I was on my way to town on Saturday when the ramshackle of a commuter omnibus (others prefer to call them minibus or kombi) we were travelling in got caught in traffic. The jam was caused by a beehive of activity comprising of about 20 vehicles ahead of us, as good samaritans worked on rescuing a driver trapped in a mangled wreck, following a head on collision.
Naturally, the omnibus driver quickly packed his vehicle by the roadside and called for willing passengers to alight and join the rescue effort. It was all instinctive and humanity drove men and women into action. I saw determined men, like possessed machines, firmly working on metal entrapments on the mangled wreck. Ideas flew in the air on how to rip the metal apart. Team work ensued and progress was rolling in by the minute. I felt an enormous pride to be part of a society that values life.
On the downside, there’s a breed of useless people caught up in the petty frenzy of social media and its call for instant messages and updates. While others worked their hearts out to save lives, this band of lazy minds rushed to the scene with their phones held high in their hands, fighting for angles at which to take shots of the wailing victims for instant upload on social media networks.
Kindly picture my context: 20 years ago, upon arriving at an accident scene, the only sensible thing to do was to throw your jacket and tie on the edge of the road, roll up your sleeves and clench your teeth in determination as you ripped metal apart to rescue the trapped souls.
Yes, like salivating hounds, we poke our tongues out of the corners of our mouths as we steady ourselves to shove into the crowd for the silliest thing ever- a photograph.
During the weekend I saw one muscular guy pump up his chest like an angry gorilla ready for war, hastily cutting into the crowd for what we all thought was to help with the rescue. Alas! It was all to get as close to the wailing victims as possible so he could worsen the victims’ painful battle for air with his camera flash.
Minutes later when the victims had been rushed to the hospital, the photo-happy guy was by the roadside, running a library of pictures for those who were willing to see them. his day was made and he seemed happy. This is plain cheap! Society has turned utter stupid.
People at an accident scene nowadays need to get a life; they must own their heads and control the pulp that floats inside them. Life is larger than the camera viewfinder. We are better off as unsung heroes who sacrificed their jacket to warm a bleeding victim than that showy and silly camera-obsessed oblongata that screamed his way to the front to take pictures for instagram and facebook
Olla
Tryness