Quote:
Originally Posted by fredr123
What's the point? I bet 99% of the population would react similarly. When the chips are down, it's not women and children first; it's me first and get the f out of my way.
I've been in a few emergency situations in my life none of which approach anything nearly as horrific as what ocurred on that bus. In those cases, I think I reacted pretty well. I like to think I'm cool under pressure. At the same time I am almost 100% sure I would have been among those on that bus rushing for the exit. I can think of maybe two people (my wife and kid) that I would willingly do anything, including facing imminent peril and certain death, in order to protect (even then, consider my mother in law above). The rest of you are hosed. It's not cowardice, it's just an honest human reaction.
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Regarding fight or flight response.
Just a little while ago I saw some study that had examined how people had responded during ferry (passenger boat) sinkings/emergencies and I believe (trying to remember exact numbers but the point is the same) they had concluded that ~80% panic and run/jump away from where the masses think there is danger towards where the masses think there is safety, 12% freeze and go into shock and 8% remain relatively logical and try to help the masses and/or themselves and/or address the original problem.
This was not said in what i read, but i imagine that mere 8% that remain logical likely have training/experience with the particular problem and that given a type of problem equally as dangerous but of a different nature they too would be panicing (and some of those prior 80% would then be clear thinking and replace them in the 8% group).
So yeah, seems to me about 1%-2% are able to think clearly in emergencies like this without training and another 6%-7% with training.
On a bus in the middle of no where I am not surprised people just got themselves out of immediate danger.
Claeren.