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Old 03-13-2010, 09:25 PM
 
142 posts, read 503,611 times
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It could have just been a reflexive action on her part to dropping her bag. There are some places where it's deadly to have a reflexive action.
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Old 03-14-2010, 12:25 AM
 
581 posts, read 1,240,079 times
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As a bus operator, i can tell you that many grown people need to be escorted more times than not. some things that i see adults do, i have to wonder sometimes if they are really thinking.

I mean even if you look, you better make sure you can see waaaaayyyy down the train tracks to even attempt such task. Also, I have never been on those tracks, but based on looking down and based on the fact than ive jumped over many walls, you better make sure you have strong arms to pull your way back up that platform quickly.

But that was just her way to go. sad but we all will face it at some point.
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Old 03-14-2010, 04:40 AM
 
Location: Beautiful Pelham Pkwy (da Bronx)
966 posts, read 2,435,198 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ny123 View Post
Granted the unwise actions of the poor victim, I think she could have been saved if the onlookers, instead of shouting at the completely panicked woman (when she's so panicked and frozen she wouldn't listen), formed a human chain behind someone who could grab her hands and pull her onto the platform. It could be dangerous for one person alone to pull her, but with so many others, the one pulling her could have been supported by many behind him/her without problem. I am sure she was desperately hoping someone among the crowds watching her would help her.

This aside, I am totally disgusted by some (in fact, many!) of the comments posted regarding this tragic death. They are showing the world how cold these New Yorkers are (it's reasonable to assume most comments were by New Yorkers).

A few examples of the comments from NY Post online:

Moderator cut: Please post a link to a newspaper source, or paraphrase as below. Do not copy the entire commentary, a snippet is fine, but not the entire wording.

Another comment I saw yesterday which I can't locate it now, said something like, "Now she doesn't need her gym bag any more. She is as thin as a pancake now."


I wish all these people live a great life without committing any kind of stupidities themselves, without the help and compassion from any other people.


(According to a report, a colleague or employer said Ms. Mankos had a helping personality.)
Thank you for this post. No offense folks, but all the blaming, shaming, and "shoulding" just do not help. When we fear something could happen to us, something as horrible as this incident, we often knock ourselves out thinking of all that we would have done to prevent it. The woman and the onlookers were probably frozen in fear. It's only in the movies or rare cases, for the most part, that normal people think on their feet and dash to the next track or climb back up the platform in the face of an oncoming train --or that some heroic person saves another person in this kind of predicament. Please have a heart. She made a huge mistake. She is not alone in this. We can only learn from it. May she rest in peace.

Last edited by bmwguydc; 03-15-2010 at 12:42 PM.. Reason: Edited quoted text
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Old 03-14-2010, 12:02 PM
 
7,934 posts, read 8,544,928 times
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I'm also a little confused as to why nobody attempted to pull her out of there once they realized the train was coming. I'm pretty sure I'd have little trouble grabbing an average size woman by the wrists and hoisting her out quickly if I needed to. But, I wasn't there and don't exactly know what happened. You have to be "in the moment" to spot and process a situation like that quickly enough, and most people tend to zone out and allow themselves to be suprised when something happens. It's wise to stay alert in public, primarily to keep *yourself* out of harm's way.
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Old 03-14-2010, 12:16 PM
 
9 posts, read 19,671 times
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Maybe its just me, but I am always scared that someone is going to push me in front of the train at the last second as its barreling into the station.

Gosh it was just a gym bag
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Old 03-14-2010, 02:36 PM
 
Location: Bay Ridge, NY
1,915 posts, read 7,962,187 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer View Post
I'm also a little confused as to why nobody attempted to pull her out of there once they realized the train was coming. I'm pretty sure I'd have little trouble grabbing an average size woman by the wrists and hoisting her out quickly if I needed to. But, I wasn't there and don't exactly know what happened. You have to be "in the moment" to spot and process a situation like that quickly enough, and most people tend to zone out and allow themselves to be suprised when something happens. It's wise to stay alert in public, primarily to keep *yourself* out of harm's way.
You don't know how far away she was from the platform.. it might not have been possible for someone to grab her.. and you don't know how who was there.. or if they were strong enough to lift someone by only their upper body onto the platform.
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Old 03-14-2010, 02:37 PM
 
Location: NYC/Seattle
37 posts, read 166,516 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by britz660 View Post
Maybe its just me, but I am always scared that someone is going to push me in front of the train at the last second as its barreling into the station.
Me too. I don't mind standing near the edge of the platform when it's empty, but people get so freaking impatient, especially around rush hour. Just a week ago I was waiting for a train and everyone crowded around to push into an already full car. Cue nobody moving backwards when the train left the station, and me, standing probably two inches from the edge of the platform, bodies pushing against me at all sides, praying that nobody would move behind me until a train had pulled in and come to a full stop. All it would have taken was one impatient person.
Luckily, nobody moved until then, but once the doors opened, I was smushed against the outside of the train by a stampede of pushing people for like 30 seconds. This city is ridiculous sometimes.


Do you people remember that video from Boston of that drunk woman who fell into the tracks? People waved to the conductor, but nobody jumped in or reached down to help her until the train had come to a full stop. I'm sure the people watching were shocked and afraid for the woman but it's unrealistic to expect a bunch of pedestrians to suddenly team up or risk their lives solo, on the spot, for a complete stranger. In both instances, onlookers tried to prevent an accident, but it takes a special kind of person to bring it to the next level.
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Old 03-14-2010, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Bergen County, NJ
9,847 posts, read 25,156,211 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by britz660 View Post
Maybe its just me, but I am always scared that someone is going to push me in front of the train at the last second as its barreling into the station.

Gosh it was just a gym bag
Yeah that's another reason not to stand close. I remember there was cases years back of crazy people pushing others into oncoming train or into the tracks...
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Old 03-14-2010, 07:08 PM
 
292 posts, read 817,195 times
Reputation: 197
Quote:
Originally Posted by ny123 View Post
Granted the unwise actions of the poor victim, I think she could have been saved if the onlookers, instead of shouting at the completely panicked woman (when she's so panicked and frozen she wouldn't listen), formed a human chain behind someone who could grab her hands and pull her onto the platform.

(.)
You can't be serious. It would take people several minutes to form a human chain even if they knew in advance that they would have to. WHose the strongest? Whose the weakest? Who wants to get closest to the edge of the platform?

I would love to see you take a random group of strangers (most of whom were apparently middle school students, and the vast majority of any group would likely be listening to their ipod, texting, or talking on cell phones) and get them to recognize the situation at hand, realize someone needs help, and then organize themselves into a human chain - all in the span of about 20 seconds.
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Old 03-14-2010, 07:12 PM
 
292 posts, read 817,195 times
Reputation: 197
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer View Post
I'm also a little confused as to why nobody attempted to pull her out of there once they realized the train was coming. I'm pretty sure I'd have little trouble grabbing an average size woman by the wrists and hoisting her out quickly if I needed to. But, I wasn't there and don't exactly know what happened. You have to be "in the moment" to spot and process a situation like that quickly enough, and most people tend to zone out and allow themselves to be suprised when something happens. It's wise to stay alert in public, primarily to keep *yourself* out of harm's way.
If you can dead lift a 140 pound person from below you you are stronger than the average person. I'm pretty strong and I can't lift my 50 pound child from below me, using only their hands. I think you're also forgetting how hard it is to control somene in a complete panic.
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