Gaffer Tape said:
Okay. Well, I went for a walk tonight, and just as I was about to turn around, I noticed a little circular, walled-in area with a statue of a guy playing a piano that I had never noticed before (I live right off of Music Square in Nashville, so this kind of thing isn't uncommon). I decided to take a closer look at it, but as I got inside, I noticed a man curled up on the ground, his face to the brick. I leaned in for a closer look and didn't see any signs of violence. So after that, I uncomfortably turned around and walked back home.
Should I have stopped to see if this guy was alright? I wasn't sure. I'm still not. Moving here was the first time I saw homeless people on a regular basis. And most of my encounters with them end up with me sacrificing some of my money. And as a retail clerk, that's not really money I can spare at the moment, but I can't really find the heart to say no to them (until they start badgering me for more after I've just given them some). But at any rate, I've gotten used to seeing them, and, chances are, this was just a homeless guy taking a nap in an unobtrusive spot. I could have called 911 and let the police sort it out, but if he was just sleeping, they would have awakened him and booted him out. Then I would have just ruined that guy's day.
If he was dead, well, he's dead. I can't really do anything for him. He didn't look like he was in pain or injured in any way, so it seemed to me like it was either one of the two.
Nonetheless, it still made me think of this discussion. So I'm really not sure.
just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting you had to call 911 every time you see a bum on the street. If, however, that bum is laying a pool of blood(or if it he loos otherwise injured , that's the time to call 911.
As Anchorhead said, it may be unwise to approach the guy. You never know what might happen.
