Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think taking photographs of accidents is despicable behaviour

89 replies

wanderingaround · 25/01/2019 11:14

There was a very serious crash here in Dublin yesterday in which a woman in her 30s died. The police are issuing appeals to people to stop posting images of the crash on line, out of respect for the bereaved family.

AIBU to wonder what kind of inhumane people would do this?

OP posts:
TitOfTheIceberg · 25/01/2019 13:31

It's absolutely vile behaviour, and the 'helping the emergency services' argument is complete crap. In very rare cases, a person might catch footage of an accident actually in the process of taking place that may prove helpful - dashcam footage that proves dangerous driving, for example. But once it's happened, the police don't need 874 photos or videos of a dead person in a car all taken from a very slightly different angle. They have scenes of crime officers (SOCOs) employed to take photos of the victim in situ, and specially trained accident investigators who can establish the very likely cause of a crash based on the available evidence.

99% of people who stop to film the immediate aftermath of accidents are doing it so they can post it to Twitter or FB for retweets and likes and for no other reason, and that makes them CUNTS.

WobblyLondoner · 25/01/2019 13:32

Makes me despair. There was a very moving post on Twitter yesterday by a woman who saw a cyclist get caught under a bin lorry. She got involved in helping her by getting under the lorry herself. This was what her second tweet said:

He asked me to keep her head still until the paramedics arrived. So I'm (forget me in this instance) under a bin lorry, and someone is VIDEOING HER BETWEEN THE WHEELS.

The cyclist is apparently going to be ok. And to help restore your faith in good nature, lots of others got involved and really helped, including someone who almost stripped naked to help keep the cyclist warm. But I just can't imagine what is going through the mind of the person who videos in a situation like this - it is shameful.

TornFromTheInside · 25/01/2019 13:49

It is awful, but it's making me think... when 9/11 happened, we saw on national TV people committing suicide. There was absolutely no doubt that the cameras aimed to capture it.
That was someone's child / father / partner...

It did an amazing job of demonstrating the abject horror of the situation, but how many of us (be honest) considered the effect of that on the relatives?

fancynancyclancy · 25/01/2019 13:57

Well I can’t comment on Hillsborough as I don’t know enough about it but I could imagine people filming themselves if trapped/asking for help etc not dead bodies though.

I was at uni when 9/11 happened & if I had been in NY again I could see myself filming a building collapse or the dusty streets. I think there is a huge difference between being actually involved in an incident such as 9/11 or the 2004 tsunami and filming a RTA.

fancynancyclancy · 25/01/2019 13:58

I wouldn’t film dead bodies or people jumping though. Why would I want to?

TornFromTheInside · 25/01/2019 14:01

That's the thing - now we look back, those images of 9/11 are amazingly poignant and tragic. Is that a good thing? maybe, maybe not.
The videos of people running from the dust cloud... and of Hiroshima victims...
It's not the same of a personal accident (under a bus), but it's human tragedy and personal to someone all the same.

Chewinggumwalk · 25/01/2019 14:06

YANBU. If you are the only witness and you intend to give it to police, that’s one thing. Multiple people taking pics/selfies/posting it online is vile and quite narcissistic.

Doowapwap, I am so shocked and saddened by that. Really hope your DC made a good recovery Flowers

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 25/01/2019 14:08

He asked me to keep her head still until the paramedics arrived. So I'm (forget me in this instance) under a bin lorry, and someone is VIDEOING HER BETWEEN THE WHEELS.

See what I don’t understand about these people is- what do they do with the video afterwards?

The videos on my phone are all of PFB watched reasonably regularly and have sentimental value.

Why would someone even want a video of a complete stranger lying in distress after a serious accident in the first place?

Onescaredmuma · 25/01/2019 14:10

It's disgusting! However I really like to think they're the minority myself and children were involved in a fairly serious collision back in December all the people who stopped helped both myself and the other driver (86 year old caused the crash driving on the wrong side of the road!) no one but my DH took pictures which were for the insurance company. People living nearby even came out with a chair for my 4 year old as she was in shock.

CornishMaid1 · 25/01/2019 14:26

I don't get it either and find it disgusting. Why would you want the video anyway?

If you say an accident (say a hit and run) and were quick enough to get a shot of the licence plate then fine, but not then film it.

There was a policeman recently who was knocked off his bike and people were too busy filming him on the ground that none of them called an ambulance until he asked them to.

It isn't just accidents. There was an incident down this way a year or two ago. A late teens girls had taken some form of legal high and whilst in the middle of a town and off her face decided to start stripping off and pleasuring herself. Before calling for any help a crowd started gathering around her and filming it and then proceeded to share it across facebook and social media.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 25/01/2019 14:27

Surely it could be made a crime to distribute or post on social media, videos or pictures of accidents where people have been hurt or killed unless they have given consent?

Either way although there are some arguments for filming in some circumstances, filming someone after an RTA unless there is an argument between drivers or something that would help the police, is awful. And filming instead of helping or phoning the emergency services is disgusting

Returnofthesmileybar · 25/01/2019 14:32

Yesterday's accident was horrific! I saw it and thought it was a hoax too. The only reason that was photographed was for likes. That poor family have enough to deal with with the very nature of the death, nobody needed the photos.

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 25/01/2019 15:04

There was a serious RTA, air ambulance called. the occupants of the other car did a runner. The police asked if any one had photos they could uses as evidence .

So on those grounds, YABU, not every where has CCTV/dash cam/bike cam.

fancynancyclancy · 25/01/2019 15:08

People must be becoming desensitised though as I wouldn’t actually want to see this. My friend is in the Met & sometimes attends counselling for what’s she seen.

EmeraldShamrock · 25/01/2019 16:02

It is horrendous, they need to change the laws. The data protection act has been completely over hauled to the point of ridiculous in day to day running of a business, yet you can photograph and video people in the most tragic personal circumstances and circulate it.
We now live in a crazy world, why just why would you record and circulate images of the tragedy.

Ucangourownwoo · 25/01/2019 16:17

It did an amazing job of demonstrating the abject horror of the situation, but how many of us (be honest) considered the effect of that on the relatives?

With almost 20 years since 9/11 I think the footage is both horrifying and important. I've been reading a lot about recently as I don't think till now I realised the impact it had and I didn't grasp the scale at the time (I was 11 and hadn't even heard of the towers at that point). Families have consented to the release of final conversations, and they form part of the "evidence" that it really happened (which is important given the "truther" idiots)

But, 9/11 shows a positive side to the press - at most you will see 2 or 3 really awful photos. When one in particular was released there was an absolute uproar.

We've lost that self censure in the intervening years.

Ucangourownwoo · 25/01/2019 16:20

(Awful is the wrong word - they're all awful. I mean gory/graphic.)

AllSuits · 25/01/2019 16:42

Sure, it's not great behaviour but I think there's a lot of over-reaction here.

I can think of worse people (abusers for one example) that I'd reserve the word 'despicable', 'cunts' or 'horrendous' for.

Bit crappy (and odd) to take selfies at crash scenes but hardly the worst thing in the world to do.

EmeraldShamrock · 25/01/2019 21:24

I think there's a lot of over-reaction here.
@AllSuits
I am not sure if you are aware if the case. The young lady was decapitated, there was a full video of her head on the side of road and her body slumped in the wrecked car.

It was abusive to record such a thing and upload it to social media.

EmeraldShamrock · 25/01/2019 21:27

*of

Ucangourownwoo · 25/01/2019 23:52

@EmeraldShamrock

I didn't know that was the photo. I don't understand in that case why anyone would look never mind take a photo never mind share it.

BluePheasant · 26/01/2019 00:10

How was the video being circulated? Were people being tricked into opening a link to it or something?

Chulainn · 26/01/2019 00:12

What was disgusting about the photo was the fact that someone had circled a bit of the picture, to get everyone looking at it before it was posted to social media. That poor woman deserved some dignity and respect in her death. Her family have the right to grieve in peace. That has been taken away from all of them.

The photo was taken after the crash. A garda with a camera could (and probably did) take similar photos for the investigation. No vital evidence will be in that video or photo that won't be in the garda photos. There was absolutely no need to take photos or videos.

To the pp who said comments on this thread are an over reaction - I hope now that you know the extent of the deceased's injuries you realise they aren't. It's sad that more and more people are focused on sensationalising everything and getting likes rather than having empathy for others.

7Days · 26/01/2019 00:29

What bastards.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 26/01/2019 00:34

BluePheasant mainly over WhatsApp.

A teen uploaded it to snapchat as well apparently, where it was screengrabbed and forwarded on from there.