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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People who photograph and film the misery and pain of others

123 replies

Bejazzled · 22/03/2017 22:24

Imo are the scum of the earth.
These photos (stills from tv footage) appear to show one man and one woman doing just that rather than offering to help the injured man on the ground.

OP posts:
Butterymuffin · 22/03/2017 22:26

Hadn't seen those images but anyone filming, and that guy pictured with his selfie stick, are utter dicks.

gamerchick · 22/03/2017 22:28

It's like that black mirror episode Confused

DragonFire99 · 22/03/2017 22:28

Agree with you both.

It was heartwarming to see so many people helping others today.

But the dicks with selfie sticks?? Nobs.

shyturnip · 22/03/2017 22:29

Jesus WTAF? Wow.

fassbendersmistress · 22/03/2017 22:30

YANBU, it's just grim and makes me weep for society.

There's a video of someone walking along the bridge recording the pain of victims and witnesses and what are very possibly the last moments of at least one of the victims lives. To think you'd film it let alone release the footage to a media outlet is simply abhorrent. I really do despair over that.

Ameliablue · 22/03/2017 22:31

Agreed, it's a sad world when someone first thought on seeing someone injured is - I'd better film it quick and put it on Twitter.

laylabelle · 22/03/2017 22:38

I don't get anyone who in that situation one of their thoughts is film/take photos/selfies Awful!

twinjocks · 22/03/2017 22:42

The two people standing by the victim appear to be phoning the emergency services, as I see it. My long-sighted friends hold their phones exactly like the woman in the picture when they're dialling. Can't say the same for the guy on the pavement, though.

MyHairNeedsASnip · 22/03/2017 22:42

I can't see it properly, could they have been calling for help?

JeffreySadsacIsUnwell · 22/03/2017 22:42

Looks to me like the woman is getting her phone out to call 999...

Original poster
Bejazzled · 22/03/2017 22:45

I would have liked to think so but when you watch it real time it doesn't look like that. It's part of the BBC footage.

OP posts:
Coverup890 · 22/03/2017 22:46

Its a sad sign of the times. There was a video of a drunk man a few years ago hit by a car and two people took photos before anyone helped. I just cant understand the thinking behind it.

JeffreySadsacIsUnwell · 22/03/2017 22:48

Also don't forget many of the people around were tourists, in a tourist area, with cameras out taking photos of Big Ben and other landmarks. Don't assume they whipped out cameras to take photos of misery. TBH if I had my phone/camera out, I'd probably try to scan the scene just in case I could get any evidence that might help. I've done it automatically in the event of a RTA I witnessed, and many people may have thought it was just an accident to start with and wanted to get the number plate.

Lalunya85 · 22/03/2017 22:50

I disagree OP. When you watch the full footage you can see the woman with her phone running towards the victim on the ground, taking her phone and looking St it (as if dialling is not a number). She wasn't pointing it at the person.

I guess the guy with the selfish stick was a tourist on Westminster Bridge. These are pictures from when things had JUST happened so he wouldn't have had the time to take put his selfish stick.

JeffreySadsacIsUnwell · 22/03/2017 22:51

Should say I wasn't taking photos of anyone injured - just trying to get a pic of the car and the number plate, which I did. Many today might have tried to do the same.

mummabearfoyrbabybears · 22/03/2017 22:53

I was thinking this earlier. Maybe we need to make it illegal somehow. On the spot fines. It's just shocking. I'm also shocked that we needed to see so much detail. It's just horrific.

SwedishEdith · 22/03/2017 22:53

Those clips are from Polish politician Radosław Sikorski. He was in a cab and thought it had been a road traffic accident. I presume he uploaded it before he realised what it was - don't know? This might be the video a pp refers to? I follow him on Twitter so it was one of the first tweets I saw as the news broke.

stiffstink · 22/03/2017 22:55

On the bbc footage I thought they were taking photos at first but then I think how I'd hold my phone if I was trying to find the keypad (instead of recent contacts for instance) and it would probably be in exactly the same place, being held by 2 hands.

I cant see a selfie stick anywhere?!

DontCallMeBaby · 22/03/2017 22:59

On the spot fines??!! I think the police had better things to do than issue fines, and will in any comparable situation.

FlappinSwazy · 22/03/2017 23:01

To be fair, i think people who share this stuff are just as bad.

FlappinSwazy · 22/03/2017 23:02

jeffrey photographs are important for evidence, it was the sharing on social media that annoyed me, particularly of the severely injured and fatalities. I hope you have given your photograph to the met police - theyv'e got a link on their website to do so.

NuffSaidSam · 22/03/2017 23:03

I think unless you were there and definitely saw them photographing/filming people just for larks you should probably withhold judgement.

You don't know what either of them were doing.

As already pointed out the man with the selfie stick was in a prime tourist location and that picture was taken seconds after it happened, he was probably frozen with shock. Did you really expect him to fold it up and put it away and then rush to administer first aid in 4 seconds?

Most people would be panicking or frozen with shock. The number of people who would be thinking clear enough to start helping within seconds of it happening are few and far between. No-one knows what they'd do unless they were there.

mumonashoestring · 22/03/2017 23:04

I assumed the woman with her phone in her hand was trying to dial 999 or using speakerphone while talking to a call handler - the guy with the selfie stick gave me instant rage though, utterly, grossly inappropriate.

Mind you, I've seen a few photos of a woman in a headscarf walking past one of the casualties whilst on her phone being flung around on social media as proof of the callousness of Muslims this evening as well and they've made me equally angry. For all anyone knows she's on the phone to the emergency services or reassuring a relative that she's okay.

BloodyEatSomething · 22/03/2017 23:04

There's a story over on the Feminism boards about similar (not really wanting to link because it is sick). Plus I remember a few years back there was one of these 'funny' teenage trends for hitting people and filming it.

I don't know what on earth people, even kids, can be thinking that filming pain and streaming it online is good, even casually entertaining, but it has to be stopped. I'm glad this thread was started!

NotAMammy · 22/03/2017 23:10

It's one thing to photograph and/or film moments of terror or suffering to document it or share it and it's another to share it for the likes or in the hope of making a quick buck though.
Some of the most striking images, the ones that stir us into action are taken in the most horrible situations.
However, I do think it's becoming a reflex action to whip out a phone and start recording, rather than actually observing and seeing what, if anything we can do to help (even if it's just to gtf out of the way of emergency services)

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