Would you help someone out?

[Rachmaninoff]

I?m sure you?ve run into a situation where you can either ignore what?s happening or attempt to do something about it. And by do something I mean actually help someone who clearly needs help. Take yesterday for example, I was out with friends and on our way back there was a car to the side of the road on the freeway with a young soon to be mother attempting to change a flat tire. It was obvious that she was struggling since I would imagine being pregnant, especially once a woman is further along, makes it hard to do certain activities. And by the look of her, she wasn?t that far off from having the kid. A fact that turned out to be true once we stopped and helped her since she?s only a few weeks away from her due date.

Now I?ve never changed a tire, but my friend and incidentally, owner of the car we were in did know how and he had that tire changed for her within a few minutes. Something she was very glad of since just trying to get the spare out of the trunk was giving her a lot of trouble. Now even though I?ve never done it, I certainly would attempt to help out since watching my friend do it showed that it wasn?t too difficult to actually do.

Anyway, what would you do? Would you help someone out? Or would it depend on the situation? I mean what if my friend was late for work? Stopping would have made him even later, though I would imagine that he would have still stopped, that?s just what he?s like. lol Anyway, have you run into something like this? And if so, what did you do? Or if you haven?t what would you do? And to help out, here?s some possible scenarios.

Someone stuck with a flat tire.
A lost crying kid in a store.
Someone who is drunk and trying to get into their car and drive home.
Or any other situation you can think of.

[Konata]

Well, I would help someone out on various minor occasions, but I'm pretty selfish when it comes to it. All of those scenarios above, I would just walk past these kinds of people. The sad part is if I saw a kid crying in the store lost, I would probably think "Oh, he was probably scolded or something." If I saw someone stuck with a flat tire,... Well, I can't do much about it because I lost my notes on how to change a tire =P And if I saw someone drunk trying to get into the car, I would stay away from him/her, because... he/she's drunk >_>

And overall, I usually only do things if it benefits me in a way I want. So, I'll really only help people that I know I will meet another time (If I do them a favor, they're burdened with doing a favor for me =P Or they have a better impression of me). The only exception is academics. If I have time, I'll help people with homework, studying, etc [strike]so it helps my reputation[/strike].

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I'll study the situation for a minute before I do anything. Chances are, if I actually noticed something like this, it means I'm not in a rush, because when I'm focused on something I'm completely blind to the rest of the universe. However, if I'm sitting there or standing around and notice a kid crying, I'll be helping him shortly, but I might want to wait a little bit to make sure it doesn't resolve itself. I don't drive or anything, so I've never had the whole roadside opportunity, however I suppose I help people in places like school. If someone's trapper keeper explodes, I'll help them pick it up, unless I'm on my way to lunch. In which case, and this has happened, I will kindly strategically dodge all of their things and proceed, because I am a machine when I'm on my way to lunch and it would take an act of god to end my shark-like forward pushing. But I digress.

My pops is a big helper, he will stop to help anyone in need, always willing to do his part. And it comes back to him as well because people are always helping him. Such as the other day when his ipod shuffle discharged from his being whilst running and landed somewhere in the bushes, a man was kind enough to pull over and assist his search - they combed the place down finding no sign of it, but the effort was likely appreciated. I'd say my pops gets about the best karma in the universe, on the account of his overwhelming selflessness. [/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]It would really depend on the situation as to whether or not I would help someone. The flat tire deal is something I most likely would, especially in a case like you described Rach. Because changing a tire really is pretty easy to do if you have the right equipment. Now for other issues like a drunk, if it was someone I knew I'd take their keys from them, I've done it before. Now, if it was a complete stranger, if they actually drove off in that condition, I'd call the police and let them deal with it.

Helping someone on the road who is stuck or in a car accident is something that unless the cops are already there, I usually stop and do something. It's kind of habit since I got use to doing that when I was a truck driver. I mean if you see an accident, you have to stop and wait to report it to the police. XP I don't have to now that I don't drive a semi anymore, but like I said, it's kind of a habit that I got use to doing and stopping in a car is easy. lol

I've never run into a crying kid in the store who was actually alone, but I suppose if I did I'd probably alert an employee there so they could see that it was taken care of. For the most part, if it's something that takes little effort on my part I'll do something. Because like DEM just mentioned with his dad, that sort of thing almost always comes back in the form of others helping you out. Which is always appreciated. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Retribution]

[font=Arial]Alright, I guess I'll be honest about this as well.

It depends how dire the situation is and the degrees of separation from me to the other person in need. For instance, my room mate was going to miss his flight if he took public transportation (from Manhattan to JFK airport by subway is approx an hour and a half), but the cab ride is approx $60 when you ride alone and he simply didn't have that. So I fronted him the 60, in addition to the 15 bucks I had floating around in my wallet.

Where I go to school there are just so many homeless people that any effort of charity seems ultimately useless. You'll never be able to feed everyone, and any money you give will be used in a day, and tomorrow they'll need more. At the beginning of the school year when I was new to the environment, I gave quite a bit. Now, however, I've been desensitized to the area and rarely give anything. It really is terrible how willfully blind people are to such great human suffering, and I'm part of the problem...

I'd probably say I'm above average in terms of generousity and selflessness. But, like most other people, if it requires me to go too far out of my way, I probably wouldn't help.[/font]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]See I'd offer to help change a tire, but since I've only done it once and I'm usually not dressed for it...and a big fat weakling, I'd be useless anyway. And get in the way- trust me it's happened before.

But anyway, I like helping people when it's not going to be a major inconvenience. I pick up friends from work every now and then when their ride has vanished into thin air. I have in fact helped scared lost crying kids find mummy and daddy in stores before. I'll hold a kid while the mom shuffles in her purse for her wallet.

Once I helped a blind woman find the towels in the bathroom because her Seeing Eye dog wasn't getting the job done. But you see here, I don't help homeless people. I just don't. I don't give the money. Ever. If anything, I give them coupons for fast food or a bottle of water or a snack bar. But I'm from Southern California, where a favorite ploy of homeless people is to claim that they are Veterans. It's usually a lie. If I'm going to give money anywhere, I give it to foundations for terminally ill children, or to diabetes research facilities. I will buy books for book drives for improving children's literacy, but that's where my altruism ends.

Call me compassionless, but I have no time to waste on people who are too selfish or lazy to stop living like parasites.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Vicky]

[SIZE=1]It's not the situation for me - it's the mood I'm in. Like today I was quite happy (despite my utter detest for Christmas) after visitng the village in Manchester, and I ended up giving all my spare money to this one homeless guy and talking to him for awhile. He didn't actually ask for any money and just said I looked cool, so I said "thanks" and gave him some money which he was grateful for.

Now he's probably going to spend it on booze, but you see what I mean.

If I'm in a bad mood, it's incredibly unlikely I'll help with anything at all. But if I'm in a nice mood, I might even be social...[/size]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="77656"]I don't care about anyone except my friends and myself. if anything happens to my friends, I WANT to help, and I WILL. even if they don't want it, oh well, they get my help. But for a stranger, f them. I don't care about anyone I haven't befriended and/or known for at least 30 minutes during any moment of my life span. Sometimes, and this is a BIG sometimes, I help someone for something small.

But one thing I know, no one will get money from me for charity. I don't care how starving the kids in Africa are, I don't care about little oprhan kids, I don't care for adults of any sort except sisters and brothers. Why am I such an indecent, careless prick? What did those kids ever do to make me like them? I don't know them and I probably won't ever go to Africa and give my money away to a charity, who could be a fake one and end up using money for pornogrophy or some sort of scam. Even if they are certified, they won't get my money.

Besides, why can't you just bring peoeple from poor country's into rich ones nad give them good jobs and education? Who cares if it seems like a long process? Giving them food or a couple of schools is just small compared to what you charity's could really do with some help from the government or any other charity[/COLOR]

[Japan]

[SIZE="1"]I guess one of my biggest attributes is my heart. Whenever anyone needs help, stranger or not, I drop all that I am doing to help that person. I do not support panhandeling, however but if someone needs a quarter to make a phone call, I give them a quarter. I feel that God bless those who helps others. Besides that, I get this happy squirmy feeling swelling inside when I do something to help others. I am very generous. I even surprised a friend of mine with some nachos when she did not have time for dinner last night.

I do not know how to replace a flat tire but I would certainly stop and help, and call my dad or a friend who does know how to fix it.[/SIZE]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I haven't really had much in the way of opportunities to actually help someone out, but if I did, I would. My mom and I end up getting helped out all the time because of her disability so I can't imagine not helping others who would need it. Also, even if I'm not that quick at it, I can at least change a flat tire. XP I've only done it once, but at least I can actually do it. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Neuvoxraiha;800500][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"] But you see here, I don't help homeless people. I just don't. I don't give the money. Ever. If anything, I give them coupons for fast food or a bottle of water or a snack bar. But I'm from Southern California, where a favorite ploy of homeless people is to claim that they are Veterans. It's usually a lie. If I'm going to give money anywhere, I give it to foundations for terminally ill children, or to diabetes research facilities. I will buy books for book drives for improving children's literacy, but that's where my altruism ends.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]We have the same problem with people doing that here in Utah as well, pretending to be homeless, jobless or veterans just to get a hand out. It's pretty pathetic and sick since some of them were investigated and it was found out that with the money they got from being at different locations throughout the city... It was enough for them to live in luxury during the winter in the southern part of the state. I never give to people like that anyway, but still, it's pretty sad that they do it. So like you, any giving that I do is to a foundation that I know is going to actually benefit someone instead of lining the pocket of someone who doesn't need it.[quote name='Vicky'][SIZE=1']It's not the situation for me - it's the mood I'm in. [/size][/quote]XP I'll admit that if I'm having a really rotten day I'm less likely to feel charitably towards anyone. Fortunately, I don't have a lot of days like that.

[Raiha]

[quote name='Japan_86'][SIZE="1"]I guess one of my biggest attributes is my heart. Whenever anyone needs help, stranger or not, I drop all that I am doing to help that person. I do not support panhandeling, however but if someone needs a quarter to make a phone call, I give them a quarter. I feel that God bless those who helps others. Besides that, I get this happy squirmy feeling swelling inside when I do something to help others. I am very generous. I even surprised a friend of mine with some nachos when she did not have time for dinner last night.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Okay, here's where I have to enter what we call the reasonable suspension of disbelief. You drop EVERYTHING and go help a total stranger.

Do you actually stick around to see if someone makes that phone call? Because you know calls aren't 25 cents anymore. And who doesn't know how to just make a collect call? I figured that out when I was 9. I mean sure you might feel some sort of swelling, but that might just be the veins in your forehead responding to the realization that you just gave a quarter to someone who pocketed it and then later spent it on crack.

And are we assuming also that while your friend didn't have time for dinner, she had time to eat the nachos? [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Vicky]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="77656"]

Besides, why can't you just bring peoeple from poor country's into rich ones nad give them good jobs and education? Who cares if it seems like a long process? Giving them food or a couple of schools is just small compared to what you charity's could really do with some help from the government or any other charity[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Great! Over populate the country [i]even more[/i] and create [i]even more[/i] hate crime! Besides, no government is going to do that; it costs them money and puts a huge dent in their money making schemes (I'm sure you know about Government Aid, trading, tied aid and whatnot).

On the subject of charity, I don't listen to those TV ones that you call into, but I do buy from charity shops despite where the money goes. Mostly because it's cheap and I detest fashion prices (it's 50 quid for a pair of jeans with rips in them - I've made better jeans for a fiver with a knife). Oxfam's my favourite - trench coat for thirty pound![/SIZE]

[Shy]

[size=1][i]Would I help someone?[/i] No, of course not! Go away!

-Shy[/size]

[Aberinkula]

[quote name='Vicky']Great! Over populate the country even more and create even more hate crime! Besides, no government is going to do that; it costs them money and puts a huge dent in their money making schemes (I'm sure you know about Government Aid, trading, tied aid and whatnot). [/quote]

[COLOR="77656"]Yeah, and let them starve in their homeland. Than again, it would just cause another immigration type thing like in the 1800's. Or some variation thereof.

[quote name='Raiha']Do you actually stick around to see if someone makes that phone call? Because you know calls aren't 25 cents anymore. And who doesn't know how to just make a collect call? I figured that out when I was 9. I mean sure you might feel some sort of swelling, but that might just be the veins in your forehead responding to the realization that you just gave a quarter to someone who pocketed it and then later spent it on crack. [/quote]

Quoted for truthness, and quoted because it' another 'kick-***' Raiha post.[/COLOR]

[Vicky]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="77656"]Yeah, and let them starve in their homeland. Than again, it would just cause another immigration type thing like in the 1800's. Or some variation thereof. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Yep, and so bring them over here so we can all starve together! You take away one great source of income (trading exploitation) and increase the population to provide more food - but you can't get any food, because no one's working in the LEDCs anymore!

¬_¬

Do you really think no one thought of that? Do you [i]really[/i] think no one considered it?

But I'm going off topic, so bye.[/SIZE]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="77656"]Well, a lot of money goes over to Mission's Iraqi Freedom, and Mission Destroy Bin Laden. And I find the Iraq war completely stupid. I say if they're not going to except us, they should rebuild themselves, we try to help and we end up with dead troops. Then again there is someone who oposes this and thinks the war is filled wiht good reason. So doesn't the government use money fro dumb and/or needless causes.

What about the problmes over here? Why can't they just sue the money to help our country? We have starving, uneducated people here as well. Just not as bad as some country's. For exapmle, New Orleans; not everyone is living a good life there again. And yet we're helping other country's who have tons of people who hate us.

And I didn't say bring them to any country in particular. Any free-well-paid and organized county would do. Plus, it's not like we should bring EVERYONE over, just the villages in extreeme dire need of food and peace. Not every single person over in a 3rd world country has it bad. Yes, a lot do, but not every one.

Another solution would be to just make money legally, however that is not possible as far as I know. The government doens't look very well-used now a days. Now some would quickly disagree, but that's just my opinion.[/COLOR]

[Charles]

For our next Community Event, I suggest that we send Premonition over to Iraq in order to help rescue the country. In this small way, OtakuBoards can save the US government the trouble of wasting money on needless causes. A journal of Premonition's progress will be posted and updated here.

Let's get more use out of this thread than initially planned.

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="77656"]Actually, not to ruin your plans, but I'm already planning on heading to Afghanistan in a few weeks. Sorry if it complicates things.

But on a note that's actually funnier than what I just said, I won't mind paying my taxes as long as it goes to a good cause. Luckily the war will be over before I have to worry about bills, so my complaining will ceace about the war.

Taxes help our country. Food tax, clothing tax, a lot of products have tax. So, I've actually been helping out when I buy stuff with my own money. You never really notice. But I don't know much about that .7% we call taxes in the US.[/COLOR]

[songsofsorrow]

I consider myself a pretty nice person and so do my friends. i think i would help a mother/ soon to be mother if she needed help with a flat tire, i also think i would help the kid and mostly anyone that just seemed helpless in their stuation. See this is where I think society has problems. the kid in the store, if his or her mother would have been paying better attention, or the kid just ran off. or the homeless people as someone stated earlier, I'm not trying to say that person is careless but how the homeless people got that way, because you give so much and it will never be enough.

Or if people were just plain smarter (of course then we'd be stuck with a raising bar and no one trying to meet it). But to get back to the topic i would if they seemed, kind of helpless.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]I fall into the same category as everyone else, the level of help I'm willing to give depends on a few things, like the situation of the person who needs help and my own situation. Obviously if I really need to be somewhere in the next ten minutes, I'm not going to be able to help someone with a flat tire, that said, if I was in Rach's situation and I needed to be somewhere, I probably would also have stopped to help.

Generally I suppose I try to help out people where I can, it's just my nature.[/SIZE]

[Japan]

[quote name='Neuvoxraiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Okay, here's where I have to enter what we call the reasonable suspension of disbelief. You drop EVERYTHING and go help a total stranger.

Do you actually stick around to see if someone makes that phone call? Because you know calls aren't 25 cents anymore. And who doesn't know how to just make a collect call? I figured that out when I was 9. I mean sure you might feel some sort of swelling, but that might just be the veins in your forehead responding to the realization that you just gave a quarter to someone who pocketed it and then later spent it on crack.

And are we assuming also that while your friend didn't have time for dinner, she had time to eat the nachos? [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Ok, if they have change in their hand, by the phone, but not enough change, then sure. Not everyone is a drug addict, at least in Washington State. Don't let your past experiences think everyone is the same as the people you have come across.

Sorry I should been clearer for anyone unfamiliar with eating with friends. Eating dinner with a friend does not take very long however it does take time to prepare a meal. Not only that but it also takes time to eat it in a proper manner to enjoy the hard cooking. We only had seven minutes for dinner so that obviously wasn't enough time.

It's not a hard thing to do to help people and be smart about it. Volunteering at a soup kitchen works wonders. Homeless get fed and they do not get money for drugs. They just get a full stomach, and perhaps a cookie or two for on the go.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]This still begs the question, which you conveniently ignored.

You drop [u]everything.[/u] To help a total [u]stranger.[/u]

Because going to volunteer at soup kitchens is fine, and there's nothing wrong with that, but nowhere in your original post did you mention such things. But if you expect me to believe that if some random stranger asked you to do something for them, besides just lend them change to make a phone call, you'd do it. Even if you were rushing off to see a movie with friends, or visit someone in the hospital, or so on and so forth.

Sorry, but I am having difficulty imagining that.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Panache]

In that particular situation I would probably help. But like...if the person is perfectly capable of handling himself he can go ahead and do it. I mean if it was a healthy middle aged man no I wouldn't have stopped.

I help people when I see there is real need and I can actually do something about it.

And of course I would judge that on a case by case basis.

Oh yea and the Drunk guy trying to drive...if he wanted to go out and get wasted he should have had the foresight to come up with a method of getting home without him driving. so if he gets in trouble or hurts himself it's his own damn fault.

[yugokitari]

[quote name='Japan_86'][SIZE="1"]Ok, if they have change in their hand, by the phone, but not enough change, then sure. Not everyone is a drug addict, at least in Washington State. Don't let your past experiences think everyone is the same as the people you have come across.

Sorry I should been clearer for anyone unfamiliar with eating with friends. Eating dinner with a friend does not take very long however it does take time to prepare a meal. Not only that but it also takes time to eat it in a proper manner to enjoy the hard cooking. We only had seven minutes for dinner so that obviously wasn't enough time.

It's not a hard thing to do to help people and be smart about it. Volunteering at a soup kitchen works wonders. Homeless get fed and they do not get money for drugs. They just get a full stomach, and perhaps a cookie or two for on the go.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Thanks for being kind. It takes a lot of guts to be kind in this world anymore. I try, and sometimes, I find myself failing. I can't say I'll always do nice things for strangers, but I don't find it hard to believe someone would. I've given money to a priest (in Las Vegas) on the side of the road just because he had a sign that said 'Giving money to the poor.' I don't know what he actually did with that money, but at the time (and even now), I don't really care. I'm glad I did it. Maybe he needed to know someone cared.

I agree that it sounds strange to drop everything to go help someone you don't know, but I don't find it that unbelieveable. I've made new friends by helping people I don't know.

Don't knock people for saying they try to help everyone. One of the greatest gifts a person will ever get is the ability to give to someone else (even if it means giving up something for yourself). I apologize if this affends anyone, but those who say that you can't be willing to try and help everyone are just making an excuse not to. I may not always want to, but I'm willing to try. I like helping people. It makes them smile, and it makes me a better person. (I'm not trying to say people who don't help others are bad people though. Don't take it that way.) I believe we should support those who are willing to give anything to help someone EVEN IF IT'S UNBELIEVEABLE TO US. It's not that unbelievable to them.