I don't know if there is a direct correlation between Black Friday and this incident, but it stands to reason that simply the number of people there made it worse.
False occurrences have become something of a norm here, namely with misreported shooting incidents. There were two when I was working for Georgia Tech (though I'm like 2,000 miles away so it didn't impact me). One was an incident where there was a reported active shooter on campus, which turned out not to be true. But when nerves are frayed, and that can be heightened by large crowds, these things seem to happen. Hopefully it wasn't out of any ill will or malice, and that those caught up in the stampede are alright.
It's something of a "better safe than sorry" thing.
Worrying stuff. My wife was in a tube recently and someone noticed a bit of smoke. What followed was an 'every man for himself' type stampede, with people being knocked over and shoved or off the way in the panic. I don't want to judge too harshly because I wasn't there, but the climate of fear seems to be eroding any sense of community spirit.
The same fear didn't erode Londoner's community spirit during the Blitz, in fact it enhanced it from what I've bwen told by folk who were there.
A bit different when the threat is from above, when compared to the thought of a mad gunman roaming the tube/streets, which is what people were fleeing
I wasn't comparing the type of attack or the reaction, I was answering Uboat's theory that fear may erode community spirit and that imo, it didn't seem to in London during WW2.
I don't see why a threat coming from above and those below not knowing where it's going to land, is any different (better or worse) than a person running amok with a gun or lorry.
All seems a bit weird to me. How can a couple of men have a bit of a scuffle, even if punches were thrown, descend into mass panic & reports of shots being fired ??
All seems a bit weird to me. How can a couple of men have a bit of a scuffle, even if punches were thrown, descend into mass panic & reports of shots being fired ??
Comments
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/mall-disturbances-reported-across-u-s-on-boxing-day/
False occurrences have become something of a norm here, namely with misreported shooting incidents. There were two when I was working for Georgia Tech (though I'm like 2,000 miles away so it didn't impact me). One was an incident where there was a reported active shooter on campus, which turned out not to be true. But when nerves are frayed, and that can be heightened by large crowds, these things seem to happen. Hopefully it wasn't out of any ill will or malice, and that those caught up in the stampede are alright.
It's something of a "better safe than sorry" thing.
I don't see why a threat coming from above and those below not knowing where it's going to land, is any different (better or worse) than a person running amok with a gun or lorry.
Run, hide, tell.
Unfortunately worse happened in WW2
Sorry times.