i heard a story once that in tokyo, a guy collapsed and died right on the street, slumped against a wall beside a newstand or something and no one paid any mind for days.
there's also that tidbit urban legend (or true story, who knows) alluded to in 'collateral' that someone died on LA's metro rail and no one noticed right away.
as cities grow, people drift apart - maybe the knowledge that you're less likely to even see them again prevents you from forming a bond, who knows.
i've found, paradoxically, that when the smallest of 'situations' happens or when you're one step away from just walking on a street, people are far friendlier, say when you're stuck in a line during an airport delay, or some other bare minimum 'probably not some random creep' set of circumstances.
as soon as you're some other guy getting screwed over by the same company / circumstance or whatever there's a sympathetic reaction - it's you and them against the world!
i'm a calgary implant but even i have noticed a dramatic change in the last decade. over time walt healeys die, dustys sell their saloons, and calgary loses its rootin'-tootin' roots and morphs towards vancouver. not good in many respects but times are a changin.
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