The morning has been somewhat interesting, by interesting, I mean different from every other morning. But it’s because of that sniper dude and I’m tired of talking about him…. so that said, nothing really too exciting has happened to me since yesterday. And even this morning wasn’t that exciting. :] Last night I laid about our apartment while Toby dished me out some yummy tofu pot pie. He spent the afternoon making it. I love his pot pie. I do. So we had dinner and chatted at the dinner table (the good and interesting thing about having a massive fear of a possible bug problem is that we eat dinner at the table together. There’s something to be said for having dinner together). After dinner, I washed the dishes and we watched TV. I began my freelance work. Things are going well for the most part.
One of our conversations was about crime in a city, such as getting mugged and the like. I remembered a lecture from college (I think it was psychology) that the less people on a street during a crime, the better. If there are many people everyone believes that someone else will do something to help. I think this was brought up along side a story about a woman and a man who were fighting on a bridge. She feared him so much, she ended jumping off the bridge, rather than deal with him hurting her. And everyone just watched. Does anyone know this story? Does anyone know more about it? I didn’t want to give Toby a bunch of false information, but that was so long ago. Anyway….
See comments for the real story. Edited to correct myself.
I wish I could help in giving you the right info. on that story, but on a similar note, they always say if you’re being attacked, to yell “fire” because more people are willing to help you vs. yelling for help because you are being attacked. A little tidbit that’s messed up.
I can’t find this on google. I think it took place in Chicago many many years ago. Not sure though.
I can’t find anything either, but there are certainly way too many stories that are similar.
but it does ring a bell for you? I remember being totally shocked by the information.
I believe it involved an accident, the man who she rear-ended jumped out and started going after her.
He had her so scared that she got onto the side of the bridge, and eventually jumped.
There were many many many people in the vicinity and no one did anything to stop the man from going after her.
Hopefully, those people are spending the rest of their lives with the image of that woman jumping because they wouldn’t help.
Robert, that sounds familiar. I think I remember that.
That does sound familiar. Thanks, Rob. Was it in Chicago? Do you remember?
Chicago? Detroit? Some northern mid-western city I believe.
I think they tried to charge the people who didn’t help, I think that’s where the “good simaritan” law came from. It said something along the lines of “If you can help and don’t, you’re in trouble.” But that law raises all sorts of moral/legal trouble.
Also, I remeber a kick-ass Law and Order based on that years ago.
Personal story:
When I was in grad school (yes, in happy little Happy Valley) I got mugged on my way hom efrom class one night, literally within a block from my house, along semi-busy Allen Street. While there was no one around when the guy approached me for my bag (which, among other things like keys & wallet, contained my eyeglasses and an entire semester’s worth of lecture notes for the class I taught) there was no car or foot traffic on the street. However, I fought him for the bag, and he eventually clocked me & knocked me down onto the grassy part between the sidewalk & street. It was at this point a couple of cars drove by, with me on the ground screaming, and my bag being yanked about between us. No one stopped, no one even slowed (jesus, you don’t have to get out of the car; hows about scaring the guy off by simply pulling over?) and no one called the cops (being so close to my house, I did that). Fuckers! It still enrages me to this day.
Missy, your story did occur to me last night while Toby and I were talking. Penn State had its oddities, that was indeed one of them, but for the most part, a delicate place to live. Unless someone hits the hub lawn and wait with a rifle. :[
Personal Story:
Some kid hit me with his car and drove off. I was all bleeding and laying on the sidewalk outside the Diner. (I was locking up my bike and he was about to parallel park, ran right into my back, sent me sprawling onto the ground. I had to pull my chain ring from inside my underarm). When he drove off I was so angry and upset, I memorized his license plate and walked a block to the police station. Turns out his mother (who was also in the car) TOLD HIM TO LEAVE! THAT DAMN BITCH!
So I was given a choice, I could either send this 16 year old kid to jail for a hit and run or give him a 80 dollar fine for not checking on my well-being. I opted for the later as it’s the mother I wanted.
Here is my mugging/passerby story – moments after the actual incident on a empty street at 9 am, I was sitting on the ground with the contents of my bag strewn around me and some guy walked up and waved at me. waved! And I know he was close enough to see the mugger running away and stuffing the gun back in his pants. he waved!
Missy – people living is SC are so sheltered that the passersby probably thought your mugging was a “wacky frat prank.” Which is NO excuse, of course.
I hate people. Why do we all have these stories?
Here’s mine: When I was in college, my boyfriend (who I had broken up with a few days before for reasons that will soon become clear) attacked me in the middle of campus with dozens of people around. Slammed me into a window and punched me in the back of the head.
Did anyone do anything? No. A “friend” of mine even came up to me the next day and said, “Wow, I saw what he did to you. I’ll talk to the cops if you want.” I wanted to say, “Why didn’t you DO SOMETHING?”
Gah.
Nico, you’re story is not funny, but somehow so funny. He waved? That’s the MOST rediculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
And Freakgirl, I am so very sorry.
Don’t be sorry. My karma is clean.
Nico—you’re probably right, and as it so happened, my mugging occurred right in front of a frat house.
Ever since that incident, I try to look out for people. In that same block, very late one night as I was coming home (relatively sober) from Zeno’s (about 4 blocks away), I was about a block behind a very drunk girl walking by herself, carrying her shoes, stopping people on the street (asking for a cigarette as I later found out) so I ran to catch up with her and walk her home. I couldn’t bear to have to read about her in the paper getting assaulted or worse. Chances are probably nothing would’ve happened, but you never know.
That girl was me.
Thank you.
No, really. One night I was walking home from work it was around 4 am. I was alone and it was a football saturday. Apparently (and I didn’t know it at the time) I was being followed by some guy. Well, that van thing that picks people up and takes them home made me get in the car. At first I was all like,
and they were like
When I saw a girl already in there (she was the one who asked them to stop) I got in the car. They then told me I was “being followed” by some drunk guy.
Did that make sense? So I guess some folks are good peeps. :]
true or not. its really depressing.
it’s more depressing to be really honest and when you ask yourself: would I have been able to stop the maniac?
crawl under a car, thats about all i know.
i remember when i worked in downtown memphis late at nite and all the drunks where always out, and we had to park our cars way in the back where you had to go through several dark alleys to get to them, carrying the tips you made that nite with you….i’m still suprised nothing ever happned to me…
..then again i think they know i can kick their asses. yeah. i can. rawr.
These are all awful stories. I’m sorry this stuff happened to you guys. I’ve had my car broken into twice, and our house was robbed when I was a little kid (my grandma chased him down, beat him in the street and got our stuff back), but I’ve experienced no personal attack like that. It must be extremely frightening.
The original post reminded me of the story of Kitty Genovese’s killing, in the early 80’s, I think. This poor woman got stabbed to death in a Queens neighborhood while people watched from their apartment windows, but no one called police until about an hour after the attack (apparently the attack went on this long with NO ONE doing a damn thing). By then, the woman was dead. These people, who were all safe in their own homes, did nothing. Disgusting.