Why did it take a little old lady to do something before anyone else did?

[Neil]

http://www.itv.com/anglia/armed-robbery-footage07521/ We need to see more people stand up to this sort of thing! I'd hope given such a scenario I wouldn't stand by and do nothing. At the very least I'd try and run up and push some of them off their mopeds. Anything to make their 'job' harder! ps: I'll be honest! Towards the end of the video I has a small tear in my eye though having seen that wonderful old lady in action!

[MinionZombie]

Saw this video on the news last night - well done the old dear. It'd naturally depend on the situation, but I'd like to think I could jump in - when appropriate - to try and tackle something, with added back-up from friends. I suppose these days everybody automatically thinks "I've gotta record this" rather than "we've got to stop this".

[krakenslayer]

It's the Kitty Genovese effect: The case of Kitty Genovese is often cited as an example of the "bystander effect". It is also the case that originally stimulated social psychological research in this area. Genovese was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the attack lasted for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked Genovese and stabbed her, then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese's death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene or even contact the police. This led to widespread public attention, and many editorials. We all like to think we'd jump in to intervene (I certainly would), but actually in that situation people tend to think "hey, there's loads of other people around, someone must be taking care of it". Very sad.

[Neil]

^^ Always remember hearing an interview with a woman who had been raped. The attack happened on the stair well in her flats. She recalled people having to step over her to get by while she called out for help, and clearly they just ignored what was happening! Terrifying!

[MinionZombie]

^^ Always remember hearing an interview with a woman who had been raped. The attack happened on the stair well in her flats. She recalled people having to step over her to get by while she called out for help, and clearly they just ignored what was happening! Terrifying! WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?! Just the one attacker? Get a ruddy fire extinguisher off a nearby wall and clock the bastard over the head!

[bassman]

Not available for viewing in my region. That's a first.

[krakenslayer]

To be fair, after watching the video, I think I'd rather not take on four guys with sledgehammers either. Frankly, I don't give a shit if they steal some watches from a jeweller's, it's not like a girl getting raped or something, and I kinda like the shape of my skull as it is.

[AcesandEights]

To be fair, after watching the video, I think I'd rather not take on four guys with sledgehammers either. Frankly, I don't give a shit if they steal some watches from a jeweller's, it's not like a girl getting raped or something, and I kinda like the shape of my skull as it is. I pretty much agree. It's horrible and I'd like to think I'd do something, but not charging all four of them with no real weapon, especially since in the US one or more of the guys would probably have a firearm on their person. All to save...some merchandise?

[Neil]

I'm afraid you'd easily be able to run up and push one or two of those guys over on the bikes... Furthermore, guys in helmets, carrying stuff really can't move very fast. Furthermore, guys robbing as place, really don't want to pi$$ about chasing people, or make a bad situation worse. Furthermore, group apathy just endorses/promotes this shit. If the public kicked off more often, less of it would happen. Which is good surely?

[krakenslayer]

That's all well and good, but ultimately I'd rather be alive. I'm not Chuck Norris.

[Neil]

That's all well and good, but ultimately I'd rather be alive. I'm not Chuck Norris. I'm no Chuck Norris, but I know given a situation where I could try to do something with much risk to myself, I'd hope I would. And the situation in that video is one of them... I feel apathy has gone a little too far in society...

[krakenslayer]

Maybe, maybe not. But no matter how I look at it, I can see no rational reason to risk my life to protect merchandise that I do not own, that is in any case insured, from potentially violent criminals who I can guarantee be caught anyway. I have worked in retail for most of my working life, and in every job I have had, physically challenging a thief (fighting them, pinning them to the ground, chasing them into the street etc.) has been a sackable offense, and for good reason. I know a security guard at HMV who chased a shoplifter into an alley and died from a stab wound in the neck, all for a couple of Blu-Ray discs. It's all well and good to talk about apathy in society and all these theoretical and ideological things, but in that situation the immediate issue at hand is your wellbeing, and that has to take precedent.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Old super Granny to the rescue. Brave woman to do something like that... should be an example to us all.

[Legion2213]

I read somewhere that a lone individual with no other people about is more likely intervine in something than a crowd in the same situation. Crowds need an instigator/enabler, once one person takes action, others are likely to follow. That said, in modern society (as others have pointed out), people seem to think that being a "citizen journalist" and simply filming stuff or gawping like an idiot is more useful.

[Doc]

The above comments have made remember this Cracked article which, I found pretty scary to be honest: http://www.cracked.com/article_16239...ty-doomed.html