Would you ever go out of your way to save the life of a stranger in this day and age/if it risked your own safety??!

[NellesVilla]

Was having a think about this the other day and really wondered to myself: would I do this now in this day and age???!

I was a lot braver in my youth and would have tackled men shouting at women in the street, adults smacking their kids in public etc etc. I also contributed towards helping people in peril quite a few times: I grabbed a child out of a river; performed first air on someone (no rescue breaths but every other step); jumped in front of a bus to alert the driver he was about to run over an old man who had basically fallen under the back wheel of his vehicle etc etc.

These days, I think to myself; is it worth it? I’ve never received any thanks for it; indeed some people seemed a bit put out by me ‘interfering’ (all instances on my list above felt like this).

Also, is it worth risking your own safety? I would never give rescue breaths to anyone (apart from my dog- half joking) because I’d be worried about causing more harm.

Anyone here who’d jump into a deep river to save a kid whilst the parents looked on gormlessly or just hope that someone else would come to the rescue??

I have two small kids with various SEN/additional needs who would be lost without me, so no - I wouldn't risk my life. I'd be risking their futures too. I would have done so pre-kids though.

This event completed devastated me as it was local and there were some personal connections. A terrible waste of a promising young life for someone who had decided to end it all. I now think if anyone unknown to you is suicidal - let them go (sorry).

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That's very sad @A580Hojas

I don't know what I'd do. Anything involving swimming, probably not.

I wouldn’t risk my life for a stranger as In running in a burning building or jumping in a river but I would try to help if I could in some way
but I would for my family and my puppy 😂

My ex neighbour who has caused so much shit . well if I saw him in a burning building I would happily walk on by . I would happily watch him burn to death or drown the more painful the death better .

I don't think I'd risk my life for a stranger, no, not since having children. Having said this, I'm not sure I could stand by and do nothing either. Being in a situation is always different though isn't it? I couldn't stand by and do nothing if a child was in danger though.

I'm not sure you step in to do the right thing/ save someone's life for the thanks and appreciation though do you? Knowing you saved them or helped them is enough.

Truth be told I'd have to assess the situation and danger to myself. I once saw a woman trying to apprehend a man who had hit his I assume gf or wife, he turned towards the woman and pushed her backwards. But I think society somehow is becoming more and more insular and cold towards eachother.

Saying you wouldn't give rescue breaths is beyond me, for starters cpr currently in the UK doesn't make you do rescue breaths anymore due to so many people not managing to get around the mouth completely so not really helping so it's only chest compressions only anyway but if someone was dieing in front of you and you weren't even willing to try I can't comprehend that. I'm not a great swimmer so throwing myself in a river isn't going to help but yes obviously if someone is in danger you do whatever you can to help even if that's just running for help from others.

For me, I'd want to help when possible, but it all depends on the situation.

@70kid , I have an ex-neighbour I’d also walk by if he were in peril. An absolute cunt that the world does not need.

And yes, @HiJenny35 , I get your point. If someone were covered in sick and or blood, no I could not do the rescue breaths (also because I’d be worried about fucking it up knowing me!!), but any thing else I’d help with and have done many times. I’ve done many things others wouldn’t, particularly as an ex-carer!

I think I would. I don’t think it would even be a good idea but I just don’t think I couldn’t.

I think pre-kids I was a lot more gung-ho about that kind of thing, but having DC has made me more aware of my own mortality and it feels like I'm not just responsible for myself anymore, so any decisions I make, I make with that in mind. And that probably does mean that I wouldn't get involved in something where I might have before if there was a risk to my own life or wellbeing as a result.

I'd still do stuff like CPR, first aid, etc. because it feels like that's not really a risk to me in that way, but getting involved in a dangerous situation that could cause me harm, more unlikely. I was thinking about this recently actually as DDog was once in a situation where she ended up in a fast-flowing river and I didn't hesitate in getting her out without thinking about my own safety, but now I'm not sure what I would do, especially if I had DC with me.

I don’t know how I’d react but I think I’d find it difficult to just stand by and do nothing.

Yes - in fact I intervened yesterday in a street fight in Central Sheffield in Broad daylight, an awful man stamped violently on a woman's head and threatened to stab her. NOBODY else did anything so I had to stop him. I yelled at someone to call the police mid-tussle and he just stood there looking gormless and shocked. It was OK in the end, police & ambulance came etc.

I think if there are a lot of people around, they tend to assume someone else will sort it and they don't have to. And some people go into shock. I really don't think most folk are bad people, just a mix of bystander paralysis and freezing with fear.

When I was younger, I would and did. Now, no. I’ve realised that most people are arseholes and aren’t worth me getting hurt or worse for. I will risk my life for animals though, they’re much more deserving of my help.

I kind of feel the same, @TimeTravelSickness- animals are so pure and innocent. My dog is my world.

And @KvotheTheBloodless , that’s just awful. Poor woman; horrid man. Too
many of those.

I’ve defused aggressive people, and I was the only one that reacted helpfully when a young woman collapsed near me and smacked her head on concrete. I’ve learnt that I can be calm in moments of intense stress … I think I would’ve made a good police officer if certain things in my life had panned out differently. I couldn’t physically do much to help now (I’m disabled) but I’m not someone who would stand by in an emergency, I’d do whatever I could to help.

Yes.

Like you, in my youth i jumped in a lot more, but those were Chaotic times, things have been calmer for decades. I've not been tested. I do pick up broken glass in parks. Things that dogs might eat that's deadly (chewing gum pieces) Etc. Does that count?

Quite heavily pregnant I jumped in a pool to get ds out of a play ring as he was going under and trapped...
Once pulled over and dragged a teen driver out after her car hit a trees and was billowing smoke.
Never gave either incident a thought just did it.
Can't imagine not getting involved regardless of risk.

I'm not sure I'd jimp into a river but instinctively I'd try and help,
The other day I saw an elderly gentleman collapse in the car park at work I was 20 meters away ish and just ran to help.
Also recently I went to help a man lying on the ground at 3am nearby the house. Presumed he was drunk and he was but didn't know that before I got to him. Managed to get him home and he was a nice guy thankfully just very drunk and it was a cold night so not the best night to have a kip in the tarmac!
Sometimes instinct just takes over.

I didn't think I would but I helped a teen who was being physically bullied in a local park the other week. I think some maternal instinct kicked in for the poor lad. Probably quite risky but I just couldn't stop myself.

As a young boy my now exh fell into a river. An elderly man happened to be looking out his landing window and saw him. He rushed out in just his pants and caught dh as he floated past...

Absolutely stroke of luck
.
Or maybe not.
Exh....

No question and I have, more than once. I think most people would when it actually comes to it. It’s not a decision.

I'm one of those people who, instead of freezing, rubbernecking or turning away because 'it's none of our business', feels completely calm and focused.

I always check for danger before helping. OK, DP would say that my assessment of risk is significantly lower than his, but I'm looking at likelihood of quick escape as well as imminent death. Hopefully, it's been worth it for the assorted people I've picked up, stopped traffic from squishing, given first aid to, put into the recovery position or retrieved from upended cars. Even if DP ages five years everytime because he knows by the time it's registered with him that something is happening, I'm already halfway over there and looking to give him and anybody else around instructions.

I don't do rescue breaths, though, vomit or no (unless it were a child/baby, then I'd do it). And I would never jump into water or between people in a fight. I'm calm and confident, not suicidal.

Diving into water I don't think I would as I'm a weak swimmer so would probably end up drowning as well! Angry man with a knife? No unless he was threatening my kids. I just don't really know as I've never been in that situation.