People are so Heartless

[testa50]

+1 to people talking about the potentially terrible journalism here.

Picture the following hypothetical interaction:

Journalist: "So what do you think of the accident?"
Diane Jackson: "That's really terrible, I can't believe it, etc"
Journalist: "How have all the train delays impacted you?"
Diane Jackson: "It's making me late to work and there's no bus service to my destination. I can't get to work, there are no taxis out here, and there's no bus service to Pharr Road, where I need to go. If no cab comes, I'm going to be stranded."

I have no idea if this is actually how it went, but it very well could be. We just don't know.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by testa50

+1 to people talking about the potentially terrible journalism here.

Picture the following hypothetical interaction:

Journalist: "So what do you think of the accident?"
Diane Jackson: "That's really terrible, I can't believe it, etc"
Journalist: "How have all the train delays impacted you?"
Diane Jackson: "It's making me late to work and there's no bus service to my destination. I can't get to work, there are no taxis out here, and there's no bus service to Pharr Road, where I need to go. If no cab comes, I'm going to be stranded."

I have no idea if this is actually how it went, but it very well could be. We just don't know.

This occurred at 4:30 AM--they haven't been able to identify the victim or notify next of kin. I'm sorry--and perhaps 'heartless'--but I must infer and conclude.

'Personal responsibility'--not much more that MARTA officials could have done to prevent the tragedy, I must assume. Maybe they could have been faster in restoring service--who knows? Fairly certain that budget cuts are in affect.

[PedestriAnne]

Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417

I honestly think she knew...why would a reporter be out there anyway? marta delays?????

I don't doubt that she would have assumed that the delay was caused by something unusual if there was reporter out there. But that could still have been a fire, an animal being hit or a serious mechanical or electrical problem - lots of things that wouldn't involve a loss of life.

There are two names in the byline. One of them was probably at the station talking to people and the other person was somewhere trying to pry information out of MARTA. The reporter who was at Lindbergh getting that quote might have been about as in the dark about what was going on as she was at that time.

I don't know why no one thought to include a sentence about whether she knew what was going on, but I'm not seeing even a particle of malicious intention here. Cox Enterprises' zillion-dollar attorneys could probably drop-kick a lawsuit over this out of the courtroom in their sleep and end up getting a raise for it.

My understanding is that in a public place, or a place that the reporter has permission from the owner to be in, he/she doesn't have to ask to take pictures with a standard, non-hidden camera. You can ask the person not to take a photo of you and, in the dual interests of not being a jerk and not maligning his profession, the reporter should comply. If someone has refused to give his/her name, asked for their photo not to be taken or asked that the photo not be published, it's not worth it to use the picture anyway unless there's some huge news value in it.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by PedestriAnne

My understanding is that in a public place, or a place that the reporter has permission from the owner to be in, he/she doesn't have to ask to take pictures with a standard, non-hidden camera.

This is true. If you're in a public place, you can take a photo of anything you want, even private property and things you're really not supposed to see. If you're standing in the street, you have every right to take a photo into someone's bathroom window of someone getting out of their shower.


Doesn't mean they won't rightfully sue your a** off if you publish the photo. But you have the right to take the photo.

[ericsonga]

FWIW, it appears the AJC redacted her quote.

[AcidSnake]

Very smart of the AJC to do that.

Originally Posted by ericsonga

FWIW, it appears the AJC redacted her quote.

[johnatl]

Yeah, at this point it appears the AJC has reduced the story to a mere paragraph, with hardly a mention of the details at all. I wonder if they watch this board?

I wish we still had a real paper here......

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by johnatl

Yeah, at this point it appears the AJC has reduced the story to a mere paragraph, with hardly a mention of the details at all. I wonder if they watch this board?

I wish we still had a real paper here......

Who can be certain but perhaps someone at MARTA made a call. There have been several threads about how the AJC covers Atlanta. shrug--This is what goes on in the city.

Everyone is of course entitled to his/her opinion but if I had just read the article I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Additional headlines today include forthcoming trials of serious criminals and that's good --so something is being done.

Clark Howard hosted a large toy drive for children today and many kindhearted people supported that.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417

Man hit, killed by MARTA train at Lindbergh station *| ajc.com

one of the passengers is so worried about getting to work despite the fact someone was hit and killed by a marta train

Welcome to the City!

Getting to work & making cash for one self is always more important than a dead person. Reality.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

Sadly the way people are scared of losing their jobs with the economy the way it is, I can't be surprised. I can see an employer firing her for being late, even though a man was killed.

Sadly we are moving to savages in some ways.

Many ways are we as humans becoming more savage, selfish & entitled.