And I knew someone would post something like this. Thanks for meeting expectations.
I’d never put the Celtling at risk by letting him in. But I would call 911 and toss a good warm blanket out the window to him.
Chances are good this would be a person who is inolved in drugs somehow. I would be afraid that his behavior would be unpredictable once he got in.
Depends on if Mr. Lissar were at home. If both of us were here we’d let him in and Mr. Lissar would go over him with basic first aid while I made tea. Mr. Lissar’s also a second degree black belt in three martial arts, and a big guy. If he weren’t home I think I’d give him some blankets but would stay outside, partly because I have two babies in the house who might need me, partly because of risk- I’m a smallish woman.
The results of this are interesting to me partly because a very close friend had a near-parallel experience, but from the bleeding guy’s perspective. He was driving along a quiet road, started to get stabbing back pain, pulled into a suburb, realised he didn’t know the area’s exact location, and had to bang on a door and ask the resident to phone 911 for him so he could get an ambulance.
He walked a couple of steps and then collapsed.
She called but wouldn’t talk to him or throw him a blanket. When the ambulance came they had trouble locating him because he was wearing dark blue and it was getting dark. He had a descending aortic dissection and almost died (may still die waiting for surgery or on the table during the surgery).
I was initially incandescent with anger that no one around would talk to him- even yell out their windows- or provide blankets. I’m now calmer and realise that it’s scary to have someone bang on your door and then pass out.
I’d be worried, wary, and probably more than a little afraid, but I’d bring him in and help him while waiting for the authorities. It’s what I would hope someone would do for me if I were ever in that situation.
It’s winter, of course I’d let him inside. I would be suspicious and scared, no question about that. I would tuck my .44 in my pants and stay alert but I can’t imagine refusing to help or just callously tossing him a blanket.
I’d gauge his sanity and injuries and respond accordingly. I don’t think calling 911 is a given provided he seems coherent, isn’t severely injured, and can assure me that no one else is in danger.
Obviously he’s not having the best day, it’s possible that adding the cops or the cost of an ambulance wouldn’t actually be helpful.
Edit: Okay, I can see the answer changing if I were a single mom, then fuck him, not worth the risk.
That’s the way I look at it. As the husband it is my duty to do whatever it takes to protect my wife, and in a few years, my children. If need be I’d give my life to protect her, so being paranoid and selfish, or just plain a bad person, I’m ok with that.
Let him in. For the same reason that I will stop for someone at the side of the road. It’s Minnesota, it’s friggen cold, and people will die if I don’t.
I’m not afraid of home invasion. I live in a house with big ground floor windows. If someone wants in that badly, they will let themselves in, all it takes is a rock.
If for some reason, I felt really afraid, or he seemed very agitated, I’d let him into the garage and lock the door between. Hand over blankets and hot beverage. Let him sit in one of the cars. I’d then get both my cellphone, to call either a neighbor or a friend that lives close by, and the house phone, to call 911. I’d rather risk having my stuff stolen or broken than leave a man to possibly die.
For you men that say it’s your duty to protect your wives, how do they feel about that?
If my SO said he left an injured man on the porch in the winter, because he might be a threat to me, I’d stare at him like he’d grown a second head, and then go open the front door. I’m a big girl. I can make decisions about my own safety, and helping an injured person vs the small chance of danger to me? No question, help it is.
If it’s midnight, then nearly any given day both my husband and I are there. We’d almost certainly let him in and get him in a blanket. That being said, we’d also be ready for any unexpected violent behavior.
If my husband happened to be out of town so that it was just me? Probably let him into the foyer and get him blankets, but keep between him and the inside door into my house proper. I have little confidence in being able to fight off someone who’s having a psychotic break, and being naked outside in winter is not exactly a normal behavior.
I actually had this happen, kind of. When I lived in the city, I saw a woman from the apartment across from me running out in to the street and traffic. She was naked, just some underwear, and bleeding from many shallow self inflicted cuts. It was a very pitiful and disturbing sight. She ran up and down the road, trying to get hit, but the cars just slowed down and avoided her.
I came down with my own duvet, but in the end I hesitated in giving it to her. I think I was too selfish and didn’t want my duvet to be stained with blood from a sad crazy person. She didn’t really ask for help or a blanket, either. I just stood helplessly by the side of the road and watched her. After a while an ambulance came by and took her away.
Id let them in, Im pretty sure my partner would agree. It would depend a little bit on how they looked, ie desperate vs angry etc.
I think some people here have an inaccurate idea of the risks of violence from mentally ill people, or blood borne diseases for that matter.
Edit; Id call authorities first before letting him in though.
Otara
I voted that I would pass out blankets and etc.
However, I’m in the “I’d have to be there” to make the final call on whether or not I go out, or let him/her in. I think that in most situations, I would be more comfortable going out with the person than in letting them inside, but I’m very odd about letting people into my house. It’s not a safety thing, it’s just a weird mental hangup thing.
If I was seeing enough odd things to make me think it might be a scam, or if the person was raving or delusional, then I would be more likely to stay safely inside altogether.
The things I would pass out would include hot drinks, first/aid/bandages/cleaning stuff, and food, and I would at the very least stay at the porch window and talk to the person, letting them know that help was on the way and that if there was anything they needed, I’d try to get it for them in the meantime. If it were bloody cold, then they can go in the (unlocked) garage RIGHT NEXT to the porch, and stay warmer in there.
I certainly wouldn’t leave them out there unsupervised and go back to surfing the net - I would be way too keyed up, and want to know exactly what was going on with the person. Besides, I’d be expected to give a police report, and I’d want to have as much info as I could get.
If the person wandered away, I’d try to track them for as long as I could with a flashlight, and let the dispatcher know that the person had moved away and that they were injured and needed to be found.
I’m with the “call 911, provide blanket, do not let person in” crowd.
It might be a trauma victim needing help, or a nutcase/someone on PCP needing to slay demons (and you’ll do).
If the person was a small inoffensive looking woman (and Mrs. J. was around) I might let her in until police arrived.
The situation in the news was nowhere near what happened decades ago in N.Y. with Kitty Genovese. In that instance initial reports said numerous people heard and/or saw an attack developing, and not only did not go to her assistance, but failed to call authorities. It later turned out that some people did call police, and most people who heard something were unaware that a stabbing had taken place.
I’m a coward. If it seemed to me like this guy was nuts it’d only exacerbate that. An encounter with a crazy homeless guy has put the fear of the mentally unstable into me. I’d call 911 and let him know emergency services were on the way. If he didn’t seem crazy… I don’t know. I don’t know what I’d do in that situation. If it were a woman I think I’d be a bit more likely to let her in (assuming she’s a typical female in that I’m less physically threatened by her than by your average guy) but I’m still not sure if I would in the end. I’m nearly certain I’d let a child in- not out of any love for children, but because of how nonthreatening I find them.
She’s quite comfortable with the idea. I’m bigger, stronger and have more experiance with physical violence than she does. I know it’s not hip to be so heteronormative, but there we are. I’ll be in my cave.
I would let the poor guy in, adn do whatever I could.
I totally don’t want to have the sort of life where I am so afraid of the people around me that I can’t render help. I would much rather let the guy in and have something stolen or have him go crazy and trash the house than live as that sort of person, live with such a negative view of the society around me.
The only exception would be if he was doing something pretty specifically threatening, but even then it would need to be quite extreme.
FTR - I don’t even like t lock my door if I am at home during the day, if where I live is so scary and crime ridden then I’m sure as shit going to live somewhere else
If I were home alone, I’d pass out clothes and blankets through the window while on the phone to 911.
Since I’m unlikely to be by myself at midnight, we’d probably let him in while we waited for the authorities.
I had something like this happen once, but it was an acquaintance. The neighbors were young partying fools and had regular drama happening at their house. A young lady I used to babysit years before got herself involved with the neighbors and one night they got into a fight. So at 2 in the morning she’s pounding on my door with minor injuries and major drama. I took her out a phone, a cup of tea and a wet towel to clean her face and told her to call her momma and quit waking my household up, went back inside and back to bed. If anyone had been outside with her looking to continue the fight I’d have brought her in, but since no one was I didn’t want to involve myself any more than necessary.
I picked let him in. But I’m a man and I can handle myself pretty well. I’m not sure if I would chose that same option if I were a female that could be easily over taken by said naked man.
I’d let him in and give him blankets, then keep him under supervision while calling the police immediately.
If he’s naked, he’s not armed, and although the situation is still not without risks, I think they’re tolerable, given that the alternative is letting someone possibly die of exposure.
Of course I’d let him in. It’s the middle of the night and he’s naked, hurt and asking for help. And I’m saying this from the middle of an Australian summer. If you factor in the sub-freezing temperature and the fact that he could literally die of hypothermia … Seriously, how is that even a question?
It’s not like the “old days”, when you could do this sort of thing with relative impunity. There are too many stories about people getting burned for doing good deeds like this that most people are exceedingly wary of doing it.
I’d let him in and call the cops, but I’d definitely have my wife and son in another part of the house, probably upstairs.