Have you ever been a Good Samaritan?

[caramelsub]

If you saw someone being harmed, or hurt by someone, particularly in a public place, would you try stop the person? What if they had a weapon, would you run away? Call the cops? Three years ago I witnessed a woman being smothered by a man in a public fast food restaurant. I had no idea how to react. Because I didn’t want the man to come after me.

[+ sync]

It is just about impossible to predict one's behavior in such circumstances because of the variables. In the above scenario, if the woman were a loved-one of yours, you would have been inspired to intervene whether the man had a weapon or not. Also, in the above scenario, it was incumbent upon the personnel of the fast food restaurant to raise an alarm and call the police.

[Rudynate]

I have had numerous occasions when I stopped to help somebody or give first aid or drive them to the hospital.

 

I had one occasion when I was walking through a crummy part of town. A block or so away, I saw two young guys assaulting an old drunk. One was holding him with his arms pinned and the other was punching him in the face repeatedly. I thought, "I have to stop this somehow, "and I started walking faster in that direction wondering what I could do. Fortunately, a couple cop cars pulled up and intervened. I was very relieved.

[+ Avalon]

Many many years on tv there was a mini-series "I Know My First Name Is Steven" based on a real life store about a boy who had been kidnapped by a pedophile and lived with him for several years. Next day driving to work I passed a car parked by the curb and several males were forcing a teenage boy into the back seat. He was struggling, fighting back. When I got to work I called the police. I was told that I was not the only call.