JEDDAH, 15 March 2005 — When it comes to handling accidents, police face two problems — of dealing with the accident and keeping curious onlookers away from the scene.
Uncivilized behavior on the part of the public makes policing more difficult than it already is. Most people are unaware that crowding around an accident site makes policing difficult, and more often than not, irresponsible onlookers are putting their own lives on the line.
“Gathering around accident sites is in the blood of people living in Saudi Arabia,” said Fahd Al-Ahmari, a Saudi citizen. “I saw tens of people gathering around a car accident scene last month. The driver was bleeding inside the car and people were standing very close to the car looking at the victim. Sometimes the best help these people can do for an accident victim is to leave room for fresh air for him to breathe until ambulance arrives. I am sure that no one wants to stare at him or her when they are injured in a car accident. I wish if there was a special force to arrest those who gather around accident scenes.”
Ahmad Al-Otaibi, another Saudi citizen, said, “I remember the shooting that took place last year in Al-Safa neighborhood between police and terrorists. I was close to the scene because I live in that area. What I could not understand even now is why people gather near a place where there is a shootout. Aren’t they afraid that stray bullets can kill them? I remember police pushing people away from the shooting scene but when police go away, they come back again. What is funnier is when they hear the sound of shooting, they run away. When things calm down, they come back again to see what is happening.”
Salem Ali, a schoolteacher, said, “I think police should arrest those who crowd around accident or crime scenes. I am not talking about the people who are gathering to offer help, although they should leave it to professional fire department or paramedics. There are the nosy people who gather just to see what is going on. They stand there doing nothing but staring at the accident scene or talking about how it happened.
“I have heard people gathering around an accident scene talking about how much it would cost to repair the car and what spare parts it may need to fix it. People should be aware of the fact that crowding around accident scenes will only cause more accidents. If cars are parked on the side road to watch an accident, a speeding car may collide with the parked cars and it had happened many times. I call on people not to do it and stand away from accident scenes for the safety of themselves, the victims and police officers.”
A source at the fire department told Arab News that the problem is attributed to lack of awareness.
He said, “Every time we reach an accident scene we spend a great deal of time trying to push onlookers away. People are so ignorant that they do not realize the danger. When there is fire, we see people gathering very close to the fire scene. We push them away, then they gather again. What if there was a gas cylinder inside the burning building and it exploded? Many people will be hurt and that is not what we want to happen. People who crowd around accident scenes are delaying our job and putting us in stress. People should be fully aware that gathering around accident scenes will not help us, or them or the victims.”
