TV's Frink said:

From wiki (usual disclaimer applies):

A good Samaritan law was featured in the May 1998 series finale of the popular NBC situation comedy Seinfeld, in which the show's four main characters were all prosecuted and sentenced to one year in jail for making fun of (rather than helping) an overweight man who was getting robbed at gunpoint.^[28] In reality, while Massachusetts (where the fictional crime was committed) does have a law requiring passersby to report a crime in progress, the most stringent punishment the characters could have suffered under those circumstances would have been a $500–$2500 fine (assuming they were prosecuted under state law); in addition, the phrase "good Samaritan law," when used in Massachusetts, refers only to the civil law definition and does not have any actual relevance to the law under which Jerry Seinfeld and his friends were prosecuted (which would be considered a duty to rescue).^[29]

huh, I guess it was based on a real law. Well, I guess the question is, does NY have a similar law?

C3PX said:

Huh, interesting that you called it a sorry state, then you kind of defended the inaction.

I'm not defending the inaction, I'm just simply saying that I don't know I'd be any better than they were. I'd like to think I would be. But I can't be certain, unless I'd find myself in that position.

C3PX said: The article you posted mention that a guy actually poked at him for a bit, then moved on. That is just downright morbid if you ask me.

I agree.

xhonzi said:

Which is the sadder state? That people don't help these people? Or that these people choose to live like this is the first place?

That's the saddest part to me. Though it does suck that there is such fear of being hurt that we don't stop to help more. I wish I could just go out and help all of the people who look like they need help... But there's a risk involved and there are people that rely on me (like my mortage company) and it's not very responsible of me to put myself at risk like that all of the time.

Is that a valid excuse?

it might be if, in order to help him, you had to put your own life at risk. But I fail to see how using your cell phone, or a pay phone, etc . . ., to dial 911 and say "hay there's this guy lying in the street in a pool of blood, I think he needs help he's at (give them the address here)" would be putting your own life at risk.