Did You Ever Feel As Though You Were Losing Faith In Humankind?

[ChristineES]

I felt like I was today (losing faith in humankind). Our car broke down while we were on the way to a meeting for my oldest son (who is autistic). We had to pull over right away and were quite a way from the call box. My husband had to dash across a very busy highway to get to it. Hundreds of cars and three police drove by and no one at all stopped! My husband could have been killed while rushing across the street like that, but it was all he could do. We waited 40 minutes for a tow truck and I felt in fear of my life standing there.

I can understand that some people could not pull over, of course, but all those people and 3 police cars? No one could ask if we were OK.

 

[kadzbiz]

Not trying to make excuses for the cops and not knowing their situation, they may have been heading to a serious job.....but to answer you quesion Christine, I also have lost faith in mankind, ages ago, probably not long after I became a cop. Having said that of course, I have seen some good things too, but I see so much that is negative it makes me so sad. I know I see a different view than most citizens, but I can't help feeling us earthlings are heading for a big fall.

 

[bobhikes]

One constant is that no matter what, I can count on others. Help is not always timely but if you were there longer someone would have come to your aid they always do.

Sorry for your incident but it seems as if everyone is OK just a little disappointed.

 

[kadzbiz]

........someone would have come to your aid they always do....

I would dispute that most severely. I have lost count of the times that it has been too late for many people.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I felt like I was today (losing faith in humankind). Our car broke down while we were on the way to a meeting for my oldest son (who is autistic). We had to pull over right away and were quite a way from the call box. My husband had to dash across a very busy highway to get to it. Hundreds of cars and three police drove by and no one at all stopped! My husband could have been killed while rushing across the street like that, but it was all he could do. We waited 40 minutes for a tow truck and I felt in fear of my life standing there.

I can understand that some people could not pull over, of course, but all those people and 3 police cars? No one could ask if we were OK.

It probably due to the media influenced and litigant culture we live in. (It's like that here in NY) A lot of people are wary and distrustful of strangers, and would rather not take a chance due to fears of personal safety or doing something in the act of helping just to get sued in the end. Its really sad. Perhaps the police were clocking you and would of stopped eventually, or someone would randomly stop and assist as Bobhikes mentioned or as kadzbiz implied, there could be something garnering the police's attention at the time that was more of a priority.

I'm glad your safe though.

 

[Smoke]

Humankind has never given me the slightest reason to have faith in it, though there are individuals who have been notable exceptions.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I am not going to poke here. But I have serious trouble with the word "faith", not in general, but in this case. I am pretty much annoying in that way.
I have faith in humankind. It's there, I have enough evidence for myself. Also do I think that human kind is not destroying itself by becoming more personal. So I have faith in the future of humankind.
This world is becoming a more personal one though and we are working towards that goal. When you grow crops, you don't need another person anymore for your meat. A supermarket will do and you can get any life-supllies you need. You don't even need to talk with the one you have to pay, al you need to do is pay.. Whenever things are broken, a not really personal helpdesk can help you on your way again. And ofcourse, internet and tv aren't really helping.. So far, we have one direction to go to..

 

[linwood]

I`m constantly on the verge of losing faith in humanity but just when it seems there`s no hope one of them does something that keeps me from going over the edge.

 

[The Great Architect]

Sorry to read this.

Someone once told me that

people are essentially bad, and that the bad would usually overcome good

:cover:

How upsetting is that?:thud:

I've been trying to reconcile myself to this sentiment ever since. I don't ever wish to adopt that view.

Kind of off-topic...

 

[3.14]

first time i lost it was with the mohammed teddybear incident
seconed time was when i realized that southpark actualy described sientology resendably well
thirde time was when i realized that some creationist were actualy serious
fourth time was when i saw this: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/eros-room/77633-witch-burning.html
fifth was when i read about a child being locked in a cage and was forced to wear a schock collar
and i could sadly continue this all day long

 

[Sunstone]

I don't know if I have much faith in people beyond expecting us to behave more or less in the same ways I've watched us behave all my life. Of course, we are in some ways different from each other and in other ways remarkably similar.

I would say that it was just bad luck, Christine, you and your husband didn't meet anyone helpful that day. The odds are someone would have stopped out of the hundreds of people going by. At least that's true enough where I come from. But sometimes the odds don't pan out in our favor.

 

[PureX]

Not trying to make excuses for the cops and not knowing their situation, they may have been heading to a serious job.....but to answer you quesion Christine, I also have lost faith in mankind, ages ago, probably not long after I became a cop. Having said that of course, I have seen some good things too, but I see so much that is negative it makes me so sad. I know I see a different view than most citizens, but I can't help feeling us earthlings are heading for a big fall.

This really would be a hazard of your profession. You have to deal with us at our worst, day in and day out. How can that not effect you? All I can say is to try and keep in mind that your view is seriously skewed toward the negative because of your work. Try and remember all the people in your community that DIDN'T do something horrible, today.

 

[PureX]

I felt like I was today (losing faith in humankind). Our car broke down while we were on the way to a meeting for my oldest son (who is autistic). We had to pull over right away and were quite a way from the call box. My husband had to dash across a very busy highway to get to it. Hundreds of cars and three police drove by and no one at all stopped! My husband could have been killed while rushing across the street like that, but it was all he could do. We waited 40 minutes for a tow truck and I felt in fear of my life standing there.

I can understand that some people could not pull over, of course, but all those people and 3 police cars? No one could ask if we were OK.

Having lived for many years in Chicago, I can say that many, many people have been killed in Chicago, including many police officers, while parked on the side of the expressways. A car breaks down, and pulls over on the very narrow emergency berm. A police cruiser pulls in behind it and puts on it's lights on for safety; to help alert traffic that they are stopped there, and waits for a tow truck to come. And sure enough, someone comes along at 70 MPH and slams into the back of the police car.

I don't know why this happened so frequently in Chicago, but it did. So much so that the police no longer pull in behind a distressed motorist, as they used to, and wait for the wrecker. Instead, Chicago uses these huge wreckers (tow vehicles) that can withstand being crashed into, and has them pick up the distressed cars as quickly as possible. The police will see you pulled over, and will call for help for you, but they will no longer pull in behind you and wait with you for the tow vehicle to arrive. It's simply too dangerous.

 

[3.14]

who says that the cops did not report it in?
are you sure the tow truck came because you called them?

 

[Charity]

who says that the cops did not report it in?
are you sure the tow truck came because you called them?

How would the "cops" know if the car was the problem or if maybe someone was sick.....in that case shouldn't the cops called for a tow truck and an ambulance?.....:help:.......

It's evident that someone called the tow truck, because thankfully it arrived...

No matter how the assistance came it was an unfortunate day for Christine and her family.....I'm happy they are safe and the unpleasant ordeal is over.....
Don't lose faith in humankind Christine, there are many good people out there. It's just that we are all here posting on the forum.....

 

[ChristineES]

I feel better today. The repair was rather expensive (it was the timing belt)but we did get our income tax refund already and that will cover it. I did actually wonder if the police cars were headed somewhere. I didn't feel that way about the traffic cop because he gave someone a ticket while I watched somewhat down the road (actually my husband saw it when he was at the call box). Maybe the tow truck was the one John called or maybe it was one that was called by someone driving by (if it was, I wish I could thank whoever called it in).
Thanks for the responses and I am glad that we were not hurt.

 

[KnowledgeSeeker]

My husband loses a little more faith everyday at work. He deals with people who are trying to get public assistance. Some of these people are truly in need but the others are just trying to work the system for the cash.:help:

 

[Quagmire]

Might not be a bad idea to get a cell phone, Christine. Just for emergencies like this one.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I do quite often. But I also think back to one of my favorite lines of Emily Bronte's poetry:

'Twas grief enough to think mankind
All hollow servile insincere
But worse to trust to my own mind
And find the same corruption there’

Sorry to hear about your incident.

 

[Quagmire]

I don't know about faith but I often find myself losing patience with Humankind.