# Weird situation: would you have stayed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369 "2011-09-23T19:19:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/201 "2011-09-26T01:50:03Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > In fact, if her arm was so trapped for half an hour that she couldn’t withdraw it from the window, emergency services are entirely appropriate. It’s likely that she would have been fine, and I offered the suggestion that the OP could have broken the window himself, but she needed emergency medical attention regardless. > > Neither you, nor I, nor the OP know whether or not her arm was permanently damaged. Right. It was so damaged that she didn’t want to get it out of the window as soon as possible. ETA: Why do you think she was trapped for half an hour? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/202 "2011-09-26T01:53:15Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > No it wasn’t. You don’t tie up emergency services so you can save on the cost of a window. > > She wasn’t in a true emergency. How could you possibly know? The OP said it was swelling. Sounds urgent enough that I wouldn’t want to be responsible for deciding it wasn’t an emergency and being wrong. Frankly, I’d take the word of the person who was actually trapped than substituting my judgement- except in the most obvious of circumstances. ETA: She said she had been calling for half and hour. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/203 "2011-09-26T01:55:30Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Right. It was so damaged that she didn’t want to get it out of the window as soon as possible. She did want to get it out of the window as soon as possible. She thought the best way to do that was 911. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/204 "2011-09-26T01:57:05Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Right. It was so damaged that she didn’t want to get it out of the window as soon as possible. That’s beside the point. People frequently say, “I’m fine,” and three minutes later drop dead of a stroke or a heart attack. Were I the OP, I would have broken the window regardless of her wishes, and I would have called 911 so that she received emergency medical attention to her arm. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/205 "2011-09-26T01:58:46Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > ETA: Why do you think she was trapped for half an hour? Because her penknive was on her keyring inside the car? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/206 "2011-09-26T01:59:08Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > She did want to get it out of the window as soon as possible. She thought the best way to do that was 911. Then she’s a moron. The quickest way out is to break the window. Where did she say that she’d been calling for a half hour? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/207 "2011-09-26T02:02:26Z")
While I realize that Internet Tough Guys ™ are all capable of instantly finding something with which to smash a window and then successfully smashing it while not injuring the woman whose arm is currently trapped in said window, I think that for most other people, calling 911 will lead to a quicker and likely safer resolution. And seriously, in a situation like this, who the hell argues with the person who wants you to call 911? “No no, I’m not calling 911, I’ve decided you don’t need it.” The fuck? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/208 "2011-09-26T02:04:34Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Where did she say that she’d been calling for a half hour? :rolleyes: She was stuck for more than thirty seconds, and less than when the OP’s last employee left over half an hour before he did. Long enough to get stuck and get swollen. So what? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/209 "2011-09-26T02:10:23Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > :rolleyes: She was stuck for more than thirty seconds, and less than when the OP’s last employee left over half an hour before he did. Long enough to get stuck and get swollen. So what? So, you’re making shit up. The fact that you’ve turned this into a potential lost-limb scenario is funny as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/210 "2011-09-26T02:10:38Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > While I realize that Internet Tough Guys ™ are all capable of instantly finding something with which to smash a window and then successfully smashing it while not injuring the woman whose arm is currently trapped in said window, I think that for most other people, calling 911 will lead to a quicker and likely safer resolution. Frankly, I doubt it would have been too difficult for the OP to find a rock, or pull the lug wrench out of his trunk, and break the window. I can’t imagine that a broken window falling down would have done any more damage to her arm than would already have happened. And if by some chance it did, it’d likely be less damage than leaving her arm in place. That said, … > [@](#): > > And seriously, in a situation like this, who the hell argues with the person who wants you to call 911? “No no, I’m not calling 911, I’ve decided you don’t need it.” The fuck? Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/211 "2011-09-26T02:11:36Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > While I realize that Internet Tough Guys ™ are all capable of instantly finding something with which to smash a window and then successfully smashing it while not injuring the woman whose arm is currently trapped in said window, I think that for most other people, calling 911 will lead to a quicker and likely safer resolution. > > And seriously, in a situation like this, who the hell argues with the person who wants you to call 911? “No no, I’m not calling 911, I’ve decided you don’t need it.” The fuck? It doesn’t take a tough-guy to knock out a car window. Only someone who happens to know that glass breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/212 "2011-09-26T02:15:34Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > The fact that you’ve turned this into a potential lost-limb scenario is funny as hell. Regardless of whether she was stuck for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, her arm was swollen and she could not remove it. We have no idea whether she was cutting off the blood flow to her arm, we have no idea what blood vessel or nerve damage may have been happening. She may have been fine, she probably was fine. Still the fact that you do not see how such a situation requires emergency medical attention to ensure that it is not a loss-of-limb scenario says more about you than I’d like to know. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/213 "2011-09-26T02:16:36Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > It doesn’t take a tough-guy to knock out a car window. Only someone who happens to know that glass breaks. Ever punched out a car window with your hand? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/214 "2011-09-26T02:18:55Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Regardless of whether she was stuck for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, her arm was swollen and she could not remove it. We have no idea whether she was cutting off the blood flow to her arm, we have no idea what blood vessel or nerve damage may have been happening. > > She may have been fine, she probably was fine. Still the fact that you do not see how such a situation requires emergency medical attention to ensure that it is not a loss-of-limb scenario says more about you than I’d like to know. How big were the bears that were preparing to attack? > [@Frank](#): > > Ever punched out a car window with your hand? Who said it had to be with his hand? Why are you making shit up again? ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/215 "2011-09-26T02:25:35Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I’ll tell you what I thought about the rape joke and the show me your tits joke, and I don’t have a stick in my ass or a man-hating attitude. > > It made me think that here are a bunch of guys, some I like, some I don’t and some I never gave a second thought to … but I never in a million years thought that one of them ever considered raping me or trying to take advantage of me sexually, and now I see that I was wrong. It made me stop and think about who else in my life I may be wrong about. I think you are missing what makes a joke like that funny. If jokes simply suggested reasonable options for how to behave, they wouldn’t be funny. But sometimes a description of actions (ie the joke in question) that is so far beyond the reach of normal and decent behavior as to be utterly RIDICULOUS is, in an odd sort of way, funny. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/216 "2011-09-26T02:36:12Z")
> [@misterW](#): > > I think you are missing what makes a joke like that funny. If jokes simply suggested reasonable options for how to behave, they wouldn’t be funny. But sometimes a description of actions (ie the joke in question) that is so far beyond the reach of normal and decent behavior as to be utterly RIDICULOUS is, in an odd sort of way, funny. And here we have the heart of the matter. The idea that a trapped, isolated woman may end up the victim of a sexual assault isn’t really that ridiculous or abnormal. It’s not a foregone conclusion of course, but it’s really not unheard of. Moreover, the idea that an “unpleasant” woman may _deserve_ said assault is also really not uncommon in the real damn world. Also, if you need to explain why a joke is funny, you might want to consider the concept that maybe it isn’t actually universally funny. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/217 "2011-09-26T02:37:33Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Who said it had to be with his hand? Why are you making shit up again? I was enough of a douchebag in highschool to learn first hand that you can swing an aluminum bat full power at a car side window and the window won’t break ([and it’s not just me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L91_K-s4pMM)). On the other hand, you can leverage the window down without too much force, especially if it’s open enough that an arm is stuck in it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/218 "2011-09-26T02:39:11Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Who said it had to be with his hand? Why are you making shit up again? You’re making no sense at all. It’s not even like you’re making shit up; you’re not on the same planet as I am. You’re supporting the OP not doing shit. You do not believe that he should have helped more than he did and that he was correct in not calling 911. Given that, you can only be saying that you think she should have broken the window. How? I’ll add that if I don’t get some sort of response more reasonable than something whimsical to do with bears, I’ll not bother with you any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/219 "2011-09-26T02:45:30Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > You’re making no sense at all. It’s not even like you’re making shit up; you’re not on the same planet as I am. Oh, bull. You asked me if I’ve ever punched out a window with my hand, insinuating that it was really difficult & the OP’s only option. Don’t act like my response was out of nowhere, simply because you’ve painted yourself in a corner with this inane line of reasoning. > [@](#): > > You’re supporting the OP not doing shit. You do not believe that he should have helped more than he did and that he was correct in not calling 911. False. I am supporting the OP breaking the woman’s window, and operating under the assumption that she did not want him to do so. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369/220 "2011-09-26T02:48:12Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > It doesn’t take a tough-guy to knock out a car window. Only someone who happens to know that glass breaks. Like I said, I’m sure you could have done it quickly and easily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-situation-would-you-have-stayed/597369.md?page=12)