Rant...WTF is wrong with society..??

Andy the Aussie

Andy the Aussie

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WTF is wrong with the world, I am not the most sociable of people and certainly I will never be accused of being a “softy” or any such thing but I have come to the conclusion that the world and the people have gone way too far into the “I don’t care” mode…!!! Yes I am having a little rant.. so yesterday I drove 12hrs and about 800Km home from out in the far west of NSW having spent a great long weekend out in the bush with my best friend and his two kids (my Godson and Goddaughter) … it was great. I dropped them home late in the afternoon and still have the last few hours and 300km to drive home alone. I decided to take a less used route home and the main north/south freeway in and out of Sydney is ALWAYS a nightmare after a long weekend.

The way I came home if a beautiful but at some point perilous trip and has claimed many lives, yesterday it was very foggy with a little rain. I was in the last hour of the drive and had just collected a little fuel and chocolate to get me home ;) Driving down around a blind corner I see some folks crowded around a vehicle with orange flashing roof light (a mine vehicle as it turns out) and then I see a badly wreaked car. I am the first to say no, I didn’t want to stop but, I figure I can at least check on them to see if all is under control and if they need a phone etc etc to call for a tow. Unfortunately all was not OK… :( When I got back to them (stopped down the road and through the next bend a little to get the hazard lights on because cars were still tearing past at speed) it was pretty obvious the driver was in a bad way and the two guys there trying to help him were struggling. The driver (Sam @ 17 years old) had taken a header through either the windscreen or side window and was naked from the waist down (his clothes torn off during the ejection) both his legs were badly broken (but closed thankfully) and I am pretty sure his pelvis was also in a bad way, there was also the obligatory head injury, but he was conscious and lucid. The two other lads who had stopped with him had tried to get him comfy and reassured as best they could, I just got his neck stable (me holding his head for what turned out to be the next hour) and him wrapped up in a thermal blanket and continued keeping him talking and reassured. Now there is NO phone reception of any kind here so thankfully someone else had driven off to get the ambulance etc on the way.

Once we all settled in, one of the lads there with him was really upset as he had spent 15mins there alone and NO ONE would stop to help, this is what makes me mad, people slowed down to see the accident but he was telling me car after car passed and just accelerated. Finally he did something a bit silly but indicative of his desperation, he just walked out in front of a car and made it stop, this was the car that went and called for help. Even if people are unsure or uncomfortable at least they could roll down a window and ask if they can call etc …!!!!! I mean, tomorrow it could be them right..!!!

So once the police and fleet of ambulances took over I gave my version and was getting on my way, when one of the two lads, not the one most involved but the one who sat next me emptying his first aid kit for me on request (he was driving the mine vehicle so it had the obligatory OH&S required kit) caught up with me and thanked me (he was teared up a little), mostly I didn’t get that, as it was not him I was helping, but it was nice to hear none the less, I still wonder what all the people who just didn’t stop think of themselves today ??

OK…rant off. I will call the hospital to see how Sam is today.

Andy
 
Societal decay. Glad you were there to help in some way and it's truly sad that people no longer look out for others. That's why I'm blessed to have my "internet friends" who are some of the coolest and realist people around. And glad to hear Sam wasn't killed in the accident. I'll be praying for him.
 
I see this all the time on my drive in to work.....if there is an accident people slow down to look but dont stop to help. It is a sad world that we live in:(
 
people are ignorant now a days, only care for themselves, i hope he didnt have a pelvic fracture and two broken femurs thats bad news, if you had more "helpful" paople there you probally could have splinted him. Your a good man though, thanks for the rant!
 
Thankfully it hasn't gotten that way here in the SE. If there is an accident people immediately stop and help.
 
Unfortunately I have seen this for years. I used to defense work for an insurance company and became quite jaded over the human indifference so I had to change careers. Sitting in a living room with family members walking around with sticky notes with their name on it placing them on household items and the father wasn't even in the ground was too much for me. Crazy world.
 
about 4 years ago I came up on an accident where the driver of a car had hit a statue head on, the car was crushed and the driver had expired from the wreck. It was in downtown, so i know people had to see this accident but no one stopped, My friend ,myself and my wife pulled up and my wife wouldn't approach the vehicle, My friend and I got out and he wouldn't go to the car either, Can't blame him he had never seen anything like this, but I checked the drivers pulse and it was obvious he was no longer with us, we called 911 and waited for the first responders to arrive, I can still see the look on that guys face, come to find out it was a suicide because his girlfriend broke up with him(he was 19 years old). I still wonder If anyone had of got to him sooner if he would of lived or not, he had been sitting their for awhile when we arrived, not going to get to graphic about it , but it was obvious to me he had been there at least a half hour , downtown in the city I live in and nobody even called the police or anything...Pathetic, Good for you for doing whats right!
 
My father told me of a time back when he was in his youngster days and living in Mexico, he and his buddies went on a road trip from Mexico City to Acapulco. They were driving a desolate road at night when they saw a motorcycle dropped in the middle of the road and the rider laid out flat as if he were unconscious. They stopped to help the man but it turned out to be an ambush for a robbery. 3 guys all of the sudden popped out from the brush all wielding firearms. Luckily they only ended up taking their wallets and jewelry but miraculously let them go with the car and lives.

If I'm driving here in the states and ever come across an accident that has not yet been brought up to the attention of EMT and police. I'm getting out and helping in every way I can. HOWEVER if I'm ever driving in Mexico and come across a so called accident on the road, you can sure as Hell bet I'm driving away as fast as I can.
 
It gets worse in america. If you live in certain states that lack , GOOD Samaritan laws you can actually be sued for trying to help someone and things Don't go well. It is pathetic.
 
We have the "Good Samaritan Laws" here nationally so that is one "concern" that is out the window, his legs were bad and could well have done with splinting, in the time there shock and spinal injury were my greatest concerns for him, the other lads had him propped in a way that I probably would not have had I been there first but I was reluctant to move him about too much more as he still had feeling and some movement (with 9+ pain - he was being a man about that as I am sure he wanted to say 10 ;) ) at the extremities.

He is listed as critical today.
 
jspaxton said:
It gets worse in america. If you live in certain states that lack , GOOD Samaritan laws you can actually be sued for trying to help someone and things Don't go well. It is pathetic.
Click to expand...

Now that's not entirely true... Folks stop for accidents here all the time! ...And rubberneck, which causes other accidents, or they get out...and stand across the highway shooting video so they can upload it to youtube...while they're still standing there gawking like the dumbarses they are. :rolleyes::barf:

Yeah, Andy, some folk are just plain ignorant, but thankfully there's good folks too...like you. :thumbup: Good on ya, brother, and I hope Sam makes it through with only healed bones, small scars and faint memories of the whole ordeal.
 
Oh my gosh. Nasty. I hope they pull through. I've come across a couple of bad accidents before and always stop to help if I can. That said, I have been involved in a couple of very bad ones too, so any help or comfort from anyone is very much appreciated.
 
Many people assume that others are helping, or that they can't add anything.

I've had to "rescue" people in a lot of different situations. Normally not life threatening (but have had to do a few drowning swimmer rescues. Quite a few as a lifeguard, and even one as a fully dressed "civilian").

One kid I had to rescue was a 3 year old or so alone in the pool. Her parents were on with her, but not in the pool. Her mom sent her dad to get more towels, and she was holding a brand new infant. The shallow end got deep real quick! If I had not been there, I know the rest of my group would have jumped in.

I have been present for a few bad accidents, and luckily there were people willing to help (though one old woman I saw get nailed by a car when she tried to cross, I wish the "helpers" were not there). When you see an old woman get hit and tossed 30 feet, you don't expect to see any one pick her up and try to let her "walk it off" when her leg pointing the wrong way all the way up to the hip! Let alone keep tugging her up by the arms and dropping her again and again! It was when I was in Bulgaria, and my language skills were not up to an involved discussion about broken limbs, and possible neck/head/spine injuries!


Maybe people assumed the vehicle with the flashing light was an official rescue vehicle and things were "in hand".

I am a stopper and asker, for the most part. Unless I see a bunch of emergency vehicles, then I know I will just be in the way.
 
Good for you Andy!

It is fascinating and disturbing to see the varied reactions of people when confronted with disasters. I think many will stop and help, but apparently not in this case.
 
Thank you for stopping and being a good man. The world needs a lot more just like you.
 
Good on you Andy. Had one happen a few weeks ago on the way to do a little fishing with a friend. A lady coming towards us was texting and driving and lost control on a curve and rolled her Honda Accord. I took off running through the cloud of dust and sage brush and when I finally see her she's standing outside her totaled car, not a scratch on her (seat belt saves another one). All she wants me to do is find her cell phone and glasses. Found the phone but not the glasses. If we had been 4 or 5 seconds further up the highway she would have hit us. The car behind her stopped and said she passed her doing about 80 mph and then went on her way. That was the only car we saw until the authorities showed up 20 minutes later. It was early and the middle of no where.
 
Good on you for stopping and helping out. I can't say I've experienced too much of people driving by though here in Canada, especially the oilfield in the prairie provinces. Around here everyone knows the roads are bad pretty much all year round, and it's common / professional courtsey to stop and pull a guy out of the ditch or give him a ride to town, it's what's done because you know it'll be you in the ditch looking for a pull tomorrow.
 
The indifference shown by a large majority of humanity today is deplorable. Thank goodness you happened to go that way. Thankfully there are good people out there that can't, don't or won't ignore the misfortune of others. Sending prayers to the young man for a full recovery.
 
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