Chasing down bombers

[Atreides]

From the 2nd London (attempted) bombing, there were people that tried to chase down the culprits and news of some police subduing a bomber (apparently loaded with explosives) before shooting him. The latter in particular seems pretty brave given you're basically meleeing someone that could blow up. Both acts are actually pretty brave since you're trying to stop the bombers but potentially putting yourself in lethal danger.

 

How does the police in general determine if someone's packing explosives and what's the usual way to stop him/her? Would you "chase down" a suspected bomber?

[Musopticon?]

In contrast of being rather brave, it would also be quite foolhardy and stupid. yes, I would do it. And call other folks to help me too.

[Cantousent]

I voted yes because, while I'm not sure what I'd do, my fervant hope is that I'd chase them. From past experience, I know I'd do something. I might reflect that it was the wrong decision later, but I won't die standing in a train station dithering as to a course of action.

 

Regardless of anything else, if I'm with my wife, I'm doing whatever I think will best protect her. If that means grabbing her hand and running like hell, then I'm leaving a trail of dust behind us. If that means placing my boot to someone's head, they better like the size eleven footprint I'm going to leave there.

 

It reminds of once when I was driving along the street with the lady who would, in some five or six years hence be my wife, and I saw a co-worker standing against an outside wall of of a community with a strange man facing her. This was at night and I was driving a stick shift. I immediately pulled over and told Catherine to stay put because it looked to me like my co-worker was being mugged. I jumped out of the truck, which my wife couldn't drive because she didn't know how to drive a stick shift, and ran at my co-worker and her apparent assailant. It turned out that he was a friend who thought I was some crazy guy. He jumped over the wall and left her there. heh, some friend. A little embarrassed, I walked back to the truck and realized I'd left my wife in an ugly part of town in a car she couldn't drive. My primary responsibility is to my wife, and since then I've thought about what might happen to her in a situation. Love makes cowards out of the boldest men. ...And I'm not the boldest man.

[Calax]

I would have to say no because I'm a chicken by nature

[SteveThaiBinh]

I voted no. If the bomber were strapped with explosives and running towards a primary school, then yes, I would try to stop him. But otherwise, suicide bombers in Palestine/Israel tend to blow themselves up when capture is imminent - the fact that the guy in London didn't is unusual, I think. So I would have got myself killed, and to what end? I think the police who tried to subdue someone with explosives strapped to him are brave but incredibly foolish, and I don't think any member of the public expects that kind of bravery. Just shoot the guy!

[Kaftan Barlast]

Since most of them(the 2nd London bombers aswell) carry remote detonated charges, it would very likely be the last thing you did. You could hammer the bomber to oblivion, but you would still die in the blast as the leaders pushes the button.

[Darth Flatus]

Bravery is all well and good but when it serves nobody it is just stupidity. So i voted no.

[Lucius]

Of course not, I don't have a death wish.

[Walsingham]

The quick answer is that you'd have to see. As Hildegarde pointed out (diff thread) you often don't really know what is happening. When you think about it, a suicide bomber is so far from your normal experience that you might not realise until the whole thing was over. Most people just stand there not because they're scared but because they don't know what to do.

 

I tend to enjoy running after people, so I probably would. But I certainly wouldn't realise there was any real danger until it was too late. However, on principle would I jeopardize my own life to stop other people getting whacked? Certainly. And I don't care if they're kindergarteners or prostitutes or the PM. Steve I'm surprised to hear you of all people suggest that only sweet angelic children are more valid than you. If you realise something has to be done, and you can do it, then it's your responsibility to step up.

[SteveThaiBinh]

As you say, most people wouldn't know what to do immediately, and that includes me. Perhaps it shouldn't make a difference who the potential target is, but prostitutes and politicians can get themselves out of the way as well as I could. Little kids wouldn't have a clue what was going on. Plus I've been a teacher for seven years, so it's habit to feel responsible for other people's kids. In a crisis situation, that might click in, too.

[Walsingham]

I stand corrected. Sound reasoning, not on moral but cognitive grounds. I apologise for any offence.

[Reveilled]

I voted that I don't know, because I don't. I doubt that I would chase a bomber, but if people were shouting for others to stop him, I might make an attempt to trip him up. If I had to run after one, though, that would probably give me enough time to think about just what I'm doing, and then let my physical cowardliness kick in, at which point I would probably halt any pursuit. I'd like to think that if other people's lives were in danger I'd make an attempt to prevent them getting killed, but ultimately my own highest priority will always be self-preservation, and if I have time to realise that my actions are putting my life in jeapordy, I would most likely stop.

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

Chase a suspected bomber? Yep, I would. First I would call the authorities of their current whereabouts then chase the buger (or at least trail him) to keep an eye on him/her or hold him/her down till the police arrive.

 

Of course if he or she tries to kill me in the process I would have no reservations of killing him/her.

[Darkside]

I really don't know. I have a bad habit of trying to play hero, but I don't know if I would go that far...

 

It's really impossible to know for sure how you would react until faced with the situation. I pray I never have to find out.

[Azure79]

After an explosion, I think everyone would be too shocked and disoriented to react right away, especially to someone running away from the scene, which would probably look like the most rational response.

 

I probably would have said yes to this question a few years ago, but I've had unique experience involving a monk and a very sharp sword that pretty much showed I was a chicken****, so no, I probably wouldn't run after the suspected culprit if I thought I would die.

 

I would throw hard objects at the bombers fleeing head though.

 

However, if someone I care for was threatened by the fleeing bomber, then I would probably give chase. I have a pretty strong sense of duty to those I care about.

[thepixiesrock]

If I'm not in the blast range, then I would not. If I knew I was about to get blown up, maybe I would try something, after all, I would die anyway.

[Cantousent]

One thing I have to say to folks who've acting in a way that seemed cowardly or for which they feel some shame:

 

First of all, maybe you are a coward when it comes to physical pain, suffering, or death. There are worse crimes. Personally bravery isn't the most important characteristic. It's often an important one, but there are many others just as important and some that are more important than risking life and limb.

 

Second of all, if you've acted a way you percieve as cowardly in one situation, doesn't mean you cannot redeem yourself. I've known folks who thought they'd been a coward when there really wasn't anything better they could have done.

 

Finally, let's hope none of us are tested

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

Feeling fear is not being a coward. Facing fear and acting, whether for good or ill, is not being a coward. Doing nothing is cowardice, but sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action.

[Walsingham]

Like I said, sometimes you just don't realise what is happening. I saw a woman get stabbed to death once. I thought the guy was trying to dislodge something she had stuck in her throat. It was only when he stopped I realised the guy was holding a shiv. Then he hopped on a bike and sped off.

 

It's only cowardice once you know damn well what is happening and you still do nothing.

[Lucius]

Who's talking about being a coward here? I say he who runs away can run away another day.

[6 Foot Invisible Rabbit]

It's only cowardice once you know damn well what is happening and you still do nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yep, being oblivious does not make you a coward.

[Kaftan Barlast]

"Courage is something the coward clings to when he's afraid."

 

 

 

-ancient swedish wisdom

[xtreme49]

Unless any of my immediate family members were in danger, I'd be running in the opposite direction, and I think that pretty much goes for any dangerous situation.

[mkreku]

6 people are sitting in the safety behind their monitors at the time of writing this, saying they'd run towards a bomber if they saw him. Yeah, and your internet d!ck just grew 7 inches.

[Musopticon?]

*zing*

 

I would do it. Hell, I don't actually care for my life that much. Dying would be interesting.