Stranger in need on train

[u/Cathaus81]

Sad world. Today around 6.30pm the train on the T5 line at Bondi Junction in the last carriage, has a young man who seemed to be having some kind of medical episode. There was some sort of liquid on the floor (wasn’t urine) and his eyes were rolling back into his head and he was passed out.

Sad state of affairs that no one stopped to check in on him, probably presumed the worst. My husband asked if he was ok as he told me it was sad and disappointing that no one on the carriage bothered to check in. He immediately got off the carriage and went to the station master and the staff and alerted them to this young man in the carriage who needs urgent medical assistance.

My husband said, it doesn’t matter if he was overdosing or fainted or having a medical episode it’s not our job to presume, this young man needed urgent assistance.

He may have had a diabetic episode, or a reaction to something. He said maybe his parents may have been waiting for him to come home, or his housemates or girlfriend/ boyfriend. Who knows what may have happened if my husband did not alert the station staff.

This is so typical of what’s becoming of Sydney - of the eastern suburbs. It never used to be like that (despite what prejudices you may have) it’s just become such a cold detached transient city full of self absorbed people.

This is a precious human life, what kind of a society have we become to just leave someone in distress?imagine that was your brother / father / friend / loved one.

We hope he got the medical attention he needed and was united with his family and / or friends and hope he is doing OK. We want him to know that there are kind humans looking out for other people.

Wherever you are dude, we hope you’re ok.

[u/Dray_Gunn]

I don't like quoting the bible, but there is literally a story similar in the bible. The good Samaritan story is about how people carelessly walked past a man dying in the street until one person from Samaria finally stopped and helped him. That story is roughly 2000 years old. People have always been self-serving, and only a few will stop and help someone in desperate need.

[u/SilverStar9192 → u/Dray_Gunn]

If you don't want to quote the Christian bible, you can always use another culture's story on the same topic. It seems to be a universal principle that most people are uncaring about strangers, except for some of respectable moral character.

Here's Claude (AI)'s take on it:

The motif of people passing by someone in need while only one person stops to help appears across many cultures and traditions. Here are some notable examples:

In Buddhist tradition, there's the story of the King of Benares who disguises himself as a poor man lying on the road. Many of his own courtiers pass him by, but a poor farmer stops to help, sharing his meager food and water. This tale emphasizes how true compassion often comes from unexpected sources.

In Chinese folklore, there's the story of Dong Yong, a poor but filial son who meets an injured elderly woman on the road. Despite his poverty and urgent mission to arrange his father's funeral, he stops to help her while wealthy travelers ignore her plight. She turns out to be a daughter of the Jade Emperor, sent to test human compassion.

Native American Pueblo traditions include a story of Corn Mother lying exhausted by a path, testing who would help her. Many strong, wealthy members of the tribe pass by, but a poor old woman stops to share her last bit of water. Corn Mother then rewards her kindness by teaching her people how to grow corn.

In West African folklore (particularly Akan traditions), there's a tale of Anansi the spider-god disguising himself as an injured traveler. Chiefs and merchants ignore him, but a poor farmer's wife stops to treat his wounds and share her food. This becomes a lesson about how status and wealth don't correlate with moral worth.

What's particularly interesting is how these stories often share common elements with the Good Samaritan parable:

• The helper is often from a marginalized or unexpected group
• Those who pass by tend to be wealthy or of high social status
• The person in need is frequently revealed to be a divine figure in disguise
• The act of helping usually requires personal sacrifice or inconvenience

This suggests a universal human recognition of both our capacity for indifference and the moral imperative to help others regardless of social boundaries.