Why didn't anyone save the man who was decapitated on Greyhound?

Question

Why didn't the other passengers stop the man from stabbing the poor guy?

All they did was run and got off the bus.

http://news.aol.com/the-rewind/?feature=114309&ncid=aolnws00150000000002&icid=100214839x1206863067x1200355591

Answer 1

People are sheeple.

Answer 2

It has to do with basic psychology. Your more likely to be saved from a horrific incident if there are only a few witnesses around. The more witnesses there are the less likely chance you have of someone helping you. I's called difusion of responsibility.

Psychologists have supposed that in this case a process known as diffusion of responsibility was at work. This means that when individuals know that many others are present, then they as individuals do not bear the full burden of responsibility. They make the assumption that someone else must be taking care of that or surely someone must have done something by now'.

Diffusion of responsibility is a social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a certain critical size when responsibility is not explicitly assigned.

Diffusion of responsibility can manifest itself:

in a group of peers who, through action or inaction, allow events to occur which they would never allow if alone (action is typically referred to as groupthink; inaction is typically referred to as the bystander effect) or

in hierarchical organizations as when, for example, underlings claim that they were following orders and supervisors claim that they were just issuing directives and not doing anything per se.

This mindset can be seen in the phrase "No one raindrop thinks it caused the flood".

Kitty Genovese, a New York woman, was stabbed to death near her house. The New York Times reported "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police," blaming diffusion of responsibility; later details contradicted the initial report.

In a firing squad, one of the shooters may be randomly issued a weapon containing a blank cartridge rather than one with a bullet. This allows each of the members of the firing squad to believe that he did not fire a fatal shot.

Answer 3

Its a natural human reaction to something that terrifying.

I wouldn't throw myself on someone with a hunting knife.  

Answer 4

It's horrifying, really. But as a Canadian, after reading the links, I do agree with the RCMP who state that this is a "one-of-a-kind" atrocity on Canadian buses. So I wouldn't panic, everyone.

I have, however - taken the U.S. Greyhound, and experienced alot of weirdoes. I'd totally forgotten that the U.S. is 'Gun Country' North America. Someone suggested we need guns. Right..! Then the killer would have had one, they all would have had one, and we know how that goes. It's always the American Solution. Get a gun. Then one of the kids might have been accidentally shot.

Although I have to admit that I wasn't there, and I, too may have been in shock. See, us Canadians aren't as used to, or indifferent about violence.

I'd really like to see the list of passengers - the genders, ages.. the make-up of the people on the bus, because I can't believe that most left.  - I don't get why some of the stronger men, if there were any.. didn't trip him, or try to distract him. We're NOT known for leaving people to get killed.. which is why we don't have guns.

And we don't walk by dead bodies in hospitals, or watch people getting attacked or run over, and turn the other cheek, mostly.

This was a rare tragedy. I hope that they will put metal detectors on now, though. If there's any good to come from this, that should be it

Answer 5

OK - to the first guy - can you honestly say if you were on a bus and some guy started cutting up someone else that you would be calm and clear-headed enough to stop him?

It's easy to say why didn't someone do something when you weren't there.  

By the way, at least here in Canada, we don't have to have a law that we have to stop and help someone when they need it - we do it on our own unlike Americans, who don't care about anybody but themselves!!  

Answer 6

This is why I never take a bus.I don't even walk by bus stations.

Answer 7

If a guy is suddenly being stabbed in the neck over and over, by the time you notice, you're probably too late.

But.. I don't know.

Answer 8

Please, put yourself...in that horrific situation.... oh my god!  It was horrifying....I don't think any of us can really 'say' what we would do unless you experience such a tragedy.  I think these people did what they had to do...save their own lives first...how sick was this man who committed such a terrible act....

Answer 9

I called 911 when he first stabbed him, but they took a long time to respond.

Answer 10

were talking about canada theres never anything bad happening to this civilized country there the perfect country they dont have school shootings and no murders? they dont know how to fight

Answer 11

We were wondering that too. I think it was just circumstance-sometimes people find the spark to take action other times they can't move and just run.It is a fight or flight response.The poor little fellow on the bus was just out of luck, this time.

Also WInnipeg is kind of like a miniature Detroit or New York with a lot of violence, people might easily do the Kitty Genovese response these days, Winnipeg is the murder capital of Canada.

Answer 12

Everyone thinks they could of been the hero.

Just put yourself in there shoes. Play the scene in your head.

Absolultly frighening!

Answer 13

Wow, i haven't heard this story but that is absolutely awful!

I have to say in that situation I'm not sure whether i would be brave enough to go towards the man with the knife. By the sounds of it the whole attack was very sudden so possibly people were in shock.

As for running off the bus, would you stay on the bus with him? I think they did the right thing there, they barricaded him inside the bus and waited for the police -- i don't think there was a lot they could do for the man since he was decapitated.

I also watched a American news piece that showed footage of a man being run over and nobody going to help him. You actually saw people notice him, and walk straight past him. I asked myself the same question when i saw that so i definitely see where you are coming from. If they had have restrained the psycho who did it then that man may be alive now.  

Answer 14

I wondered the SAME thing... Maybe the other Passengers were just afraid that THEY might be the Next Victim... It was all VERY sad... :(