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groveborn t1_jaotztp wrote

Reply to comment by HoopOnPoop in A man set himself on fire on UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza by DrTreeMan

You carry around an extinguisher?

Sometimes being a great witness is the best you can do.

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HoopOnPoop t1_jap7h24 wrote

It was in a crowded area. There are extinguishers in every building that you can run and find. There is 911 to call. There are a million other things to do rather than just film it. It has been proven that many people will not help unless it impacts their safety directly. They do not want to get involved. It's why people are told to yell fire instead of help if being assaulted. The bystanders yanked out their phones and hoped someone else would take care of it. Some people run toward the danger, some run away, and some stand there and do nothing.

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groveborn t1_jap8f6z wrote

So normal stuff, then?

I argue that by the time an extinguisher was used, the burns are fatal. Indeed, a standard chemical extinguisher could kill him all by itself.

I wonder how long the response from a fire truck may be?

I realize it's mind boggling to realize that people suck, but most of the time it just doesn't matter. Sure, it absolutely can, sometimes, but how often do people even realize that the thing they're witnessing isn't just an act?

Is the first thing you think of when you stumble upon a burning human "oh, that dude is in need of assistance", or more like "what the fuck is this"?

I don't know what I would do, personally, having never been in the situation, but I'm not at all surprised that normal people behave like normal people.

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Blind-_-Tiger t1_japumso wrote

That’s not proven, the reporting that no one helped Kitty Genovese wasn’t being truthful (and I’m bummed Watchmen 2 hasn’t corrected this). There are multiple ways you can help someone. If that way is filming someone who asks to be filmed in protest and that’s the route you decide to take especially if there are many people around and so many options and suddenly you’re thrust into a crazy scenario recording that scenario might be helpful later, or it might not, hard to say because HEY THAT GUYS ON FIRE. QUICK DO SOMETHING. MAYBE. Maybe they’re terminally ill and they want to die like this. Maybe this is some stunt, maybe he’s mentally ill but can’t be admitted against their will until there’re a proven danger, best to document that. It’s an uneasy calculus and filming people in distress like when they’re with the police is not always the worst option.

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