I'm not a big fan of helping random people out.

This isn't because I don't care. It's not because I don't want to. It's not because I can't.

But rather I've been taught to defer to authorities.

Which is fine. Go authority. Well, it's fine as long as the authority is willing to do its job.

But it ain't ever. Why not? Well quite simply because it's made up of normal people. Who, well, they want to defer to authority.

So that was more of a random rant than something that made sense so I'll break it down with a real world example.

I'm waiting at West Croydon station with my beer.

My beer tastes nice.

Dude staggers towards me.

I move out of dude's way.

Dude falls over and cracks his head real heavy on the platform.

And I'm all like, seven minutes to my train. Look for staff. None are there. See dude's bleeding like a stuck pig. Sigh. There's no way
one beer's getting me through this.

"Dude are you alright?" I ask.

"No I've cracked my head open. There's loads of blood." Says dude.

"Oh yeah. You've got some bleeding go on. Sit there, and I'll get some help. You cool with that?"

"Bah"

"Well, I'm going with that being a yes then."

Off I pop asking chap on station platform to keep an eye on dude. Find myself a train driver.

"Hey." I say. "Dude's cracked his head open. Little bit of blood. Not too concerned, but he says he's big with the hearing voices. Let's get him a
a bit of first aid and pass him off on the ambulance service quick smart."

"Well. I'm not allowed to do blood. I'm just a driver."

"Right. You can't do blood because you're a driver."

"Yeah. Can't do blood."

"Right. So accident victims OK as long as there's no blood."

"Yup."

"Well give me the first aid box and I'll do the blood bit."

Ten to fifteen minutes later I've mopped up dude and talk to a member of the platform staff as the ambulance cart him off - it's
the guy that got me very badly equipped first aid box.

Dude, superficial head wound - and a penchant for wanting to neck Vodka, fixed - I'm cleaning up.

"I thought that perhaps being a train company, you know, with loads of people coming through and those real fast moving trains - one of you
might be first aid trained." I said.

"Well we are. But we don't do blood." He replied.

"Right. That is a bit thick though in't it."

"Well, you know health and safety."

"Ergh. I think those laws were passed to make people healthier and safer."

"Yeah. But we could get sued."

"Right." Thinking there should be a law against stupidity so I can get a suit going.

"Anyway I best take your name and number."

"Well you're welcome to it. Shall I write it in your log book for today?"

"No best not. Can't do that. Data protection."

"Sure, I mean who knows what'll happen if you write my name down. Anyway I used these parts of your first aid kit..."

"Yeah. I can't take that down. You know health and safety."

Ahhh I thought.

It's not the Government that's making us a stupid group of morons it's us. We are all stupid, and defer to stupid people like us.

How about we just engage brain.

If someone needs help, here's an idea. Help them. If you want to write someone's name down, dude grab a pencil - I'm sure the world won't end.

"But they might call injury lawyers for a little bit less." Said my imaginary voice.
"And I might call you a moron." And that's a no win, no fee judgement.