Two-year-old girl in China run over by two vehicles, then ignored by more than a dozen people

Robbo · 17 Oct 2011 at 06:51

I'm lifting part of this discussion out of the Instant & Moment thread, it is based around a recently posted video of a 2-year-old girl being run over by a van in China, and then being left to die in the street and ignored by pedestrians, and even run over again by another vehicle.

For obvious reasons, I will not post a link to the video as I don't believe it's appropriate viewing for everyone (it's rather graphic), but it shouldn't be hard to find if you wish to see it. It's on YouTube and was apparently on the news, so no dodgy sites required.

Obviously, watching people casually stroll past a mangled toddler on the floor is absolutely horrible to see, but someone posted in the other thread, the following -

I think the problem over there is the way the courts handle stuff like this. I remember hearing lots of stories about people getting blamed on purpose for things like that by the victim just so they can win money off them to pay for the medical bills, despite the fact that the person helped them out in the first place.

There was a court case a few years back iirc which set a precedent for the above. Someone helped out a person who had been run over, and that person sued them and said they pushed them in the way of the car. The judge basically said, if you aren't guilty, then why did you help? Now people don't bother helping out for fear of getting sued.

Is there any truth to that, or are some Chinese people just absolutely cold and heartless?

I can't think of any examples, but I'm quite sure this isn't an isolated incident when it comes to places like China.

Even if the above quote were true, I don't think I could just walk past an injured child like that... :confused:

Article with explanation of events - http://topics.scmp.com/news/china-news-watch/article/Badly-injured-child-left-for-dead-in-traffic and another - http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-10/17/content_23641415.htm

Edrof · 17 Oct 2011 at 06:53

Well that was a nice start to my day

*runs to give my 2-year-old daughter extra cuddles*

Robbo · 17 Oct 2011 at 06:55

Sorry, it is a Monday though!

Hotwired · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:03

Wasn't there someone in America who got run over on a bridge umpteen times before someone stopped? I can't find the story since the keywords I recall of it are a little vague.

Oh and where do you get off making generalisations of a race of over a billion?

Of course it's not nice but ignoring someone needing help isn't unknown to other countries.

Edrof · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:07

Robbo said:
Sorry, it is a Monday though!

True dat. Although I'm off, woohoo!

Robbo · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:09

Hotwired said:
Oh and where do you get off making generalisations of a race of over a billion?

Is there any truth to that, or are some Chinese people just absolutely cold and heartless?

I'm wondering why it happened, I'm not implying that all Chinese people would do that. Is it in their culture to ignore injured people if they are of no relation to you? Or maybe they are just really worried about being sued?

I'm sure that isn't a totally outlandish suggestion.

gropingmantis · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:16

Probably their culture. All the Chinese people I have met have been intolerably rude (from a Western perspective).

The driver that hit her first said:
"You can see the little girl, looking around when she walked. If she walked properly, how could I hit her?"

What? How is that an excuse?

Narj · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:19

gropingmantis said:
Probably their culture. All the Chinese people I have met have been intolerably rude (from a Western perspective).

Are you talking about people you met in China or over here? Because the Chinese friends I have are great people.

fiveub · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:29

Not all Chinese people are like that, that is just stereotyping, just like the UK is full of Chavs and Hooligans. But when you step back and look at the UK there are so many great people, and from the Chinese people I have spoken to and socialised with they are friendly and caring.

Freefaller · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:30

PianoBasher said:
Are you talking about people you met in China or over here? Because the Chinese friends I have are great people.

Indeed. Though I have met many Chinese people who have either moved over here or are here temporarily, and I have always found them to be perfectly decent - clearly culturally different, but lovely nonetheless.

Hotwired · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:40

Robbo said:
I'm wondering why it happened, I'm not implying that all Chinese people would do that. Is it in their culture to ignore injured people if they are of no relation to you? Or maybe they are just really worried about being sued?

I'm sure that isn't a totally outlandish suggestion.

No it's not but the thread title is a generalisation of Chinese people which is no doubt to have a snappier title.

The driver was thinking of evading punishment like all hit and run drivers everywhere.

The passers by, who knows.

The woman who picked her up and took her off the street clearly did not have an issue stopping her from helping an injured child.

gropingmantis · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:47

PianoBasher said:
Are you talking about people you met in China or over here? Because the Chinese friends I have are great people.

Over here. The party member's kids who come to uni here. They show a total disregard for fellow humans. Closing doors in peoples faces. A total inability to move from a thoroughfare when people are politely trying to get past. Terrible drivers, they just seem to think they can do what they want. Gozing in bins or on the pavement (although to be honest plenty of scallys in the UK do that). Answering their phones in the library but not whispering and hanging up quickly but continuing to have long loud conversations. Unplugging other people's laptops so they can plug theirs in. These aren't one off events I have seen them do these things multiple times.

Maybe its just rich Chinese. Like rich people from anywhere I guess.

robgmun · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:55

gropingmantis said:
Over here. The party member's kids who come to uni here. They show a total disregard for fellow humans. Closing doors in peoples faces. A total inability to move from a thoroughfare when people are politely trying to get past. Terrible drivers, they just seem to think they can do what they want. Gozing in bins or on the pavement (although to be honest plenty of scallys in the UK do that). Answering their phones in the library but not whispering and hanging up quickly but continuing to have long loud conversations. Unplugging other people's laptops so they can plug theirs in. These aren't one off events I have seen them do these things multiple times.

Maybe its just rich Chinese. Like rich people from anywhere I guess.

It's because they're arrogent tosspots, not because they're chinese. Believe me most chinese people hate party member's kids as much as you. They believe china is thier little playground and are basically you're typical rich brats that you find anywhere else in the world.

The generalations in this thread is breaktaking.

Hotwired · 17 Oct 2011 at 07:55

More likely its a mix of cultural differences and jerks being jerks no matter what the nationality.

gropingmantis · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:00

robgmun said:
It's because they're arrogent tosspots, not because they're chinese. Believe me most chinese people hate party member's kids as much as you. They believe china is thier little playground and are basically you're typical rich brats that you find anywhere else in the world.

The generalations in this thread is breaktaking.

Yes thats why after I wrote that I felt like I needed to clarify with this:

Maybe its just rich Chinese. Like rich people from anywhere I guess.

Of course I have not met any non-rich Chinese people...yet. So my generalisation was a mistake and I realised that halfway through writing my last post. So I apologise to all Chinese people who aren't arrogant jerks.

PMKeates · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:10

I have Chinese friends who are very nice and polite people, but I have 'encountered' many Chinese people when traveling who are the exact opposite. I think it's the case that Chinese people, when rude, exhibit a certain kind of rudeness that we aren't used to here in the West, and as such it stands out.

One I remember quite well is sitting in what was either Prague or Detroit airport. A Chinese woman came and sat down on what was basically a gap not big enough for a cat between me and the edge of the stall, and then proceeded to flail her arms about (elbowing me in the side, the cheek etc), and then started to push her way in to me going "move over move over". I didn't have any room at all to my other side as there was an elderly gentleman sitting there that I was basically touching legs with - I felt bad taking such a small gap in the first place! She just kept pushing and pushing and digging her elbows in. I eventually pushed back and knocked her on to the floor. She let out this weird "awwwwwww" noise, and I looked at her with my "I don't give a ****" face.

I think it's encounters with a few rude people like the above that are marring the opinion of an entire race.

Cosimo · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:13

Robbo said:
Is there any truth to that, or are some Chinese people just absolutely cold and heartless?

There will always be some that are just like there are in any other country. Hit and run drivers don't stop, people walk on past when there is something untoward going on. Talk about using generalisation to be sensational, this could have come out of The Sun.

You cannot paint all Chinese with the same brush because of one very distasteful video. Anyone who thinks they are all like this is quite naive.

Robbo · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:19

simulatorman said:
There will always be some that are just like there are in any other country. Hit and run drivers don't stop, people walk on past when there is something untoward going on. Talk about using generalisation to be sensational, this could have come out of The Sun.

You cannot paint all Chinese with the same brush because of one very distasteful video. Anyone who thinks they are all like this is quite naive.

Read back to yourself what you just quoted. Did you miss the 'some' part.

When I saw this incident it just didn't shock me the same way it would if I saw it happening in London for example, because I don't think Chinese people view these things quite the same way we do. That's all. I don't think that is an unfair assumption, the way they live is very different to here.

Narj · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:20

PMKeates said:
<snip>She let out this weird "awwwwwww" noise, and I looked at her with my "I don't give a ****" face.

Haha, legend! I'd do the same. Was she old? Maybe she was expecting you to give up your seat.

Cosimo · 17 Oct 2011 at 08:39

Robbo said:
Read back to yourself what you just quoted. Did you miss the 'some' part.

You got my point which is what counts.

Robbo said:
When I saw this incident it just didn't shock me the same way it would if I saw it happening in London for example, because I don't think Chinese people view these things quite the same way we do. That's all. I don't think that is an unfair assumption, the way they live is very different to here.

So you can grade the level of shock by location. I looked at that incident and was shocked by because of the nature of the incident. I didn't pause to think it's not in the UK so we can imply that they are a bunch of uncivilised barstwards. I smell the stench of sensationalism That’s all.