So exceptionally pissed off!

Message

Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:23 pm

Sunday I went on a small ride with my girlfriend. We were testing out the alpha version of my helmet comm system which is going to be beta by the end of the week, but that's a different story. We were coming back to her apartment complex and as she went into the parking lot I split off to go pick something up.

I was about a mile and a half away when the helmet comm clicks on and I hear "Ouch! Ow ow ow ow!".

I u-turned in a eyeblink and raced back to her apartment, maxing out my speedometer (only goes to 80), taking curves practically horizontal, and blasting by people getting back to her parking lot. As I pull up I see the bike on it's left side with my girlfriend still partway sitting on it.... and a crowd of people... watching.

I hopped off the bike, ran up to her and find her right foot caught between the rear wheel and fender. I yelled to the bystanders for help as I needed to pull the clutch and pop her into neutral to move the rear tire to free her foot because it was jammed in there pretty tight which involved moving the clutch and reaching under the bike to the gear selector do to the situation. I looked up and they were all just standing there.... looking at me.

So I screamed at them, which broke one from stasis. As she WALKED up I see a guy come out of his apartment with pants barely on holding a shirt and shoes. When he saw us he did a double take, threw his stuff to the ground, took a step forward and all I could think was thank God...... and then he stopped, turned and started dressing.

I got her foot free, and lifted the bike off of her (it didn't hurt her because of the crash bars) and then started attending to Monica. She was holding her foot to the left and it looked horrible. I told her to stay there and I was going to get the car to take her to the hospital (two blocks away and faster by the car next to us than by ambulance- also because of my association with the hospital I can get her onto the reserved ambulance bed just as fast). Just as I'm about to go to the car the heroic dresser walked up and asked me if I had a phone... I'm hoping he was thinking to call 911, but I never found out because before I could answer he walked off.

Long story short, my girlfriend likes to hold her ankle in weird ways after twisting it. She wasn't hurt other than a few bruises on her foot from twisting it up in the tire, and she still has no idea how that happened after she had come to a stop. I think she was putting the kickstand down and the bike was leaned too far to the left so when it hit ground she lost her footing and it went over.

Still... I can't believe a whole group of people stood by and watched a girl under a motorcycle crying in pain, tears going all over yelling for help and did nothing... I'm also incredibly greatful for my comm system.

drevil · #2 Unread post by **drevil** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:55 pm

I'm glad to hear that your gal wasn't too badly hurt. Sounds scarey enough though. As incredible as it seems, I'm not a bit surprised about the crowd just gawking and nobody helping. 99% of people are like that. I haven't seen anything in my lifetime to convince me otherwise. Maybe a letter to the editor of your local newspaper "thanking" these folks are in order? Stay safe!

VermilionX · Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:05 pm

hmmm... the peeps around here are very friendly.

when i fell, under 5mph, lost my balance, a car pulled over and stopped and another person from the other side of the road rushed to help me.

they helped me lift my bike up, pull it to the side of the road and made sure i was fine before they left.

what a bunch of good guys especially the one in the car since he could have gone on and left.

#4 Unread post by **9000white** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:26 pm

you can thank the lawyers for this kind of reaction from people at an accident.if someone tried to help and there was a lawyer in the crowd he would have instructed the girl to sue whoever helped claiming she was permanently injured by someone who had no training in accident response.

VermilionX · Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:30 pm

9000white wrote:you can thank the lawyers for this kind of reaction from people at an accident.if someone tried to help and there was a lawyer in the crowd he would have instructed the girl to sue whoever helped claiming she was permanently injured by someone who had no training in accident response.

really? that's just wrong.

DivideOverflow · Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:37 pm

9000white wrote:you can thank the lawyers for this kind of reaction from people at an accident.if someone tried to help and there was a lawyer in the crowd he would have instructed the girl to sue whoever helped claiming she was permanently injured by someone who had no training in accident response.

that's why you dont give em your name.
It is hard to serve papers if they dont know who you are.

I am really suprised that no one helped her. That just seems befuddling to me. If I am in proximity to help someone, I normally do... (unless they are spewing blood and/or vomit, then I call someone qualified.)

#7 Unread post by **Jamers!** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:40 pm

VermilionX wrote:
9000white wrote:you can thank the lawyers for this kind of reaction from people at an accident.if someone tried to help and there was a lawyer in the crowd he would have instructed the girl to sue whoever helped claiming she was permanently injured by someone who had no training in accident response.
really? that's just wrong.

you can, or at least used to be able to be prosecuted if you preformed CPR on someone to try and save em and they died. Something about claiming you killed them with improper CPR or something like that

JWF

2wheel · #8 Unread post by **2wheel** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:40 pm

That's one shitty neighborhood.

High_Side · #9 Unread post by **High_Side** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 2:09 pm

JWF505 wrote:
you can, or at least used to be able to be prosecuted if you preformed CPR on someone to try and save em and they died. Something about claiming you killed them with improper CPR or something like that

JWF

In Canada at least you are protected by the good samaritan act in these cases. If you are trained, and do what you can, you are protected.....Man I would hate to live in fear of lawyers like you do in the U.S......

Mon Feb 06, 2006 2:22 pm

First off, every state has a version of the "Good Samaritan Law". This protects you in performing CPR or other life saving procedures. It also protects you if you DON'T do anything. Basically, anybody can sue for anything but, to have merrit in a wrongful death/malpractice/failure to respond case they have to prove 1) You had a duty to respond. 2) You did not perform the procedures as you had been instructed. 3) You performed actions that were "beyond your scope of training." (Such as a paramedic can't perform emergency amputations/surgery, etc, etc.)

Now, as for getting people to help. I've found that whether they are trained or untrained, the easiest way to get a group or crowd to help is to address someone individually and ask. Such as; "YOU in the blue shirt. I need YOUR help! Come over here. I need you to ....". You have to point out an individual. Most people will tend to respond in that type of situation.