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Comment by joemazerino | Hacker News Reader

Weird anecdote but okay? My original comment on the stabbing story did wonder if it was targeted or random. Either way, passerby's walking past Lee gasping his last breaths for help is indicative of the civil rot happening in our cities.

The only thing worse than evil men is the indifference of good men.

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> passerby's walking past Lee gasping his last breaths for help is indicative of the civil rot happening in our cities

We don't know what was happening in those cases. For example, we don't know those passers-by did or didn't actually see. Let's not make the same mistake all over again of projecting a pre-existing narrative onto a paucity of facts. (I don't mean to pick on you personally. We all do this, of course.)

Edit: FWIW, there's a long history of belief about bystander apathy which hasn't held up under scrutiny. Related:

Surveillance cameras debunk the bystander effect - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20417986 - July 2019 (161 comments)

Killer of Kitty Genovese Dies in Prison (Origin of “Bystander Effect”) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11430051 - April 2016 (3 comments)

Bob Lee did approach a car to show his stab wound. The car drove off.

https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/video-appears-to-sho...

Yes, but unless I'm mistaken, we don't actually know what the driver saw.

> passerby's walking past Lee gasping his last breaths for help is indicative of the civil rot happening in our cities.

This happens all the time... wanna see something fun, walk around your city saying "hi" to everyone and see how often you get a "hi" back.

I know well what it is like living in the city. I've done it for 18 years :)

It is too bad people aren't cordial anymore.

Also in SF seeing someone struggling to stand on the sidewalk is not uncommon.

Everyone just starts to assume that person is drunk, on drugs, whatever.

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