesitant to help in future. The whole thing struck me as very manipulative. I saw a similar secret camera scenario recently where a boy claimed he was being kidnapped to see how people would react and that was even worse, they are lucky someone didn't assault the 'predator'.

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diddl · 20/02/2014 14:14

Not in the UK, for sure I wouldn't as I would assume it's by choice!

I'd probably lend it until I needed to get on the bus.

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MothratheMighty · 20/02/2014 14:16

There are some wonderful and generous people around, and it was heartwarming to see such kindness. I don't think you'd have had a similar response in the UK.

But I'd like to carry the experiment further, just to look at the psychology of altruism and if it is affected by other factors.
Oslo has a population of just over 600,000. Norway has just over 5 million people. The majority are very aware of how dangerous the cold is. Does that make their positive response more likely?

It would be a fascinating experiment to replicate in different countries in equally cold temperatures. Or with a child who was not a native Norwegian and visibly a stranger, a foreigner.

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Triliteral · 20/02/2014 14:31

" I would assume it's by choice!"

The first lady asks why he doesn't have a jacket, and he says it was stolen.

I hope I would help, but I can understand those who say they would be wary.

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Quinteszilla · 20/02/2014 14:41

"Or with a child who was not a native Norwegian and visibly a stranger, a foreigner."

There was an article in a local paper recently where a woman rushed into a shop to buy a snowsuit to a child sitting outside, she had thought the child was homeless. They were foreigners. here

So I am not sure that nobody would help a foreign child.

Another local family invited a woman from central Europe that was sleeping rough, home to stay with them over Christmas, and helped her access more permanent help.

A family asked a beggar to house sit when they went away for a month over Christmas, and came back to a sparkly clean house.

There are plenty of similar stories. But it could be related to a village mentality where "we look out for each other", and this was all in a small town in the Arctic where you would die from the cold.

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NinjaBunny · 20/02/2014 14:54

No.

I only have one coat and couldn't afford another.

I'd like to. But in reality it just wouldn't be feasible.

:(

If I had some spare cash I might go to a cheaper shop/supermarket and see if I could buy one for them.

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chesterberry · 20/02/2014 15:02

In a situation like that in the video, where the boy is alone and obviously very cold and is engaging in conversation politely (or it appears he is although I don't speak Norwegian) then yes, I like to think that I would give a child my jacket or scarf/gloves etc until one of us had to get on our bus.

That said in a different type of situation I would be wary. If a child wasn't shivering and presenting as obviously cold then if I saw a child with no coat I'd assume it was by choice. I'd also be wary if I was in a very rough area or if the child were in a group of children.

An interesting experiment and it was nice to see the kindness of strangers but I wonder if it would be different if the child hadn't looked clean and (other than the coat) well dressed and been able to talk to the adults eloquently and politely. I hope not as I would think in a real situation any young child seen out without a coat is likely disadvantaged (unless it is by choice) which means there is a greater likelihood they may have additional learning or social needs. I wonder what the response would have been if the child had looked scruffy or grubby, was of an ethnic minority or had an additional need which affected either their speech and language or their social interaction. Would people be less comfortable lending their clothing to a child in that situation? Unfortunately I think they probably would be.

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MothratheMighty · 20/02/2014 15:17

That's what I was wondering, Quint.
It's an admirable survival trait, to look after your neighbours and the people of your community. To feel a sense of belonging, so the distress of a child, or a vulnerable person matters to you.

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MothratheMighty · 20/02/2014 15:18

Survival for a community, a society. Not just an individual.

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diddl · 20/02/2014 15:44

"The first lady asks why he doesn't have a jacket, and he says it was stolen."

I didn't know that.

Also, is he on his way to school, home or homeless??

And I did put that if it was in UK I would assume by choice!

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Quinteszilla · 20/02/2014 15:48

I think it is possible to activate subtitles, mine are activated automatically, I can see the English subtitling.

He says he was on a school trip from out of town, and had his jacket stolen. He is waiting for his teacher who was supposed to meet him on this bus stop.

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Quinteszilla · 20/02/2014 15:53

Actually, I should add, the video is not just a prank, it is used to raise money to Syrian refugees, because children in Syria are also freezing.

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TitsalinaBumSquash · 20/02/2014 16:33

Are there charities that I can send my questionable knitted blankets to for freezing children? I expect there are but most charities want money rather than goods and I can't do that.

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PartyPoison · 20/02/2014 16:51

I'm another one who had a few tears after watching that. It was heartwarming.

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Sirzy · 20/02/2014 16:56

I would be wanting to help as in get in touch with the teacher/contact the school - because an 11 year old shouldn't be left alone like that on a school trip. I would give my coat then stay until I new he was safe especially if his coat had already been stolen