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Would you have stopped to help this stranger?
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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I was on my way from the football match tonight and was walking back through the city centre when I spotted a rather sorry looking soul in a mobility scooter trying to stop others up ahead of me as they passed by.
As I approached I thought he was going to ask me for spare change, but to my astonishment, he was asking for someone to call the police for him. He was disabled with one leg, his mobility scooter had broken down and he had no phone on him to contact anyone. Now given that it was pitch black and 10pm at night I myself was a bit wary but he did genuinely need help. In 10 minutes of sitting there not one person he had asked had offered any help.
So....I call the police and report that this fella needs some assistance to get home. The reply was "Not really sure how we can help but I'll get someone to attend". Not sure they can help? Really? So I stayed with him in the street until help would arrive. It didn't. 35 minutes later I call back to find out he hadn't even logged the call. So another 15 minutes pass and I ended up grabbing a Policeman who was up the other end of the road who was going off duty and thankfully helped arrange to get this poor chap home.
I dread to think how long he could have sat there asking for help while so many just ignored him. The reaction when it was reported initially kinda stunned me as well. Aren't the police supposed to help someone in distress?
All in all a bit of a bizarre end to the night. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?"
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service."
Having recently called 999 to report someone breaking into a van about two hundred feet from a city centre police station I can confirm that the police might send someone to investigate later, they literally could have poked their head out the front door and caught the bugger had the operator been bothered to listen to what I was telling him. |
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service.
Having recently called 999 to report someone breaking into a van about two hundred feet from a city centre police station I can confirm that the police might send someone to investigate later, they literally could have poked their head out the front door and caught the bugger had the operator been bothered to listen to what I was telling him."
Would that be the operator, who is probably a civilian, sitting in a call centre miles away?
I think you are a little behind the times...  |
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service."
If there were are any large cabs to be had . . . And they're a police SERVICE, they don't do much arresting of criminals. |
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". Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service."
Wrong. The police are a publically funded service that are supposed to help all persons in need of assistance and aid. True, that these days, they focus more on paperwork than actual 'foot on the ground' work but, however, that does not exclude them from offering assistance to those that need it. |
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I would absolutely have helped and I'm betting he was extremely grateful for your aid.
Yes the police should help those in need no matter what. Cuts mean they struggle to do so ....
"The kindness of strangers" is underestimated |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Yeh, well in mate, your moral compass shouldn't allow you to walk past somethin like that. Emergency services should be able to handle that one way or another. They have shuttle services round the clock hospital to hospital (not paramedics)... Either way, poor form from 999..
Pat on the back mate |
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The guy through his disability and mobility issue meets the criteria for "vulnerable adult" ,not sure but think the police are obligated by law to intervene and help such persons in such situations or refer you to a relavent agency to do so..
The unfortunate reality though: most public health/social agencies will play games of pass the proverbial parcel, so to speak rather than get off their bottoms and do something of actual use or benefit.
At least you stopped and helped. Anyway. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I was on my way from the football match tonight and was walking back through the city centre when I spotted a rather sorry looking soul in a mobility scooter trying to stop others up ahead of me as they passed by.
As I approached I thought he was going to ask me for spare change, but to my astonishment, he was asking for someone to call the police for him. He was disabled with one leg, his mobility scooter had broken down and he had no phone on him to contact anyone. Now given that it was pitch black and 10pm at night I myself was a bit wary but he did genuinely need help. In 10 minutes of sitting there not one person he had asked had offered any help.
So....I call the police and report that this fella needs some assistance to get home. The reply was "Not really sure how we can help but I'll get someone to attend". Not sure they can help? Really? So I stayed with him in the street until help would arrive. It didn't. 35 minutes later I call back to find out he hadn't even logged the call. So another 15 minutes pass and I ended up grabbing a Policeman who was up the other end of the road who was going off duty and thankfully helped arrange to get this poor chap home.
I dread to think how long he could have sat there asking for help while so many just ignored him. The reaction when it was reported initially kinda stunned me as well. Aren't the police supposed to help someone in distress?
All in all a bit of a bizarre end to the night."
I had a similar situation with a deaf driver who had broken down in a real awkward place on a roundabout blocking traffic ,I stopped to ask if I could help he was able to talk not very well but understood what he was asking he had AA membership but no phone for obvious reasons so I rang and the woman at the AA call centre she asked me a load of daft questions I kept having to tell her he's deaf, anyway I wished him luck went on my way and on way back AA was there helping him        |
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service."
This is policy Scotland we're talking here after a football match. They would have been too busy to help the man. They had young fans to follow, video, harass and try and instigate a situation. I have seen them do this first hand btw. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service.
Having recently called 999 to report someone breaking into a van about two hundred feet from a city centre police station I can confirm that the police might send someone to investigate later, they literally could have poked their head out the front door and caught the bugger had the operator been bothered to listen to what I was telling him.
Would that be the operator, who is probably a civilian, sitting in a call centre miles away?
I think you are a little behind the times... "
I'm fully aware he's a civilian and of where he's sitting but he's also an operator working for the emergency services, he's affiliated to them. I couldn't have made it any easier for him, street name and postcode, location compared to police station again giving that street name and postcode, running commentary on where the thief was moving to for about thee minutes, full description. I just got the feeling this wasn't a crime to be bothered with. I'd have grabbed the bloke myself just to make a point had he not been about three times the size of me  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Years ago I was on a train going home on leave when a lady had a heart attack in the next carriage. I knew CPR so I kept her going until the next stop when a paramedic took over. Still get a Christmas card from the lady. Now in her 80s and still going strong. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Well done Op. Its quite easy to pass on by. You took the the best way.
Random acts of kindness should be part of our daily thoughts.
One day we may be the person who needs help
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I applaude you for your actions! As mentioned you could have asked him if he could afford a taxi. Some have wheelchair access as said but that is no criticism on you in any way! He could have been attacked or even left to die in the cold if it wasn't for you.  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I saw some child loose a balloon which went under a bus and the child went under to retrieve it, right next to the rear wheels. The driver war about to pull away and some guy pulled the kid away as the bus moved away!! Was he thanked?? ... No.! Not even a thankyou. I was shocked to see his actions ignored.. |
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?"
A lot of these scooters fold down to fit into cars and a lot of taxi firms have a vehicle equipped for disabled people, i personally would have helped the guy by firstly calling a taxi firm |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Well done for helping.
I would have stopped to help him too.
The police don't seem to offer much help in situations like that which is sad really especially when we all pay for them through our taxes !!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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If it's not bleeding or on fire call the Police seems to be the mantra.
I would have called a taxi purely for the chaps comfort if possible most companies have a disabled access cab on duty or can point you in the right direction. The local one here waived the fare when bringing my neighbour back from hospital in the middle of the night.
But the important thing is you stopped and helped him. Well done you
Nice to see good people. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service."
They will also respond to concerns for welfare around vulnerable adults |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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". Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service.
Wrong. The police are a publically funded service that are supposed to help all persons in need of assistance and aid. True, that these days, they focus more on paperwork than actual 'foot on the ground' work but, however, that does not exclude them from offering assistance to those that need it. "
I totally agree and thats exactly why they were my first port of call. To simply bundle this poor chap in a cab with no means of getting heavy scooter out at the other end seemed a bit callous to me. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well done for helping, it's a sad world when everyone walks past. But why call the police? surely a taxi would have been more appropriate?
What about his mobility scooter?
Easy to put a scooter in to a large cab. Police arrest criminals not provide taxis or breakdown service.
They will also respond to concerns for welfare around vulnerable adults"
That's what I was thinking, I probably would have called them too.
Wouldn't have been expecting a full on 'blue & twos' response though. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Well done for helping. It isnt the Police's job to provide breakdown services for motability scooters. I would have been tempted to find out where he lived,see if he had any relatives, if he had money bung him in a cab. |
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