to think they shouldn't have named the man driving the bin lorry in George Square?

[Annunziata]

I think he deserves privacy. Poor poor man only went to his work, he didn't mean to cause an accident.

Theres no gain in publishing the chap name.it was a dreadful accident
Best to let the inquiry progress unimpeded,and without naming him

I think those who released his name should have to publicly justify that - because I'd love to know why they thought it should be done.
If it was to deal with terrorist rumours then words almost fail me - because first of all only the truly daft believe terrorist acts are ever 'covered up' and secondly because simply saying 'poilce are confident this is not a terrorist act' deals with that

I don't give a toss what he does, and agree he should not have been named, but my utmost sympathy is with those who had to put their child into a grave and then walk around like zombies. He is still up walking around. They are not.

Flame away!

So is mine, expat, no one is saying any different.

Nobody is undermining the grief felt by the families. We can also feel compassion towards a person who caused a terrible accident inadvertently.
The families lives have changed forever as has hism
Nothing to be gained by naming this nan.

Expat I have no interest in flaming you, sympathy is not unique to one person involved in an awful accident like this - no-one is saying you can't feel sorry for the victims families and the driver. It's not one or the other.

His
man

I do agree he should not have been named and may now need police protection due to nutters, and if so hopefully Police Scotland sue the broadsheets that named him.

Of course he will never, ever get over the grief, guilt and horror of what happened. And neither will the families of the people who died.

Having empathy for him and the people who have lost loved ones is in no way mutually exclusive.

I can only assume that Expat has been terribly and personally affected by this tragedy - that's the only thing I can think of to explain her lack of empathy for the poor, poor man.

Have you lost your manners, Acky? Please don't be so rude.

Grief is a raw emotion to catastrophic event.acute reactive psychological distress affects anyone
This chap reactions, aren't necessarily lessened by fact he personally wasn't bereaved
He too will be affected,arguably without a robust social support mechanism
As the driver,he wont garner the same positive and supportive reactions. A small minority will blame him

Rude? Where?!

Honestly, I did not intend to be rude. I just struggle to see how anyone can not feel the utmost sympathy for the man.

Just because I have more sympathy with the families who lost a loved one doesn't mean I have none of the driver, nor does the fact he didn't lose a loved one mean he's going to be fine and dandy 4 weeks after a (presumably) serious health issue/scare, a horrible crash and the guilt of what happened.

Naming the man is not going to help the families, the only people 'helped' by knowing his name are the stickybeaks who think they have the 'right' to know everything about everything.

It happens. And Glasgow is a small city and with these Twitter days everyone who wants to will know his name.

It is no different to people gossiping on their doorsteps.

Unless they are saying anything libellous about him then they are entitled to name him and that includes the Glasgow Herald.

I feel sympathy for him but I can't see how it could or should have been avoided.

Knocking on people's doors, aka doorstepping, is a legitimate newsgathering activity AgentCooper.

As is asking people to go away and closing the door.

If you are being monstered - which I agree is terrible - then you should call the police and they should respond by instructing reporters that they may be arrested if they cause harassment, alarm or distress.

But the act of knocking on someone's door is not harassment. I've done it many times and I've never been prosecuted and can live with myself.

That's right, I have no empathy at all. No experience of bereavement at all. I can only assume some people cannot resist getting personal when they disagree with an opinion to make themselves feel better about themselves. Knock yourself out.

I don't think Acky has been rude at all OP.

Expat I don't agree with your view but I do understand why you have reacted like you have.

And the broadsheets are sadly not going to get in trouble because they did not slander, just named and found out where he lived.

What you said was horrid expat. I'm sorry but it was.

Expat is the rolly eyes directed at Ms and if so what for?

Me

That is your opinion, Acky. Mine is that you have been just as horrid. Carry on being personal, though. The Talk Guidelines are freely available to read.

Not directed at anyone, Tinker, or I would have addressed as such, as I do all posts that are personal to someone.

Just because he hasn't lost anyone that doesn't mean he won't be highly traumatised and devastated over what's happened. Even the nephew of one of the poor women killed has expressed sympathy for him. He will probably always feel responsible even if he is completely exonerated so I think the papers are bang out of order.