The image or Conscience

[blurry80]

I was just wondering if any of us when witnessing a violent seen of people getting bashed up. Or tragic accident that is unfolding, or a situation where you could make a difference in saving someone's life.

Will we lend our aid or pull out our telephoto lenses and shoot from afar.

For me i will really be caught in between really, gotta be in the situation to decide.

Anyone have different views?

 

[wildstallion]

**** the camera, id be in there to help straight away.

 

[sbs99]

i was in this situation once a few years ago, at KL's infamous chinatown.

Early in the morning, a beggar was being abused and kicked, a crowd just made a circle around and watched, nobody lifted a finger to help or to stop. The aggressors were the notorious ah bengs, one of them was kicking, punching, dragging the poor fellow. His fellow bengs stood around and jeered/verbal abuse at the beggar.
(note the few guys who are standing infront of the crowd, all same group of gangsters)

Reason was because the beggar was sleeping at one of the stall space, and refused to go away, tried to retaliate and talk back, ended up kena whacked. Me, as a tourist, surely can't step in, probably given the same treatment and maybe robbed as well. Sometimes common sense overrules blind bravery. An old man did try to stop and give the beggar money asking him to go off, but the beggar refuse (maybe becoz of pride). I guess the old man was confident the gangsters won't hurt him as he was a senior citizen. (the lady in red came in to protect the old man juz in case the gangsters whack as well)

All i could do was take photos (secretly, using a handphone), as a reminder such things do happen. (no, i didnt bother making a police report, as most would know, the security also notorious back then)

 

[garou12]

**** the camera, id be in there to help straight away.

apparently that's not what the people who drove di to her demise though

 

[sbs99]

Another incident (if anybody could remember) was the ambulance which flipped upside down, had a collision with a sbs bus, near the AYE flyover and NUH. I was on another bus which happened to pass by, the accident happened just minutes before. Immediately i alighted, ran over to help. There were other cab drivers who stopped by and offered a helping hand.

It seemed as the ambulance flipped over, the occupants were all thrown out. The victims all lay dazed, the ambulance driver was dazed sitting by the roadside. The bus driver was in shock as well. No photos, didnt bother to shoot any then, first thought was to offer assistance in anyway. I remember helping a few other fellows carry someone out of the flipped ambulance. There was an old man sitting dazed on the road as well. It was a heart wrenching scene, i could still remember the poor lady lying on the road with eyes open, bleeding a lot from the back/head area and another guy (assume it's her husband) sitting beside her talking and crying. (i believe both are well and alive today, from what the newspapers reported) Nobody dared to touch or move her till the paramedics came.

The 2nd ambulance took bout 20mins to arrive although the accident scene was only 5 minutes away from NUH. Multiple phonecalls were made to scold and hurry, everybody was left waiting.

We (passerbys) were told not to do too much, the arriving ambulance crew did most of the work after. The policemen came too, but were abit blur on what to do or help except asking the other passerbys (curious drivers who stopped by to watch) to stand clear and away from the scene.

The accident came out in the papers about a week later.

 

[NeTHaCk]

Another incident (if anybody could remember) was the ambulance which flipped upside down, had a collision with a sbs bus, near the AYE flyover and NUH. I was on another bus which happened to pass by, the accident happened just minutes before. Immediately i alighted, ran over to help. There were other cab drivers who stopped by and offered a helping hand.

It seemed as the ambulance flipped over, the occupants were all thrown out. The victims all lay dazed, the ambulance driver was dazed sitting by the roadside. The bus driver was in shock as well. No photos, didnt bother to shoot any then, first thought was to offer assistance in anyway. I remember helping a few other fellows carry someone out of the flipped ambulance. There was an old man sitting dazed on the road as well. It was a heart wrenching scene, i could still remember the poor lady lying on the road with eyes open, bleeding a lot from the back/head area and another guy (assume it's her husband) sitting beside her talking and crying. (i believe both are well and alive today, from what the newspapers reported) Nobody dared to touch or move her till the paramedics came.

The 2nd ambulance took bout 20mins to arrive although the accident scene was only 5 minutes away from NUH. Multiple phonecalls were made to scold and hurry, everybody was left waiting.

We (passerbys) were told not to do too much, the arriving ambulance crew did most of the work after. The policemen came too, but were abit blur on what to do or help except asking the other passerbys (curious drivers who stopped by to watch) to stand clear and away from the scene.

The accident came out in the papers about a week later.

i remembered this incident.

I would like to highlight to fellow singaporeans, i do know that the hospital may just be a stone throw away, but providing medical coverage is not an easy task. Also a paramedic is not the same as a normal medic/nurse/doctor.

paramedics and Medic spec(for saf) are trained for situations where thingsa re moving and you're doing the IV or attending the wounded/doing cpr/ stop the bleeding.

for hospitals, i would say, maybe, JUST MAYBE the proper trained ones are at A&E.

its better off giving way to ambulances.

i was at OG , bugis weeks ago and i was snapping pics while waiting for time to pass before picking up my gf. i heard a commotion and saw this couple arguing and apparently, this guy got violent with the gf/wife. i but in. he might be older and stronger, me being younger and maybe weaker, i still have my tripod if it comes to worst case scenario. alas, i managed to prevent him from leaving with the help of the OG security guards holding him till police arrive.

no photos taken. at that point i was telling myself, why did i bother to help? the conscience? if i had taken pics, it'd make a great story. but being human, the first thing is to help out people, even if it means loosing that chance of a perfect shot

 

[firestone]

-where you could make a difference in saving someone's life.
-gotta be in the situation to decide.
Anyone have different views?

Ok, its wrong to assume that you'll decide 'in the situation'. You must decide NOW if you'll help if theres something you can do about it. The rest are all excuses, and they'll pop up 'in the situation. Make a conviction now and do what you think is right.However..

There are of course conditions to consider beforehand.
1.Are you of any help?How much to help?
eg, you see a man being bitten, can you defend him, or would it be better off standing far and calling police,take photos..

BUT do not enter the situation where you start asking youeself too many questions.eg is the man being bitten a molester,robber,etc.. You do not know but if you feel that physical violence is wrong, then u intervene and wait for police.

 

[firestone]

no photos taken. at that point i was telling myself, why did i bother to help? the conscience? if i had taken pics, it'd make a great story. but being human, the first thing is to help out people, even if it means loosing that chance of a perfect shot

You did right.

 

[blurry80]

I guess it all depends on how much difference you can make while the situation happens before deciding what kind of help to provide.

 

[Deadpoet]

If you have to ask this question, you better not be a photojournalist.

If you are, this will be a haunting question to you.

since I am not a photojournalist, I will lend my hand.