Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To think if you see someone on the floor you help?

87 replies

FrenchRuby · 11/08/2013 11:32

Me and dh were walking back from a night out last night. Half way down a busy road we saw a guy (about 19/20 years old) laying on the floor. There were about 3 or 4 people who were in front of us and they all walked past!!
He was obviously really drunk, we managed to get him up and sat him on a bench, he sobered up a bit and told us his name and where he lived, so we gave him a drink (a coke, not an alcoholic one haha!) phoned a taxi for him and waited with him until it got there.
I was really sad that people had just left him there, he could have been injured or something. Would you have helped or would you have left him there?

OP posts:

Sparklingbrook · 11/08/2013 11:34

I couldn't leave someone on the floor.

You did the right thing, I hope he wakes up this morning and appreciates it.

chocoluvva · 11/08/2013 11:34

I'd have helped - but probably felt grumpy about the fact it was probably self-inflicted.

MissDuke · 11/08/2013 11:36

I think some people are afraid to stop, and others just have no sympathy if they assume the person is intoxicated.

If I was with my dh, we would definitely stop. It is difficult though, many taxis wouldn't even want to take a person in that state. It is quite hard to help in this situation!

If I was on my own, or with just one or two female friends, I would be less willing to help. I honestly don't know what I would do!

luxemburgerli · 11/08/2013 11:36

i would help if I had DH (or anyone other adult) with me. Alone, probably not tbh...

WhoNickedMyName · 11/08/2013 11:37

If DH and I did this every time we went out in our nearest city we'd spent a good part of our evening from 10pm onwards picking drunks off the floor and getting them home.

HongkongDreamer · 11/08/2013 11:39

He could of had a knife or anything, better to phone the police and let them deal with it.

namechangeforthispost864269 · 11/08/2013 11:42

I would help someone if I were with people and felt safe in the situation. But tbh if I were alone or the situation didnt feel right I would phone the police / ambulance and report that someone needed help.

I was once driving past a collapsed man on a pretty lonely street on my own on my way home from work about 2am I phoned the police and they turned up with an ambulance within 8 minutes. Sorry but no way I'd have gotten out of the car for him knowing it could be a trap.

mynameisslimshady · 11/08/2013 11:43

I helped a drunk person one time and was rewarded by being beaten up by him. I'd never do it again, I would call the non emergency line and tell them, however they probably wouldn't do much.

Selks · 11/08/2013 11:45

I'd help. Plus if you see someone like that they may be ill, not drunk.

PickledMoomin · 11/08/2013 11:48

I was alone last week and saw a lad (17) lying on the floor totally unresponsive. His female friend said he'd been drinking for two hours. He started vomiting so I put him into recovery position and waited until the ambulance arrived. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I carried on walking and something happened

AnnieLobeseder · 11/08/2013 11:48

I would check they were breathing, and sniff for alcohol (a diabetic coma can look like intoxication) and make sure they weren't likely to get run over by a bus or something. But having established they were out of harm's way and just drunk, I would leave on the floor. There's no justifiable reason for an adult to get themselves into that state.

EhricLovesTeamQhuay · 11/08/2013 11:48

Yanbu
I stopped to see to a girl outside Burger King once (imagine how many people were walking past!) it was early in the evening, and she was a young teenager, very drunk on the ground. Her friends were also drunk, underage and useless. All I did was get a name from them and persuade them to call her mum who said she would come and pick her up. They just needed someone sensible to tell them what to do but nobody bothered. I don't understand it.

Original poster

FrenchRuby · 11/08/2013 11:52

Fair enough it was self inflicted, but saying that, my sil had her drink spiked and collapsed outside a pub once so you never know...?
If I was on my own (which I wouldn't be, I'd never walk home alone) I'd have called the police to help but dh was with me so I felt safer to approach him. He looked like a student, probably just didnt realise his limits. Around here though anything could have happened, he could have been mugged.

OP posts:

AlyssB · 11/08/2013 12:06

I did this once, young guy laid in the street who I saw after a night out on my way to the taxi rank. No one I was with wanted to help. He was totally unresponsive but was breathing & had good pulse so I put him in the recovery position & called an ambulance & waited till it came. The two lovely paramedics asked what happened and I explained. They seemed a bit surprised I didn't know him but assured me that I'd done the right thing although he was probably just drunk.

I was only about 18/19 at the time. I told my DM about it the next morning and her first reaction was that I had put myself in danger trying to help - particularly as it was a bad area of our big city! She was worried it could have been drugs or weapons related and I could have been dragged into it or got hurt. She did have a point, but I wouldn't have been able to just leave him. Like French says what if he'd been spiked or something and everyone had just left him there & god knows what could have happened.

thebody · 11/08/2013 12:11

of course I would help. I have 4 teens/ in 20s and would hate for anyone not to help them.

a diabetic and head injury patient may appears drunk while actually being seriously ill.

always phone for help.

DameDeepRedBetty · 11/08/2013 12:13

Many years ago my dad tripped and fell in a busy shopping street on a Saturday afternoon. He'd broken his ankle and banged his head on the way down so was pretty woozy. When he came round, he was lying slumped against a wall, and starting calling out for help. He said dozens of people walked past, looking at him, presumably deciding not to get involved and walking on, before finally an elderly lady came over to find out what was wrong.

When there are a lot of people around you can get a sort of crowd mentality that everyone assumes someone else will deal with it, if something happens like this.

Marshy · 11/08/2013 12:15

Driving home through the countryside after a day out and noticed an old man lying on the pavement in the village we were passing through. Turned the car around and got out to him. He was drunk as a skunk! Had grazed his hands and face on his way down. Got him up and walked him home. His main concern was how much trouble he would be in with his wife!

Another time, 6pm on my way home from work, busy city commute, noticed a woman on the side of the road outside a pub with a man who seemed to be having a fit. Pulled over to give her a hand and kept him safe until ambulance arrived. Police car also stopped. Due to location everyone assumed he'd been drinking, but he hadn't. She had stopped because she had a son with epilepsy and couldn't drive past. I stopped because well why wouldn't you? Always important to be aware of your own safety though

Original poster

FrenchRuby · 11/08/2013 12:15

That just makes me so sad :( I'd always help someone who had fallen :(

OP posts:

KirjavaTheCat · 11/08/2013 12:18

I phoned an ambulance for what I thought was a drunk man sleeping against a wall on a path. I genuinely thought he was drunk, but that he could get hurt sleeping in public the way he was, so better safe than sorry. Stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. Turns out he was having a hypoglycemic attack and was diabetic.

He'd been there for a while, apparently, as when the ambulance arrived the residents from the houses across the street opened their doors to have a look and said they thought he was drunk too, and had left him.

You never know!

littlemisswise · 11/08/2013 12:19

I wouldn't leave them lying there.

We live right in the arse end of nowhere. Last weekend DS1 went out with his friends, none of them was steaming drunk. They were mainly staying at his mate's house as his parents were away and none are the type to abuse that sort of hospitality. One girl went home as she lives in the town, but felt really, really unwell despite not having drunk much. Her mum took her to A&E, blood tests confirmed her drink had been spiked!.

Things are sometimes not always not they initially seem. I hate to think what could have become of that girl had she have collapsed in the street.

Original poster

FrenchRuby · 11/08/2013 12:22

That's the thing, you jut never know why they've collapsed, I'd hate something bad to have happened just because no one wanted to stop.

OP posts:

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 11/08/2013 12:26

An older boy army school died.

He had a heart condition and collapsed in the street..people assumed he was drunk and didn't help him :(

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 11/08/2013 12:26

At my school I mean

Marshy · 11/08/2013 12:27

People who have collapsed are at risk whatever the reason. The very least I would do is call for help but would also lend a hand if I could and it was safe to do so. It saddens me that so many are happy to walk on by but at least lots on this thread who would help.
I hope some of you lot are around if it ever happens to me!

JerseySpud · 11/08/2013 12:30

A stroke can look like someone is drunk

I always stop to help in the street.

Flip

1 2 3 4