[Serious] Woman raped while onlookers did nothing

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

And I'd bet that if you had, maybe, others would have followed you. But in large groups, regardless of crime or context, that doesn't always happen. Even in disasters, or car accidents. You will have situations where people don't do anything, and others who do something. I don't think it is as simple as what you think should happen. I 100% agree in the context of this story, it makes no sense. 

But I can also tell you I have seen countless stories of even first responders standing back because the situation was too dangerous. I think you cant assume that because people on that tram didn't do anything, that they didn't want to. "Arwethereyet" made a very good point that fear of harm to them jumping in may have delayed the response. But someone did report it in any case, and the suspect was arrested.

9/11/01 was heartbreaking. There is a recorded phone call from a lady trapped above the impact zone the 911 operator was responding to. That responder was helpless, she couldn't do a thing. But worse, my x-landlord who lived in VA at the time, was an x-fireman. I didn't know him at the time, but after I started renting from him, the subject of that day came up. He said to me, he could not understand why first responders were being sent up into the towers. He had every inclination at the time, watching it live, that the heat would melt the metal, and the buildings would collapse. 

It is one thing to say what you would or would not do as an observer. It is quite another to be in the actual moment. 

I love your intent, and I mean that seriously. But in the moment is far different than after the fact looking back.

I wouldn't judge everyone who didn't intervein. But I do understand your frustration.

The only reason I feel I can say what I would have done in the situation with any degree of confidence is because I have. Ask my husband about all the trouble I’ve started out in public, he’ll tell you. 😁  I confronted and threatened to knock a guy out at a restaurant once because I overheard him verbally abusing his young step daughter. (Keep in mind, I’m 5’2’’) l did the same to some guys at a bar and nice who were groping a girl who was severely intoxicated. I’m not bragging, and I don’t think bravery has anything to do with it. It’s just my personality. I generally will not stand up for myself in most situations, but I react without thinking when I see vulnerable people being harmed. I get what you’re saying about personal safety, but this guy was mid-rape. He, himself, was vulnerable to the people around him. He literally had his pants down, come on, lol. Grab him by his dick. It’s just so hard to imagine not reacting like that.

That’s pretty much how I react - there’s not a lot of higher brain function involved. 

One incident I’ll always remember fondly: the girl I was seeing at the time and I were queued up at the cinema. The couple next to us were having an argument (which I find distasteful but none of my business), when the guy backhanded the girl across the face. Without thinking, I popped him, he sat down in a hurry, and his girl starts hitting ME. Peelers arrived, no charges filed.

Boru