Quote Originally Posted by Lyle View Post
The more people that just "go with the flow" the easier it is to do and the harder it is to be an individual. I would say something like groupthink or the bystander effect played a large role along with those guys being young and dumb.

I don't so much hate bums but pan handlers (and there is a huge difference). 3/4ths of the homeless are unmedicated schizo's and the medicine they take makes them feel "normal" so of course they stop taking it fairly regularly.
Sometimes they stop taking their meds because it makes them feel like they're in a fog. Well, I'd rather you be in a fog than me pushed in front of a subway train.

I feel bad for Smoky, though. The guy didn't deserve this and pack mentality is a bitch.

My experience with that is a concert I went to in 1988. After the show was done, in the outer hall, some dick yelled 'Gun!' and of course everyone stampeded. I was more afraid of being trampled than shot so I grabbed onto the shirt of the big girl in front of me. I was making out all right in the crush of bodies until some jerk leapfrogged me, knocking me to the ground. I scrabbled back to my feet, getting bumped around and made it out safe.

When we made it back home my brother, his friend, and I were talking about what happened. I told them what happened to me, my brother's friend told us what he did and my brother said how he jumped over SOME guy. After a little more talking we came to the realization that he'd jumped over me. Now this is my older brother and I was about 11 years old at the time.