topic Re: Are you a bystander? in Community Chat

Are you a bystander?

aj1980 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:37:07 GMT

If you saw a crime being committed or someone being assualted would you interfere or would you be more concerned with your own life and not get involved.

Re: Are you a bystander?

rms1954 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:48:48 GMT

Lot of ifs here regarding circumstances. Can't generalize.

Re: Are you a bystander?

FiddleDeeDee — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:52:22 GMT

Call 911. Always. From there, it depends on the situation.

Re: Are you a bystander?

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:55:25 GMT

@aj1980 wrote:
If you saw a crime being committed or someone being assualted would you interfere or would you be more concerned with your own life and not get involved.

Too vague and too little known about the hypothetical situation.

At the very least I'd probably call 911, but some would just whip out their phones and video it.

Re: Are you a bystander?

Kachina624 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:56:23 GMT

@aj1980. Not a fair question. Many of us here are older, somewhat fragile, and not able to engage in hand-to-hand combat. In this day and age, it's not smart to become confrontational in someone else's battle. I'd be right there to dial 911 or serve as a wittness.

Re: Are you a bystander?

They CallMe MRWILKES — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:04:12 GMT

What sort of crime?

Are there apparent weapons involved?

How many alleged perpetrators against just me?

Day? Night?

Can I call 9-11

No simple answer.

As always to this person's questions there are many, many, many unanswerable variables.

Re: Are you a bystander?

chrystaltree — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:01:25 GMT

It depends on the circumstances. I suppose I would get myself to safety first and then call the police.

Re: Are you a bystander?

NEvans2 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:01:46 GMT

It would depend on the circumstances. If it would put my own life in jeopardy, no. But would I whip out my cellphone and call 911, yes. The world is so crazy now. You never know who may be carrying a gun.

Back in the mid 1980's I was robbed at gunpoint at the store I was working at. The guy was caught after I identified him from a photo line up. I think about that every now and then, and I feel pretty sure if that would have happened in this day and age, he probably would have shot me.

So yes, I would do everything I could to help, short of putting my own life in danger.

Re: Are you a bystander?

Carmie — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:02:02 GMT

My husband was a law enforcement officer for over 40 years, one of my sons is a law enforcement officer for over 20 years.

If I saw someone being assaulted, I would immediately call 911 if the situation was dangerous.

If the assult did not include a weapon, I would open my big mouth and yell as I have done in the past. I once got between a large nasty man who was kicking a toddler repeatedly on a beach. I spoke up.

He threatened me, I told him to go ahead and hit me. The beach was crowded with witnesses. He backed down and he left. His poor wife was terrified.

I have also confronted a teenage girl was assulting my elderly father by knocking him down.

I once spoke up and screamed at and pushed a man away who was pulling/pushing my older friend out of a riding handicapped cart at Costco. She was slow getting out and I was trying to open her folding walker for her when he began his assault.

He was lucky I didn't hit him. I was extremely protective and angry. He finally stood back and waited.

I have also spoken up against people calling others racial slurs and yelled at kids bullying other kids.

I have been this way my whole life. My children and siblings are too as well as our parents and extended family members.

It's how we roll. It's in our genes.

Re: Are you a bystander?

PhilaLady1 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 22:34:53 GMT

To interfere with an ongoing crime, in my opinion, is not very smart. Where I come from, being a hero gets you shot, possibly killed. In my opinion, it is naive to think otherwise. Go where no-one can see or hear you and then call 911.

Re: Are you a bystander?

Snowpuppy — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:12:06 GMT

Recently a poster said she witnessed a domestic situation in a parking lot.

The quick thinking poster immediately ran into Costco and reported it to Customer Service 🙄

Re: Are you a bystander?

sugar plum — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:19:28 GMT

@aj1980

I would call 911 of course.

What would YOU do?

Re: Are you a bystander?

KathyM23 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:17:54 GMT

I did once when I was younger and times were different. I was driving home and was going thru a bad area of the city late at night. I saw a man assulting a woman in the street and I started blowing my horn and then jumped out of my car and started yelling.

He stopped his actions and they disappeared. Don't know what happened after that. I definitely would not do that now.

Re: Are you a bystander?

PamHeet — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:24:03 GMT

That’s a hard question to answer. In many cases, how a person thinks they would respond to a situation versus how they actually respond are two different things. You can’t know for sure until the problem confronts you in real life.

Re: Are you a bystander?

hopi — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:30:49 GMT

slow afternoon on the boards

Re: Are you a bystander?

GingerHead — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:53:28 GMT

I'd absolutely like to think that I wouldn't be just a bystander but I think most everyone likes to feel they wouldn't be but experience and history shows us that a good majority of people are.

At the very least I'd always call 911 and video tape but if I had a chance to jump in without being harmed I would for a stranger or animal and I guess if it were someone I knew and loved I'd risk myself depending....

I have stood up to a stranger dog owner who was being overly harsh to their dog and told them what I thought about it, to which they promptly got in their car and left and I'm in no way confrontational but it was needed at the time.

Re: Are you a bystander?

Love my grandkids — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:56:18 GMT

@aj1980 I'd like you to answer your own question.

Re: Are you a bystander?

skatting44 — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 20:19:47 GMT

Definitely would call 911 . I'd have my keys ready and look for a fire alarm & hydrant , If the thug turned on me .

Re: Are you a bystander?

ThinkingOutLoud — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 20:20:10 GMT

No, I'm not a bystander. I've stood up to people in the past and if warranted, will probably do so again in the future.

Re: Are you a bystander?

CelticCrafter — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 20:29:53 GMT

I'm 69 years old, the most I would do is call 911.

Get involved in the middle of something, not happening.