2 cars, 18 people passed by
October 21, 2011 11:21 AM   Subscribe

A 2-year-old Chinese girl -- who was ignored after being hit by two cars last week, later sparking a fierce debate about the state of China's morals -- has died, a nurse at a military hospital said. posted by stormpooper (20 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: I appreciate that this isn't the "here's raw footage of a 2-year-old kid being run over" approach of the post we had removed previously, but this is still a couple of short news bits about Terrible Thing That Happened without a lot of actual post meat. -- cortex



 
The girl was eventually rescued by a 58-year-old scavenger, who pulled her aside and tried to get help.

Fitting in with my experience when I've been in need, and with what other people have said- it's the people who have the least who are most likely to help.
posted by dunkadunc at 11:26 AM on October 21, 2011 [5 favorites]


Interestingly, I was reading a blog a while back from an American living in China, and they said they had seen a man hit by a car and everyone just ignored him.
posted by bongo_x at 11:27 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Where was the child's mother to begin with?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:27 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


The two questions I have are

1. how did that little girl get away/wander?
2. how could they have not seen her?

I wonder if her being a girl had anything to do with it being ignored?
posted by stormpooper at 11:27 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


And are American's better at being Good Samaritans?

Does it have to be a competition?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:29 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


This made me cry when I read the article a few days ago. I'm so sorry she died

.
posted by zia at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


I read the comments from people in China and it looks like the behavior in the video may have been influenced from previous cases where the judge and police blamed the good samaritan and forced the person who helped to pay for all the costs. Similarly, the victim or victim's family blamed the good samaritan as well because it was a convenient source for paying the hospital bills. Not to excuse what happened because it's horrible in every way but it was interesting to read the comments from native Chinese folks.
posted by ichimunki at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2011 [3 favorites]


I think her being a girl might well have had something to do with it.
:( Really sorry she died.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:32 AM on October 21, 2011


Thing from a BBC article when this first happened, along the lines of ichimunki's comment:
Some said they understood the dilemma for the passers-by - that if they helped out they might incur costs or be blamed for the accident.

The China Daily reported incidents in January in which elderly men who fell in the street were left alone because people did not want to get involved.

It cited an earlier case in which a man, Peng Yu, who helped an injured elderly lady to hospital was then found by a court to be liable for some of her medical costs.

Another case - in which an elderly woman believed to have fallen in the road accused a man, Xu Yunhe, who stopped to help her, of hitting her with his car - also attracted considerable attention.

"There's been so many cases where people have been treated unjustly after doing good things," one comment said.

"I am not as rich as Xu Yunhe and Peng Yu are, we are all poor grassroots people," said another. "If we get caught in a scam, this is it. All we can do is to dial 120 (the emergency number)."
posted by curious nu at 11:33 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


One reason why people might drive by: fraudulent lawsuits against good samaritans have become commonplace in China. This is enough of a problem that the government has issued warnings against being a good Samaritan.

...new guidelines from the ministry of health, urging people to consider the circumstances before rushing to help old people who have fallen over...

No one has been punished for fraudulent claims, in part perhaps because offenders are usually poor and elderly. Some may have been genuinely confused or simply desperate for money to cover medical fees.

In a 2009 paper on the phenomenon, anthropologist Yunxiang Yan pointed out that police and judges frequently demanded that the helper prove his innocence, while the extortionist was not required to provide witnesses or other evidence.

In one notorious case, a court ordered a Nanjing man to pay more than 45,000 yuan (£4,400) to an old lady whom he had taken to hospital. The judge argued it was common sense that he would not have gone to such trouble unless he had caused her fall.

posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:34 AM on October 21, 2011 [2 favorites]


.

Insufficiently horrified and despondent today? Then you should read the Notable Examples section of Wikipedia's article on the "Bystander Effect."
posted by Iridic at 11:34 AM on October 21, 2011


In China you can only have one child. Most couples prefer a boy. Suing people eho helped is so bad and wrong!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:34 AM on October 21, 2011


.
posted by desjardins at 11:36 AM on October 21, 2011


I will say it's a video/story that will stick with me for a long time. No matter the country, I just can't believe people would do this---and twice! I serve for roadkill out of "respect" I mean if you're not going to even get out of the car, do you have to run her over again? Just unbelievable and disgusting.

I also noticed today downtown Chicago has this angry vibe to it. I can't explain it but I think the world is just becoming more selifsh/angrier.

I want to go home and be with my son. Blah.
posted by stormpooper at 11:36 AM on October 21, 2011


Point of reference: Bystander Effect. Still can't really comprehend how that happens... then again seeing how stupid people in the big box block aisles with their carts or bodies, perhaps people can in fact be opaquely oblivious to their surroundings.
posted by crapmatic at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


serve= swerve
posted by stormpooper at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2011


sparking a fierce debate about the state of China's morals

This is completely ridiculous verging on the propagandistic. They are human beings and love children just as much as you or I.
posted by DU at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2011


News... News has a kind of mystery...
posted by Theta States at 11:38 AM on October 21, 2011


Yes, it's entirely because she's a girl and not at all because of rampant suing of "Good Samaritans" and a totally fucked up judicial system. It's just because Chinese hate girls! As far as most Americans are concern, the Chinese are still drowning all of their female babies in the river and binding feet.

Sinophobia and Racism, American traditions since 1882.
posted by absalom at 11:38 AM on October 21, 2011 [3 favorites]


Does it have to be a competition?

Boy, what a horror that would be, if we were all competing to be the best Good Samaritans.
posted by fings at 11:39 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


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