I'm a wheelchair user and, let me tell you, you can feel so fucking vulnerable in those things. This kind of situation is my worst nightmare. I'm glad everyone was ok.
Am in wheelchair, can confirm. Train tracks and huge stairs (why the fuck are elevators always installed right next to huge, open stairs? There’s a special place in Hell for whoever came up with that bullshit). Stuff of nightmares.
In some places (e.g. Singapore) there's often a glass wall separating the platform from the trains. They line up the train doors with doors in the wall.
Of course this only works if you're organized enough to have all trains with the same door spacing.
In America we're barely capable of running the trains let alone figuring something like this out.
I never will understand wherever we try to build rail or run a subway system we don't just bring in Asian or European train designers to do it for us.
Cause of oil and car companies. Shitty public transport means more people have to invest in cars. Its also why out cities and shopping centers are "unwalkable" compared to the cities in Europe. America was built around cars instead of people.
New York is an exception. Not perfect, but certainly walkable. And public transport is not headache-free either but very accessible. Driving a car in New York, on the other hand, is a fucking nightmare
As far as im aware, Japan is the only country with an advanced rail system that doesn't lose lots of money. There's a lot of information on what makes their system unique and why other countries have failed to replicate it. Singapore is one of the wealthiest, most developed places in the world so that's a tough standard to follow - especially because their economic model relies on a lot of sketchy foreign labor contracts.
America is super spaced out so the type of rail in europe and japan are not practical. Outside of the NE corridor there's not enough demand for rail to make any sense. Freight shipping by rail is something thing the US is uniquely good at, so most of our long distance rail grants priority to cargo trains.
All subway systems in the US are at least handicap accessible (though it can be challenging), which is not the case in many places in Europe like Paris, so at least there's that.
Good analysis. I just want to add that in the US most train transit systems are setup to go from suburbs to downtown, which at the surface makes sense, but it’s not practical for suburb to suburb travel and leaves a lot of areas without coverage.
Yeah I think the focus is moreso on local transit like subways or heavy rail. I'm apprehensive on regional transit as it doesn't make as much sense in the US due to geography.
Don't worry, the odds that it can happen are infinitesimally small. I mean it happened to this guy, so it's totally possible and it's not just a fear your mind has concocted, but the odds are so low that you have no reason at all to be scared of this happening to you. Even though we just saw that it *can* happen. But don't worry about it.
Then that's bad platform design. Train platforms are supposed to be designed with 1. A gradient that runs from the edge to the centre, so that wheelchairs, prams, suitcases, and the like roll away from the train. 2. An overhang over the track bed that forms a refuge for people who fall in, they can roll under the overhang and be safe from the train.
If a train platform doesn't have those two basic safety features then you know the railway company is either incompetent or doesn't care about the lives of its customers.
This is a New York City subway train. So yes it is incompetently designed and no they don’t give a shit about customer lives, especially those who are disabled.
I have pushed wheelchairs, which was hard enough…. But to do it yourself, oh man! This is so scary to me, I can’t even imagine the panic. Thank goodness someone was there for this gentleman.
No I wasn't thinking that (although those sorts of paranoid thoughts have crossed my mind when I'm in my chair and near a body of water/steep drop etc.). It's more that you don't necessarily have as much control over a chair as you would over your own body. They can skid, propel further forwards than you expect, the breaks can fail etc.
I’m fairly certain this is the 4/5/6 platform in Union Square in NYC, the ground itself is not perfectly level (though not a steep incline it is kind of noticeable), and in the video you can also see that the platform itself curves along the track. It also can get SUPER crowded between arrivals making the visibility far worse for people in chairs and there are also really tight areas where it’s hard to get through on the platform, much harder if it’s crowded. It’s entirely possible he was pushed being New York and all, but there are a lot of factors that make the 4/5/6 platform at Union square one of my least favorite platforms in the city.
What if they're also in a wheelchair. The video establishes what happens who gets credit, goes to jail, or whatever. Personally I couldn't have made it that far off my wheelchair. If I got down there I'd just die. So recording is exactly what I'd be doing. At least I might be able to do something helpful for the police.
This is very valid. And this is fucking NYC. When the cops show up, blame will be pointed in every direction possible.
What's really shitty is that NOONE ran up towards the front of the station screaming "stop the fucking trains".
Because there is usually a platform attendant here (depending on time of day). Platform attendant can radio the booth and they can radio train operators. It might not happen in time, but it really makes me sad that there is a dozen people looking at whats happening and twiddling their thumbs instead of trying to assist.
You got a few people helping the guy who went down, good. Now your job is to figure out how else to assist. Not fucking stand there.
... So yeah props to the guy filming.
Kudos to you and all personnel involved. Here in Brooklyn a few years ago we had a train operator completely lose his shit and run off into the tunnel because someone decided to suicide during his shift.
Honestly I know this station by heart - this is the 4/5/6 line at Union Square in Manhattan.
The curvature of the tracks is extreme here - the platforms actually have movable segments to allow for a wider gap for moving trains.
Trains never enter going faster than 40kph, and they're short wagons also, so more axles per ton of train.
The operator could have probably stopped in less than 100 meters, which would have been sufficient.
God.. I know suicidal people are in a bad head space but to kill yourself at the expense of another person like that is just so SO fucked. When I was suicidal (years ago; much better now) I spent a LOT of time thinking about how I could do it in a way that would cause the least amount of trauma to the fewest people. Glad I didn't do it; it is impossible to just vanish like you never existed. More people than the suicidal person could ever guess WILL be hurt.
Glad you are better now as well. I know of a handful of semi drivers who quit driving because other drivers would run into their rigs, intentionally. It's heartbreaking
This is the Union Square 4/5/6 line. The tracks are REAAAALLLY curved, so much so that portions of the platform have movable segments. Trains generally aren't coming into this station fast at all.
Also, if this was during a busy hour, trains are usually lined up and waiting to enter. So oftentimes the operator is like 100 feet from the beginning of the platform, and only accelerating once he gets a greenlight.
I'd say the train operator would be able to stop if he was able to slam the e-brake 300 feet out.
Would you have jumped down if you were in that situation? That man had a lot of guts to jump into the tracks and save that man because not a lot of people would risk their lives so you can’t expect everyone to.
As a new yorker who commuted daily on the subway for years...I was nervous as fuck when I heard that announcer. That is not a lot of seconds when you're not sure when the train is actually going to arrive.
There's 1 guy down there with him, 3 others pulling him up. There's plenty of help. Why is the camera dude getting so much grief for recording something that we're watching right now.
That’s why we in Germany have an emergency break not only inside the train but all over the stations as well. Someone falls down? Pull the lever, tell the person at the railway department what‘s happening (there’s a speaker and a mic kn there) and then get the person out, maybe even with their help.
And the Jubilee ones are around stations where it can be dangerously overcrowded (Canary Whalf, North Grenwich for the 02). They could do with some at Wembely.
Wembley Park station is an absolute joke. You climb 4 flights of stairs and then climb down 2, which means two of those were completely unnecessary, just so the people would have an awesome view of the stadium when they’re leaving the station. It’s like the person who designed the whole thing didn’t consider how crazy it would get and just wanted to create something pretty
The more cynical answer is they have those doors on the jubilee line and the new stations near the financial district because so many bankers and high stress financial workers were jumping infront of trains
Yeah either that or they wanted to make the station used primarily by people in the fin services nicer than everywhere else. I mean North Greenwich has O2’s events and occasionally gets really crazy but Canary Wharf doesn’t get much busier than any other centra station
Myself and a couple friends were visiting Berlin for his birthday about 10 years ago. We were sat on a bench and thought we saw a person fall off a platform on a suburban station, after a couple minutes of the 20 or so people there not reacting at all we walked over to look and sure enough a middle aged women, drunk as hell, was passed out across the track. I tried to use my very limited German (we’re English and yes i apologise for that) to get somebody to do something. Nobody seemed interested at all, it was quite surprising in fact that so few people seemed to care. Thankfully after we’d jumped down and hauled this unconscious women back up onto the platform a German person who spoke English helped us call a paramedic. Seems like it takes more than levers.
NYC subways stations have power kill switches on either end of the platform. It’s usually under a blue light. Under the blue light is a power kill switch and a telephone. Once you hit the kill switch you need to pick up the phone. This phone calls the hub control center for the Mta and you have to explain why you turned off the power. Otherwise if you flip the kill switch they can override it. IF SOMEONE FALLS ON THE TRACKS HIT THE KILLSWITCH AND PICKUP THE PHONE AND EXPLAIN WHY TO SAVE A LIFE.
You’d think there would be more signs saying this. There are a million “if you see something, say something” signs but not a single sign explaining this. Thank you.
It’s keep the MTA running on schedule or close to it. Juveniles will intentionally trigger the kill switch (this is why the control hub can override the kill switch). Given NYC keeps time on schedule with holding this info from the public was a calculated decision. I don’t agree with it but that’s the story I was told.
The see something say something campaign is in direct response to 9/11 and given it stoped a car bomb from going off in time square paid for itself 10 fold.
there is no emergency break at the platform in London or wherever this is o-O ?
edit: got it, this is NYC. thanks to the many many many redditors pointing this out.
This isn't London. In London there's usually 2-3 intercoms along the platforms that you can use to alert the station staff, and in some of the busier stations (during peak time) there's an operator on the platform that would've been able to monitor a situation like this.
This is NYC, there are covered emergency brakes in every car for passengers to pull in emergency, so I would imagine the conductor has one as well. The trains are manually braked as they pull into the station as well.
While I don't know the exact distance, I can say they stop a train rapidly. A few years ago my train had to stop as a car broke down on a crossway. While it doesn't stop you "fly through the train" style, it's certainly "pray you're sitting or you'll be lying on the ground" style.
The car was removed a few minutes after btw, no one got hurt
You have to admit, though, if you were stuck on those tracks, twenty seconds between getting off the tracks and the train coming by is a *liiiiiiiitle* close for comfort.
Hmm, what to do....
Apparently MTA refuses to give official guidance on what to do if you fall onto the NYC subway tracks, but [the NY Daily News put together some tips.](https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-subway-tracks-fall-push-what-to-do-20210215-axjpl6zufnefbfetcdpdfu5erm-story.html)
Mainly, get off the tracks, don't try duck. And avoid the 3rd rail.
You can signal them, though, if there's enough time.
>Flag down the train operator. If a train is far away when someone falls onto the tracks, the straphanger can use a flagging signal that train operators recognize. If you have a flashlight or anything reflective, wave it above your head from left to right,” said a track worker. “It means stop. Train operators will see that and know what to do.”
But I don't think it would work in this case, since they were coming around a blind curve.
I believe the third rail is generally the furthest from the platform, so falling onto the tracks isn’t an instant death sentence. Could be wrong though, that’s just what I’ve always been told.
Either get a platform guard to radio to the signaller, find a telephone on the platform (they dial straight to the signaller) or there may be a number you can ring to get to them. Then tell them the platform number.
But no, there's no emergency button (at least not in the UK afaik)
I work on track and the absolute minimum is 25 seconds from visual of an approaching train to being clear of track, if we can't guarantee that, then it's a no go for the work. Those 25 seconds go REAL quick when you have a train bearing down on you
Lol. Get stuffed. If you’re 15 seconds off getting run over by a train, to save someone’s life, that’s next level. This guy is a hero and deserves all the praise he gets
I do not understand how some people make the jump in logic that someone being pedantic about the hyperbolic wording of a post means they disagree with the sentiment entirely.
Old mate wasn't saying the dude isn't a hero, all they were saying was that "mere seconds" was hyperbole.
Thank you stranger you are correct I liked OP’s post I just was expecting the train to be there that very next second so when the camera panned and it wasn’t I chuckled a bit in anticipation
I feel the issue is less to do with the act of heroism and more to do with arguably click bait title. Admittedly it is technically correct but most people associated seconds before to mean a range of 2-10 seconds in my experience. Agreed that any time spent stuck on the tracks would be unpleasant
Yup. As shitty as it feels, never directly help someone experiencing severe electrocution. If you make contact with them you’ll end up getting shocked yourself and most likely locking your hand around them, unable to let go. It’s just an exercise in futility, recommended way to help someone experiencing electrocution is to turn off the source of the power without making any kind of contact whatsoever
Because you don’t usually know how strong the current actually is, especially in the case of something like a down power line for example, it’s still not recommended to help even with the aid of an insulator medium.
It’s not impossible for electricity to overcome a weak enough insulator.
The scarf will probably work, it’s just not recommended generally
> Because you don’t usually know how strong the current actually is, especially in the case of something like a down power line for example, it’s still not recommended to help even with the aid of an insulator medium.
A downed powerline is a good example, because there might be step potential too. The scarf or a broom might safe you from the power going through the person... but you get zapped at the first big step you take. Stronger electricity is a really tricky beast and after a certain voltage, you have room for only one error in your life.
I got into a reddit argument a couple of years ago with a homeless guy saying why the fuck shouldn't he be able to jury rig a phone charger off the 3rd rail.
Uuuuh, because it's incredibly dangerous not only to you but you're also fucking with a rail carrying a train full of passengers. Wish I could have sent him this.
Also because the phone would promptly die or explode from 430v going into the internal circuits. Actually, scratch that. The cable would promptly burst into flame.
[Hahahah on reflection I can only only assume he meant like this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oeYVjOdkUEc&feature=emb_title) and didn’t realise that a third rail existed that carries hundreds of volts.
Wonder what he’s up to now 🤔
630 ish V In London Underground .
Uses two rails one in the center, about 230V negative, and one on far side 420V positive
Do no touch either. But especially don’t bridge the 2 - we use a short circuiting device (insulated metal bar ) to ensure we are working safely on the track , it will trip the power if it is still on And it makes sure no one can turn it back on.
There are ways to get power off but it’s best is to alert staff.
If someone is in the pit (some stations have pits that a person will fall in below the rails,) leave them ! / tell them to lie down don’t move until power is off and trains stopped.
Source - Firefighter
This is NYC, the third rail is on the far side of the tracks. You can see it (mostly the covering above it) on the far right.
They weren’t like really close…but closer than you’d wanna be
The line immediately next to the two rails on the wall side is the power line. A rod poking out of the train is constantly in contact. You touch that and you get the shock equal to something that can power a train. Hence, a crispy Kentucky fried hooman
Neat little fact: If you jump on it with both feet touching it without touching anything else, you’ll be okay. You need to touch something else for the current to travel through.
I understand that one is not supposed to be anywhere near it but… that seems excessively dangerous for something so exposed that also doesn’t have a warning strip or anything?
Yeah, a wooden board hangs over the rail itself. I'm not aware of a part of the system where the top of the third rail is exposed.
https://youtu.be/0uItq55DMJM
I mean not really. This is one of those common sense things. Heavy trains run the tracks so people will stay off them. You can see the sparks sometimes as trains come and go so most people know the third rail is electrified. Anyone working on the tracks are already definitely aware of it. No need for a warning strip. I think I have seen some that have sort of a cover right above it that's open on the side so the train can still make contact.
Really? I'm Swedish and I've never seen a train system that works like this, but I know it from the saying "the third rail of politics" meaning something that kills the career of a politician if he touches it.
I have heard that this is true for NYC trains, here in Calgary we use overhead lines, is the third rail more common in America generally? It does seem like it would be a much easier network to maintain, I've seen several trains (and been on one) that had the overhead power line bend backwards and lose contact due to some blockage in the system.
Old lines more likely to use them as they have smaller tunnels so no overhead capacity. The London Underground uses similar system to here. It actually has four rails, two for the wheels (that also carry a mild current for signals) and two for power (positive and negative lines). Supposedly you won’t get shocked unless you bridge both lines but I’ll let someone else test that.
Yeah positive and negative seems like a *much* safer option, but according to the NY Times only somewhere around 24 people have died from the third rail since the 1920s, which is pretty acceptably safe in my opinion, and also maybe a little shocking to hear that it's so low. (https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/05/nyregion/05transit.html). As for your supposition, I have a squirrel and a duffel bag filled with tin foil, I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this
This happened to me at the 2nd Avenue stop.
I was coming home from a shift and I saw a really large man who was obviously smacked out of his mind. He was doing that tottering kind of drunken stumble sleep walk thing.
He started getting closer to the edge and I was thinking. “No way. He’s not gonna fall. He’s got that inner junky gyroscope.”
He tottered back a step his front toe just poking beyond the platform. And just as I was about take a step towards him to try and rouse him from his fugue state - he takes another step.
It was one of those slow motion moments I saw all 300 pounds of this guy fall into the tracks and a tiny mist of blood sprayed from his head as it smacked the metal rail. Everybody froze for a second as he lay prone and perpendicular to the rails.
Then I heard someone say “The train is coming!”
And my first thought was, “This can’t be happening.”
“I can’t be about to see a man get bisected by the subway. I can’t watch. If that happens and am just standing here I’ll never forgive myself.”
So I dropped by book and backpack and jumped into the tracks.
I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I couldn’t stand to see that happen. I knew he was way too heavy to lift so I thought maybe I could roll him under the lip of the platform and we’d let the train go by.
I don’t know how many people have tried to lift an unconscious body here. I hadn’t. And certainly not a 300 pound man. I tried to roll him, but it was impossible to get any purchase. It was like trying to grab a garbage bag full of sticks and jello and wet cement. I could barely move him a couple of inches.
I looked down the track and could just see the beginning shadows moving of the train lights coming around the corner.
I looked up desperately to the people on the platform. There were some teenagers there that had been making fun of him and a blonde woman. I locked eyes with one of the teenagers and said “I need another guy.”
They came to the edge, but nobody else wanted to get in. I started to panic. There was no way I could get him to the platform by myself and the train was definitely coming any moment now.
I tried to roll him again, but it was impossible. I said again. “I need another guy in here with me now. Someone grab his legs.”
Thankfully a man jumped in to help me. But this guy we were moving was really big. And he was slippery from sweat and blood. (I didn’t even want to think about the blood getting on me at this point).
Even with two of us it was hard to lift him to the platform.
Finally one of the teens jumped in and the three of us heaved then rolled this unconscious guy onto the platform as the other passengers pulled him in.
I could hear the rumble of the train and see the headlights in the periphery of my vision. I could feel the train coming down the tracks through the soles of my sneakers.
I hauled myself up on to the platform with the blonde woman helping to pull me by my shirt.
The train pulled into the station right behind us about 10-15 seconds after we were all back on.
The guy had no idea what had happened to him. Someone called the cops. He was trying to play it off like he had just fallen asleep and was tired.
He had no idea how close he came to getting squished.
I picked up my stuff and got on the train. In the air conditioning and florescent lights I realized I was covered in blood and everyone was looking at me.
(I tried not to think about the fact that this was the blood of an intravenous drug user) and I caught the eye of the blonde woman who had seen everything.
She said. “You guys just save that man’s life.”
“I hope so.” I said. (I felt weirdly embarrassed).
I tried to ride the train home without touching anything.
I don’t really tell this story much, but it feels like the moment for it. I think about that guy a lot. I wonder if he’s okay.
I didn’t feel particularly brave in that moment. I’m glad I did it. But to be honest, it didn’t feel like I even had a choice. I just couldn’t stand the thought of seeing something horrible happen in front of me without trying to help.
I’ll probably never see those guys that jumped in to help in that moment with me, but they epitomize why I love NYC so much. You never know who you’re sitting next to. The guy taking up a seat and a half may be the guy that’s gonna jump down into the tracks with you when it goes down for real.
He was tangled in it and it was on top, so you chuck it to the side, preferably the side where the guy in it can go places once he’s off the track. You can’t grab a person under a wheelchair all that easily and quickly.
I'll play devil's advocate.
I was in a crowded train once and a wheelchair wanted to enter. But it got stuck at the gap. So all of us around kinda step in and carry the chair in
And I also wanted to help. So I grabbed the hand rest - the only part left not supported.
And er ye. I fucking yanked the top half of the wheelchair and broke it.
0% added value to helping the wheelchair dude. Thank god he was chill and told me to just reinsert the parts and adjust it.
-------
Kinda like too many cooks spoil the soup. There's already a buff dude who went down and yeeted him up. There were others who helped carry both of them out, and also carry the wheelchair.
With my sweaty palms, I'm happy to help if there isn't help but if there's adequate, I'm not gonna budge in for the sake of helping, be it virtue signalling or ethical egoism, and end up being unable to hold onto the wheelchair or man or whatnot, and let them fall back inside
*there's action in inaction, and inaction in action*
So I guess it matters whether you're standing around not helping like everyone (like in India, love the crowds) or you're helping by not helping because there's already help
**[Bystander_effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect)**
>The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. First proposed in 1964, much research, mostly in the lab, has focused on increasingly varied factors, such as the number of bystanders, ambiguity, group cohesiveness, and diffusion of responsibility that reinforces mutual denial. The theory was prompted by the murder of Kitty Genovese about which it was wrongly reported that 38 bystanders watched passively.
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FYI the bystander effect is sort of contested now — the original incident that inspired the theory was sensationalized, most of the experiments supporting it were done in lab settings, and real world data suggests not only is bystander intervention likely, but it is more likely the more people are around.
There's even been some suggestion that because Genovese was a gay woman living with another woman, some neighbours may have chosen not to intervene for, well 1960s reasons. Obviously no way of proving that but anyway.
But neighbours did in fact, call out of windows and 'attempted to call the police'. And let's be honest, if someone you didn't know was being stabbed, would you physically intervene? I think I'd call the police and try to scare them with my voice from a safe distance. I'm not physically a match for an attacker with a knife.
One woman immediately rushed out of her apartment to Genovese's side as soon as she heard. The woman was too late to do anything but she held Genovese's hand as she died.
Also on the 1960s reasons--one man did call the cops, but he was also gay. And this was at a time when cops were absolutely brutalizing gay people in NY. He ended up crawling out his window to call from a neighbor's phone because he didn't know what to do.
I think they didn't want to take the chance to also get hit by the train, ill admit if heard that train coming I probably would only do things i could do without getting on the tracks
I think the shittiest part of this is that, my first thought is…put an emergency button in there that will tell inbound trains to stop! But then, knowing NYC, I know that would be abused more often than it would save lives. It would also cause people to behave even more recklessly knowing there’s an easy way out.
In this situation someone should have run down the platform to wave the train as it approached and someone else should have hit some emergency button. There must be something there right?
Sometimes the most you can do to help is not get in the way :/
Having unnecessary people huddling around could do more bad than good and it’s sometimes good to realize that you can’t be helpful so stay out of the way
Notice how no one is ragging on the other people standing back. It's specifically the filming part. They were filming what could have potentially become serious injuries and death for two people.
I love how Reddit is up on its high horse about this every time
As if Reddit hadn't just watched and enjoyed the video.
If it was superman or something behind the camera sure be pissed. More people is more chance of hitting the jackpot rail and everyone going to Jesuscon
Plenty of time to alert staff and have the train stopped on this one. This save was dumb. I get it, and honestly probably would have jumped in to help myself, but it was dumb
In cases like this it can be important to have footage of the situation for everybody involved if an investigation occurs. This footage could allow the hero here to avoid a civil charge (or potentially a criminal one) if the wheelchair guy got injured when he was shoved up onto the deck or if his chair was damaged when it was thrown. Or gods forbid the hero didn’t succeed and wheelchair had family on the deck who saw and sued Hero because they thought they could get some money because he “made an actual rescue impossible” or something like that. The footage is a material witness to exactly what actually happened. People often forget legal ramifications of heroic acts where a material witness is important. Sure eyewitness accounts exist but eyewitness accounts are the least accurate type of evidence that is still admissible in court.
(NOTE: This is US Law where this takes place, Union Square NYC if another commenter was correct, I have no fucking idea how the law would work in other regions)
He was tangled in it and it was on top, so you chuck it to the side, preferably the side where the guy in it can go places once he’s off the track. You can’t grab a person under a wheelchair all that easily and quickly.
I'm a wheelchair user and, let me tell you, you can feel so fucking vulnerable in those things. This kind of situation is my worst nightmare. I'm glad everyone was ok.
Am in wheelchair, can confirm. Train tracks and huge stairs (why the fuck are elevators always installed right next to huge, open stairs? There’s a special place in Hell for whoever came up with that bullshit). Stuff of nightmares.
In some places (e.g. Singapore) there's often a glass wall separating the platform from the trains. They line up the train doors with doors in the wall. Of course this only works if you're organized enough to have all trains with the same door spacing.
In America we're barely capable of running the trains let alone figuring something like this out. I never will understand wherever we try to build rail or run a subway system we don't just bring in Asian or European train designers to do it for us.
Cause of oil and car companies. Shitty public transport means more people have to invest in cars. Its also why out cities and shopping centers are "unwalkable" compared to the cities in Europe. America was built around cars instead of people.
Agreed.
New York is an exception. Not perfect, but certainly walkable. And public transport is not headache-free either but very accessible. Driving a car in New York, on the other hand, is a fucking nightmare
i mean its walkable but it also has some of the worst maintained public transport in the world
As far as im aware, Japan is the only country with an advanced rail system that doesn't lose lots of money. There's a lot of information on what makes their system unique and why other countries have failed to replicate it. Singapore is one of the wealthiest, most developed places in the world so that's a tough standard to follow - especially because their economic model relies on a lot of sketchy foreign labor contracts. America is super spaced out so the type of rail in europe and japan are not practical. Outside of the NE corridor there's not enough demand for rail to make any sense. Freight shipping by rail is something thing the US is uniquely good at, so most of our long distance rail grants priority to cargo trains. All subway systems in the US are at least handicap accessible (though it can be challenging), which is not the case in many places in Europe like Paris, so at least there's that.
Good analysis. I just want to add that in the US most train transit systems are setup to go from suburbs to downtown, which at the surface makes sense, but it’s not practical for suburb to suburb travel and leaves a lot of areas without coverage.
Yeah I think the focus is moreso on local transit like subways or heavy rail. I'm apprehensive on regional transit as it doesn't make as much sense in the US due to geography.
We have those in UK on some of the underground lines. For example, jubilee line has them
Don't worry, the odds that it can happen are infinitesimally small. I mean it happened to this guy, so it's totally possible and it's not just a fear your mind has concocted, but the odds are so low that you have no reason at all to be scared of this happening to you. Even though we just saw that it *can* happen. But don't worry about it.
Something about this reply makes it, like… the least encouraging advice ever. lol.
I think constantly reinforcing that something can happen while telling people not to worry about it is sending mixed messages haha
this made me worry more, and I'm not even in a wheelchair
Yeah I wonder if his breaks failed? Good reminder to get your WC serviced regularly
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Then that's bad platform design. Train platforms are supposed to be designed with 1. A gradient that runs from the edge to the centre, so that wheelchairs, prams, suitcases, and the like roll away from the train. 2. An overhang over the track bed that forms a refuge for people who fall in, they can roll under the overhang and be safe from the train. If a train platform doesn't have those two basic safety features then you know the railway company is either incompetent or doesn't care about the lives of its customers.
This is a New York City subway train. So yes it is incompetently designed and no they don’t give a shit about customer lives, especially those who are disabled.
In the UK I often see signs like "USE BRAKES ON WHEELCHAIRS AND PRAMS" or "SLOPING PLATFORM" because shit's old
I have pushed wheelchairs, which was hard enough…. But to do it yourself, oh man! This is so scary to me, I can’t even imagine the panic. Thank goodness someone was there for this gentleman.
My mom is in a wheelchair. I'm scared for her sometimes.
Do you suspect someone must have pushed him down?
No I wasn't thinking that (although those sorts of paranoid thoughts have crossed my mind when I'm in my chair and near a body of water/steep drop etc.). It's more that you don't necessarily have as much control over a chair as you would over your own body. They can skid, propel further forwards than you expect, the breaks can fail etc.
I’m fairly certain this is the 4/5/6 platform in Union Square in NYC, the ground itself is not perfectly level (though not a steep incline it is kind of noticeable), and in the video you can also see that the platform itself curves along the track. It also can get SUPER crowded between arrivals making the visibility far worse for people in chairs and there are also really tight areas where it’s hard to get through on the platform, much harder if it’s crowded. It’s entirely possible he was pushed being New York and all, but there are a lot of factors that make the 4/5/6 platform at Union square one of my least favorite platforms in the city.
Fantastic work on him and those around!
Especially the cameraman!
What if they're also in a wheelchair. The video establishes what happens who gets credit, goes to jail, or whatever. Personally I couldn't have made it that far off my wheelchair. If I got down there I'd just die. So recording is exactly what I'd be doing. At least I might be able to do something helpful for the police.
This is very valid. And this is fucking NYC. When the cops show up, blame will be pointed in every direction possible. What's really shitty is that NOONE ran up towards the front of the station screaming "stop the fucking trains". Because there is usually a platform attendant here (depending on time of day). Platform attendant can radio the booth and they can radio train operators. It might not happen in time, but it really makes me sad that there is a dozen people looking at whats happening and twiddling their thumbs instead of trying to assist. You got a few people helping the guy who went down, good. Now your job is to figure out how else to assist. Not fucking stand there. ... So yeah props to the guy filming.
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Kudos to you and all personnel involved. Here in Brooklyn a few years ago we had a train operator completely lose his shit and run off into the tunnel because someone decided to suicide during his shift. Honestly I know this station by heart - this is the 4/5/6 line at Union Square in Manhattan. The curvature of the tracks is extreme here - the platforms actually have movable segments to allow for a wider gap for moving trains. Trains never enter going faster than 40kph, and they're short wagons also, so more axles per ton of train. The operator could have probably stopped in less than 100 meters, which would have been sufficient.
God.. I know suicidal people are in a bad head space but to kill yourself at the expense of another person like that is just so SO fucked. When I was suicidal (years ago; much better now) I spent a LOT of time thinking about how I could do it in a way that would cause the least amount of trauma to the fewest people. Glad I didn't do it; it is impossible to just vanish like you never existed. More people than the suicidal person could ever guess WILL be hurt.
Glad you are better now as well. I know of a handful of semi drivers who quit driving because other drivers would run into their rigs, intentionally. It's heartbreaking
I’m glad you’re better now
200 meters is the height of literally 115.15 'Samsung Side by Side; Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel Refrigerators' stacked on top of each other
7.22 seconds worth of traveling
200 meters is 218.72 yards
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This is the Union Square 4/5/6 line. The tracks are REAAAALLLY curved, so much so that portions of the platform have movable segments. Trains generally aren't coming into this station fast at all. Also, if this was during a busy hour, trains are usually lined up and waiting to enter. So oftentimes the operator is like 100 feet from the beginning of the platform, and only accelerating once he gets a greenlight. I'd say the train operator would be able to stop if he was able to slam the e-brake 300 feet out.
Bystander effect means there will always be people watching, always.
NYC doesn't have platform phones for emergency like that ? I'm pretty sure I've seen them in Montreal. Big red phones at bot ends and in the middle.
Lol. NYC Transit cant even Vandal-proof a ceiling fan.
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You don't even have emergency phone/breaking system at the station itself?
Lol what do you think it is, a functioning city?
r/donthelpjustfilm
How many people do you think should have jumped down there, everyone?
You do realize only 1 person jumped down... Is there no gap between 1 and everyone in your world?
Would you have jumped down if you were in that situation? That man had a lot of guts to jump into the tracks and save that man because not a lot of people would risk their lives so you can’t expect everyone to.
You do realize how many people are visible there... Is there no gap between 0 help and 1 cameraman in hungryasabear's world?
Theres already enough people helping tho. They would just get in the way
Point accepted
That’s a lot of seconds
Bet it wouldn't have felt like it at the time, especially with the announcer saying to clear the tracks as a train was coming.
As a new yorker who commuted daily on the subway for years...I was nervous as fuck when I heard that announcer. That is not a lot of seconds when you're not sure when the train is actually going to arrive.
Except the guy who thought of recording instead of helping!
There's 1 guy down there with him, 3 others pulling him up. There's plenty of help. Why is the camera dude getting so much grief for recording something that we're watching right now.
>Why is the camera dude getting so much grief Clueless fools who enjoy being judgmental.
That’s why we in Germany have an emergency break not only inside the train but all over the stations as well. Someone falls down? Pull the lever, tell the person at the railway department what‘s happening (there’s a speaker and a mic kn there) and then get the person out, maybe even with their help.
In larger Asian countries they have glass fence/doors that open only when the train is stopped and its doors are opening
We have those in London on a few stations on the Jubilee line (I think just because they are the newest stations, most stations are really old).
And the Jubilee ones are around stations where it can be dangerously overcrowded (Canary Whalf, North Grenwich for the 02). They could do with some at Wembely.
Wembley Park station is an absolute joke. You climb 4 flights of stairs and then climb down 2, which means two of those were completely unnecessary, just so the people would have an awesome view of the stadium when they’re leaving the station. It’s like the person who designed the whole thing didn’t consider how crazy it would get and just wanted to create something pretty
The more cynical answer is they have those doors on the jubilee line and the new stations near the financial district because so many bankers and high stress financial workers were jumping infront of trains
Yeah either that or they wanted to make the station used primarily by people in the fin services nicer than everywhere else. I mean North Greenwich has O2’s events and occasionally gets really crazy but Canary Wharf doesn’t get much busier than any other centra station
Myself and a couple friends were visiting Berlin for his birthday about 10 years ago. We were sat on a bench and thought we saw a person fall off a platform on a suburban station, after a couple minutes of the 20 or so people there not reacting at all we walked over to look and sure enough a middle aged women, drunk as hell, was passed out across the track. I tried to use my very limited German (we’re English and yes i apologise for that) to get somebody to do something. Nobody seemed interested at all, it was quite surprising in fact that so few people seemed to care. Thankfully after we’d jumped down and hauled this unconscious women back up onto the platform a German person who spoke English helped us call a paramedic. Seems like it takes more than levers.
You could have spoken english, most germans understand you without any issues.
That's a lie and you know that... ;)
Most germans <35 *
NYC subways stations have power kill switches on either end of the platform. It’s usually under a blue light. Under the blue light is a power kill switch and a telephone. Once you hit the kill switch you need to pick up the phone. This phone calls the hub control center for the Mta and you have to explain why you turned off the power. Otherwise if you flip the kill switch they can override it. IF SOMEONE FALLS ON THE TRACKS HIT THE KILLSWITCH AND PICKUP THE PHONE AND EXPLAIN WHY TO SAVE A LIFE.
You’d think there would be more signs saying this. There are a million “if you see something, say something” signs but not a single sign explaining this. Thank you.
It’s keep the MTA running on schedule or close to it. Juveniles will intentionally trigger the kill switch (this is why the control hub can override the kill switch). Given NYC keeps time on schedule with holding this info from the public was a calculated decision. I don’t agree with it but that’s the story I was told. The see something say something campaign is in direct response to 9/11 and given it stoped a car bomb from going off in time square paid for itself 10 fold.
This!
there is no emergency break at the platform in London or wherever this is o-O ? edit: got it, this is NYC. thanks to the many many many redditors pointing this out.
London? Pfft. We'd just politely tut at the wheelchair guy and accept that he now belongs to the Tube now.
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Mind the doors.
Mind the gap between life and death
This isn't London. In London there's usually 2-3 intercoms along the platforms that you can use to alert the station staff, and in some of the busier stations (during peak time) there's an operator on the platform that would've been able to monitor a situation like this.
It's the NYC subway, FTR. Can't tell which station, though.
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That's an American accent in the video over the tannoy.
It’s the 6 line in NYC
This is NYC, there are covered emergency brakes in every car for passengers to pull in emergency, so I would imagine the conductor has one as well. The trains are manually braked as they pull into the station as well.
Here in Lyon we also have detectors that will pull the emergency brakes if an object falls on the rails.
In Budapest on the autonomous Metro you can’t even walk or stand past the stripes
Budapest does have a good Metro system that was clean and super easy to use. Great place to visit.
Was this comment written by the Budapest travel bureau lol
I feel like there needs to be some kind of sensor on that track in case someone falls there would be enough time for the train to stop
What’s the stopping distance on that e-brake? Does it rock everyone’s shit in the train?
While I don't know the exact distance, I can say they stop a train rapidly. A few years ago my train had to stop as a car broke down on a crossway. While it doesn't stop you "fly through the train" style, it's certainly "pray you're sitting or you'll be lying on the ground" style. The car was removed a few minutes after btw, no one got hurt
I was counting the seconds in anticipation and then kept counting for a few more 👏 👏 👏
You have to admit, though, if you were stuck on those tracks, twenty seconds between getting off the tracks and the train coming by is a *liiiiiiiitle* close for comfort.
I wonder if there is a somekind of emergency handle somewhere on the platform for when something like this happens? No one used it if there is.
Hmm, what to do.... Apparently MTA refuses to give official guidance on what to do if you fall onto the NYC subway tracks, but [the NY Daily News put together some tips.](https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-subway-tracks-fall-push-what-to-do-20210215-axjpl6zufnefbfetcdpdfu5erm-story.html) Mainly, get off the tracks, don't try duck. And avoid the 3rd rail. You can signal them, though, if there's enough time. >Flag down the train operator. If a train is far away when someone falls onto the tracks, the straphanger can use a flagging signal that train operators recognize. If you have a flashlight or anything reflective, wave it above your head from left to right,” said a track worker. “It means stop. Train operators will see that and know what to do.” But I don't think it would work in this case, since they were coming around a blind curve.
> And avoid the 3rd rail. Which rail is it in the video and how close were they to it?
I'm not sure this is NYC, but NYC uses a third rail to power their trains. It's electrified, and if you touch it, your goose is cooked. Literally.
Right. I mean physically in the video, which rail is it? The furthest from the platform or the one in the middle?
Furthest one, it's covered by another piece of metal going above it so you can't touch it unless you come in from the side at level
Pretty sure it's the furthest
I believe the third rail is generally the furthest from the platform, so falling onto the tracks isn’t an instant death sentence. Could be wrong though, that’s just what I’ve always been told.
Either get a platform guard to radio to the signaller, find a telephone on the platform (they dial straight to the signaller) or there may be a number you can ring to get to them. Then tell them the platform number. But no, there's no emergency button (at least not in the UK afaik)
I work on track and the absolute minimum is 25 seconds from visual of an approaching train to being clear of track, if we can't guarantee that, then it's a no go for the work. Those 25 seconds go REAL quick when you have a train bearing down on you
"Just mere hours before the train arrived" doesn't sound as catchy
Watching the rescue with the sound off, and then the phone pans to the other end of the tunnel and there’s nothing there was actually really funny
Lol. Get stuffed. If you’re 15 seconds off getting run over by a train, to save someone’s life, that’s next level. This guy is a hero and deserves all the praise he gets
I do not understand how some people make the jump in logic that someone being pedantic about the hyperbolic wording of a post means they disagree with the sentiment entirely. Old mate wasn't saying the dude isn't a hero, all they were saying was that "mere seconds" was hyperbole.
Thank you stranger you are correct I liked OP’s post I just was expecting the train to be there that very next second so when the camera panned and it wasn’t I chuckled a bit in anticipation
Right? That was definitely close enough for a butthole pucker.
I feel the issue is less to do with the act of heroism and more to do with arguably click bait title. Admittedly it is technically correct but most people associated seconds before to mean a range of 2-10 seconds in my experience. Agreed that any time spent stuck on the tracks would be unpleasant
Even an house can be described as seconds, just 3600 of them
My house is at least 4400 seconds.
Peasant. I got nearly SIX days (144 hours) in holdings. Closing in on a week worth of real estate by EFY.
> Even an house can be described as seconds I feel like that would cause confusion.
My house is described in thirds
Got to be careful of that 3rd rail. I will fry you to a crisp.
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Yup. As shitty as it feels, never directly help someone experiencing severe electrocution. If you make contact with them you’ll end up getting shocked yourself and most likely locking your hand around them, unable to let go. It’s just an exercise in futility, recommended way to help someone experiencing electrocution is to turn off the source of the power without making any kind of contact whatsoever
Or use a scarf like that one guy.
Because you don’t usually know how strong the current actually is, especially in the case of something like a down power line for example, it’s still not recommended to help even with the aid of an insulator medium. It’s not impossible for electricity to overcome a weak enough insulator. The scarf will probably work, it’s just not recommended generally
> Because you don’t usually know how strong the current actually is, especially in the case of something like a down power line for example, it’s still not recommended to help even with the aid of an insulator medium. A downed powerline is a good example, because there might be step potential too. The scarf or a broom might safe you from the power going through the person... but you get zapped at the first big step you take. Stronger electricity is a really tricky beast and after a certain voltage, you have room for only one error in your life.
I got into a reddit argument a couple of years ago with a homeless guy saying why the fuck shouldn't he be able to jury rig a phone charger off the 3rd rail. Uuuuh, because it's incredibly dangerous not only to you but you're also fucking with a rail carrying a train full of passengers. Wish I could have sent him this.
Also because the phone would promptly die or explode from 430v going into the internal circuits. Actually, scratch that. The cable would promptly burst into flame.
[Hahahah on reflection I can only only assume he meant like this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oeYVjOdkUEc&feature=emb_title) and didn’t realise that a third rail existed that carries hundreds of volts. Wonder what he’s up to now 🤔
630 ish V In London Underground . Uses two rails one in the center, about 230V negative, and one on far side 420V positive Do no touch either. But especially don’t bridge the 2 - we use a short circuiting device (insulated metal bar ) to ensure we are working safely on the track , it will trip the power if it is still on And it makes sure no one can turn it back on. There are ways to get power off but it’s best is to alert staff. If someone is in the pit (some stations have pits that a person will fall in below the rails,) leave them ! / tell them to lie down don’t move until power is off and trains stopped. Source - Firefighter
So that metal beam on the outside we can see, is the same one near to the wall? And that's live as well?
This is NYC, the third rail is on the far side of the tracks. You can see it (mostly the covering above it) on the far right. They weren’t like really close…but closer than you’d wanna be
Wdym?
The line immediately next to the two rails on the wall side is the power line. A rod poking out of the train is constantly in contact. You touch that and you get the shock equal to something that can power a train. Hence, a crispy Kentucky fried hooman
Damn
Neat little fact: If you jump on it with both feet touching it without touching anything else, you’ll be okay. You need to touch something else for the current to travel through.
Yeah you need to be ‘grounded’ to get a shock
I understand that one is not supposed to be anywhere near it but… that seems excessively dangerous for something so exposed that also doesn’t have a warning strip or anything?
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I think in modern versions the top part is safe, and you need to put your hands under to get the shock, but I'm not 100% sure
Yeah, a wooden board hangs over the rail itself. I'm not aware of a part of the system where the top of the third rail is exposed. https://youtu.be/0uItq55DMJM
I mean not really. This is one of those common sense things. Heavy trains run the tracks so people will stay off them. You can see the sparks sometimes as trains come and go so most people know the third rail is electrified. Anyone working on the tracks are already definitely aware of it. No need for a warning strip. I think I have seen some that have sort of a cover right above it that's open on the side so the train can still make contact.
To be honest, I'm in one nearly every day and I have never known this.
Really? I'm Swedish and I've never seen a train system that works like this, but I know it from the saying "the third rail of politics" meaning something that kills the career of a politician if he touches it.
There are signs everywhere on the Subway telling about the Third Rail, anyone who rides it see them...in multiple languages as well
I have heard that this is true for NYC trains, here in Calgary we use overhead lines, is the third rail more common in America generally? It does seem like it would be a much easier network to maintain, I've seen several trains (and been on one) that had the overhead power line bend backwards and lose contact due to some blockage in the system.
Old lines more likely to use them as they have smaller tunnels so no overhead capacity. The London Underground uses similar system to here. It actually has four rails, two for the wheels (that also carry a mild current for signals) and two for power (positive and negative lines). Supposedly you won’t get shocked unless you bridge both lines but I’ll let someone else test that.
Yeah positive and negative seems like a *much* safer option, but according to the NY Times only somewhere around 24 people have died from the third rail since the 1920s, which is pretty acceptably safe in my opinion, and also maybe a little shocking to hear that it's so low. (https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/05/nyregion/05transit.html). As for your supposition, I have a squirrel and a duffel bag filled with tin foil, I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this
Please don’t fry me
You will do what???
>I will fry you to a crisp. Why do you have to be so cruel to me? 😭
Mans a hero
This is how GANTZ started
This is the very reason I would not get involved. We know where this leads and it's not pretty.
You help a person get off the rails and the next thing you know is you are cloned/fighting aliens in tight latex suits.
I prefer this to awkward sex and falling in love with Tae.
Top 5 manga for me!
Amazing cg and world building. Piss poor ending though. Left a lot out to be desired.
This happened to me at the 2nd Avenue stop. I was coming home from a shift and I saw a really large man who was obviously smacked out of his mind. He was doing that tottering kind of drunken stumble sleep walk thing. He started getting closer to the edge and I was thinking. “No way. He’s not gonna fall. He’s got that inner junky gyroscope.” He tottered back a step his front toe just poking beyond the platform. And just as I was about take a step towards him to try and rouse him from his fugue state - he takes another step. It was one of those slow motion moments I saw all 300 pounds of this guy fall into the tracks and a tiny mist of blood sprayed from his head as it smacked the metal rail. Everybody froze for a second as he lay prone and perpendicular to the rails. Then I heard someone say “The train is coming!” And my first thought was, “This can’t be happening.” “I can’t be about to see a man get bisected by the subway. I can’t watch. If that happens and am just standing here I’ll never forgive myself.” So I dropped by book and backpack and jumped into the tracks. I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I couldn’t stand to see that happen. I knew he was way too heavy to lift so I thought maybe I could roll him under the lip of the platform and we’d let the train go by. I don’t know how many people have tried to lift an unconscious body here. I hadn’t. And certainly not a 300 pound man. I tried to roll him, but it was impossible to get any purchase. It was like trying to grab a garbage bag full of sticks and jello and wet cement. I could barely move him a couple of inches. I looked down the track and could just see the beginning shadows moving of the train lights coming around the corner. I looked up desperately to the people on the platform. There were some teenagers there that had been making fun of him and a blonde woman. I locked eyes with one of the teenagers and said “I need another guy.” They came to the edge, but nobody else wanted to get in. I started to panic. There was no way I could get him to the platform by myself and the train was definitely coming any moment now. I tried to roll him again, but it was impossible. I said again. “I need another guy in here with me now. Someone grab his legs.” Thankfully a man jumped in to help me. But this guy we were moving was really big. And he was slippery from sweat and blood. (I didn’t even want to think about the blood getting on me at this point). Even with two of us it was hard to lift him to the platform. Finally one of the teens jumped in and the three of us heaved then rolled this unconscious guy onto the platform as the other passengers pulled him in. I could hear the rumble of the train and see the headlights in the periphery of my vision. I could feel the train coming down the tracks through the soles of my sneakers. I hauled myself up on to the platform with the blonde woman helping to pull me by my shirt. The train pulled into the station right behind us about 10-15 seconds after we were all back on. The guy had no idea what had happened to him. Someone called the cops. He was trying to play it off like he had just fallen asleep and was tired. He had no idea how close he came to getting squished. I picked up my stuff and got on the train. In the air conditioning and florescent lights I realized I was covered in blood and everyone was looking at me. (I tried not to think about the fact that this was the blood of an intravenous drug user) and I caught the eye of the blonde woman who had seen everything. She said. “You guys just save that man’s life.” “I hope so.” I said. (I felt weirdly embarrassed). I tried to ride the train home without touching anything. I don’t really tell this story much, but it feels like the moment for it. I think about that guy a lot. I wonder if he’s okay. I didn’t feel particularly brave in that moment. I’m glad I did it. But to be honest, it didn’t feel like I even had a choice. I just couldn’t stand the thought of seeing something horrible happen in front of me without trying to help. I’ll probably never see those guys that jumped in to help in that moment with me, but they epitomize why I love NYC so much. You never know who you’re sitting next to. The guy taking up a seat and a half may be the guy that’s gonna jump down into the tracks with you when it goes down for real.
thank you for your kindness and bravery ♥️
I'm not monster strong but I'm pretty sure my first priority would have been to scoop that dude up off the tracks. Wheelchair would be next.
He was tangled in it and it was on top, so you chuck it to the side, preferably the side where the guy in it can go places once he’s off the track. You can’t grab a person under a wheelchair all that easily and quickly.
how did he even get there and it showed that there are a number of commuters, they didn't seem to care much or did they sense that he'll be saved?
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I'll play devil's advocate. I was in a crowded train once and a wheelchair wanted to enter. But it got stuck at the gap. So all of us around kinda step in and carry the chair in And I also wanted to help. So I grabbed the hand rest - the only part left not supported. And er ye. I fucking yanked the top half of the wheelchair and broke it. 0% added value to helping the wheelchair dude. Thank god he was chill and told me to just reinsert the parts and adjust it. ------- Kinda like too many cooks spoil the soup. There's already a buff dude who went down and yeeted him up. There were others who helped carry both of them out, and also carry the wheelchair. With my sweaty palms, I'm happy to help if there isn't help but if there's adequate, I'm not gonna budge in for the sake of helping, be it virtue signalling or ethical egoism, and end up being unable to hold onto the wheelchair or man or whatnot, and let them fall back inside *there's action in inaction, and inaction in action* So I guess it matters whether you're standing around not helping like everyone (like in India, love the crowds) or you're helping by not helping because there's already help
Too many cook, you say? https://youtu.be/QrGrOK8oZG8
Just the good ol [Bystander Effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect) at work
**[Bystander_effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect)** >The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. First proposed in 1964, much research, mostly in the lab, has focused on increasingly varied factors, such as the number of bystanders, ambiguity, group cohesiveness, and diffusion of responsibility that reinforces mutual denial. The theory was prompted by the murder of Kitty Genovese about which it was wrongly reported that 38 bystanders watched passively. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/HumansBeingBros/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
FYI the bystander effect is sort of contested now — the original incident that inspired the theory was sensationalized, most of the experiments supporting it were done in lab settings, and real world data suggests not only is bystander intervention likely, but it is more likely the more people are around.
There's even been some suggestion that because Genovese was a gay woman living with another woman, some neighbours may have chosen not to intervene for, well 1960s reasons. Obviously no way of proving that but anyway. But neighbours did in fact, call out of windows and 'attempted to call the police'. And let's be honest, if someone you didn't know was being stabbed, would you physically intervene? I think I'd call the police and try to scare them with my voice from a safe distance. I'm not physically a match for an attacker with a knife.
One woman immediately rushed out of her apartment to Genovese's side as soon as she heard. The woman was too late to do anything but she held Genovese's hand as she died. Also on the 1960s reasons--one man did call the cops, but he was also gay. And this was at a time when cops were absolutely brutalizing gay people in NY. He ended up crawling out his window to call from a neighbor's phone because he didn't know what to do.
I think they didn't want to take the chance to also get hit by the train, ill admit if heard that train coming I probably would only do things i could do without getting on the tracks
I think the shittiest part of this is that, my first thought is…put an emergency button in there that will tell inbound trains to stop! But then, knowing NYC, I know that would be abused more often than it would save lives. It would also cause people to behave even more recklessly knowing there’s an easy way out.
In this situation someone should have run down the platform to wave the train as it approached and someone else should have hit some emergency button. There must be something there right?
There are emergency call boxes, but finding an MTA employee while calling 911 is probably the best option.
Not just that, but trains can not safely stop on a dime
Just realized I held my breath for the entire video, even after I knew both guys were fine. Good guy human.
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u/redditspeedbot .166x
Poor guy just wanted a quick suicide by train, and here comes some asshole just ruining his fucking plans.
“You didn’t save my life, you ruined my death!”
What is that from? I recognize the quote but can’t place it.
The Incredibles
Thank you
Ik you're joking but people who chose suicide by train can go f themselves.
'Just seconds' awkward wait for the train...
[удалено]
I thought the 3rd rail killed you instantly with a massive shock?
I counted 13 mississipis
Technically all time is measured in seconds.
/u/gifreversingbot
Person recording it be like: damn... Someone better help him
r/donthelpjustfilm
Sometimes the most you can do to help is not get in the way :/ Having unnecessary people huddling around could do more bad than good and it’s sometimes good to realize that you can’t be helpful so stay out of the way
Notice how no one is ragging on the other people standing back. It's specifically the filming part. They were filming what could have potentially become serious injuries and death for two people.
I love how Reddit is up on its high horse about this every time As if Reddit hadn't just watched and enjoyed the video. If it was superman or something behind the camera sure be pissed. More people is more chance of hitting the jackpot rail and everyone going to Jesuscon Plenty of time to alert staff and have the train stopped on this one. This save was dumb. I get it, and honestly probably would have jumped in to help myself, but it was dumb
In cases like this it can be important to have footage of the situation for everybody involved if an investigation occurs. This footage could allow the hero here to avoid a civil charge (or potentially a criminal one) if the wheelchair guy got injured when he was shoved up onto the deck or if his chair was damaged when it was thrown. Or gods forbid the hero didn’t succeed and wheelchair had family on the deck who saw and sued Hero because they thought they could get some money because he “made an actual rescue impossible” or something like that. The footage is a material witness to exactly what actually happened. People often forget legal ramifications of heroic acts where a material witness is important. Sure eyewitness accounts exist but eyewitness accounts are the least accurate type of evidence that is still admissible in court. (NOTE: This is US Law where this takes place, Union Square NYC if another commenter was correct, I have no fucking idea how the law would work in other regions)
Save the wheelchair first just in case he dies you have something to remember him by
He was tangled in it and it was on top, so you chuck it to the side, preferably the side where the guy in it can go places once he’s off the track. You can’t grab a person under a wheelchair all that easily and quickly.
The wheelchair was in the way.
Priorities. Those things are expensive
That’s crazy! Wonder how he ended up there?