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"Have-a-go Hero"

So it's been the news recently that Britain is becoming a nation of 'passive bystanders' with only a few people willing to intervene when someone else is committing a crime.

Survey on how many people in each country definitely wouldn't intervene if a crime was being committed:
"France: 19%
UK: 30%
Germany: 7%
Italy: 13%
Netherlands: 19%
Spain: 17%"

News article

So what do you think, would you intervene? Is it public responsibility to enforce law to some extent or is it purely down to the Police and courts?

The only time I've ever got involved with 'anti-social behaviour' was when I was on the bus and a boy was hitting another smaller boy. Nobody else seemed to care much so I just said stop it, which he did but resulted in me being stared at by him for the rest of the journey. Obviously in the grand scale of things it was a very small act compared to the bloke on the news who attempted to tackle the would-be suicide bomber on the train.

I hope I would intervene on a larger scale, but if I was on my own and there was a large group committing crime, I would probably hesitate and have a good think about it first. I guess a large part of not intervening is because of the fear. Fear that they might retaliate against you, and who knows what they're carrying. You can't help but think of the poor bloke who asked someone to stop throwing chips on a bus and ended up being stabbed to death for it.

Perhaps people would be more willing to intervene if they were secure in the knowledge that other members of the public around them would back them up and not standby as a crime is being committed. Though the recent survey doesn't help boost that confidence...

So what would you do?

that pretty much sums it up. Don't try and help the police or who ever breaks in by wrestling with the terrorist gun or you both might get bullets. stay low and think of how you'll save your dignity afterwards.

spoonbeast wrote:
> correct counter terrorist unit. I suppose entry unit might have
> been more suitable but still, my point still stands.

That if you're caught in an armed siege, don't behave like they do in the movies?

Brilliant

correct counter terrorist unit. I suppose entry unit might have been more suitable but still, my point still stands.

I thought Counter-Terrorist but that's only because of Counterstrike

I think he means tactical unit. Not sure what the C stands for though.

Alfonse the Turtle wrote:
> This guy once tried to mug me in my own area, we beat him till
> his nose broke. Good times.

Not really taking the moral high ground there, are you?

Also spoonbeast, CT unit, as in computed tomography unit or is there a more appropriate acronym that fits?

This guy once tried to mug me in my own area, we beat him till his nose broke. Good times.

i suppose there are times when being a hero isn't wise. Like in a hostage situation when the CT unit busts open and generally, they need to move fast. Play hero and attempt to join in the fighting, carry weapons like rambo and chances are you'll leave the site dead.

So whatever you do don't be a hero when guns are blazing or you might be mistaken for a terrorist or target.

Unfortunately I'm stupid/crazy enough to intervene and have done in the past. I got away with it that time.

Depends what sort of thing it was. If it was someone obviously having something nicked, I'd attempt to chase the culprit down and rugby tackle them, as no one has the right to take someone else's property like that (I can run surprisingly fast, you know.)

Where do you draw the line? I would at bringing my size 12 steel-toed boots into contention, considering they can potentially be considered a weapon.