And I keep thinking - what could we realistically have done?
Most of the scenarios I can envision with teenaged girls in train stations who are in real trouble rather than just sad involve bringing the transit authorities into it. If she would have let us. And possibly the police into it. Ditto. And the SEPTA transit authorities were right there in the station. Runaway was actually my first thought, and I know the shelter where they take runaway kids for intake while things get sorted and I know the inpatient unit where kids with psychiatric histories who run away can end up. The police can do things to set that in motion. At work, I can talk to people who can do things. Here, what could I really have done? And should I have?
I saw a couple of cars last month right after the one had crashed into the other, and I did go over to see if there was anything I could do. I could have called 911, but one of the drivers already was. I did tell him the exact address to tell 911, since I knew exactly where I was waiting for the bus and he was just driving through. I could have done CPR, but everyone was still breathing. One woman looked hurt but was breathing and talking and moving, and she was still in the car, anything I might have tried was more likely to do harm than good. So I stood around in case anyone stopped breathing and within a couple of minutes some paramedics came and did all sorts of things they have the training and equipment to do, at which point I went back to waiting for my bus.
I spend my days trying to fix things for people and I go home at night trying still to do the right thing. But I'm really not convinced the right thing here as, well, yes, as a bystander, was to go over to her and get involved. Not because I don't want to get involved, but because I don't see what my involvement could realistically have offered.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 11:51 pm (UTC)Most of the scenarios I can envision with teenaged girls in train stations who are in real trouble rather than just sad involve bringing the transit authorities into it. If she would have let us. And possibly the police into it. Ditto. And the SEPTA transit authorities were right there in the station. Runaway was actually my first thought, and I know the shelter where they take runaway kids for intake while things get sorted and I know the inpatient unit where kids with psychiatric histories who run away can end up. The police can do things to set that in motion. At work, I can talk to people who can do things. Here, what could I really have done? And should I have?
I saw a couple of cars last month right after the one had crashed into the other, and I did go over to see if there was anything I could do. I could have called 911, but one of the drivers already was. I did tell him the exact address to tell 911, since I knew exactly where I was waiting for the bus and he was just driving through. I could have done CPR, but everyone was still breathing. One woman looked hurt but was breathing and talking and moving, and she was still in the car, anything I might have tried was more likely to do harm than good. So I stood around in case anyone stopped breathing and within a couple of minutes some paramedics came and did all sorts of things they have the training and equipment to do, at which point I went back to waiting for my bus.
I spend my days trying to fix things for people and I go home at night trying still to do the right thing. But I'm really not convinced the right thing here as, well, yes, as a bystander, was to go over to her and get involved. Not because I don't want to get involved, but because I don't see what my involvement could realistically have offered.