Thread: Man killed by Subway Train

There is a lot of controversy about a photo that ran on the front page of the New York Post yesterday of a man that was pushed onto the tracks and was snapped just before the train hit him.

Should they have published the picture?

A picture of controversy - NYPOST.com

Should the photographer be blamed because he should have done more to save him instead of taking the picture?

Photographer who took dramatic photos recounts the horror he saw - NYPOST.com

I dont think the photographer is to blame for not helping the man get out. It sounds like he is too far away. It also sounds like it is a crime scene because he was pushed onto the tracks. I would actually think that photographs would be very beneficial for investigation purposes, even if that wasn't the original intent of the photographer.

It sounds like there were people in a much better position to help the man that didn't.

I do find it extremely tasteless to publish the picture, especially as the front page of the paper. Me personally, i don't think it should have been published.

I think there i something to be said about publishing war pictures or pictures of regions of the world that are suffering from things like starvation, sexism or other tragic things. That brings awareness to people of something that otherwise can feel intangible...something that one may have trouble fully realizing.

But this? I don't see a benefit. It just seems like pure rubbernecking in this poor man's most tragic moment in life. How awful.

I'm going to echo what Kim said.

I don't blame the photographer and I don't necessarily blame others as those trains move very fast there is a very likely chance that no one could help him as well as also maybe putting themselves in harms way.

The photo in the paper is sad and awful and should not have been put there.

Came back to add that I just read that the train took 22 seconds to arrive w/average speeds of trains coming into the station at about 25 mph.

I think people were just frozen. It's awful.

Originally Posted by Jessica80

Came back to add that I just read that the train took 22 seconds to arrive w/average speeds of trains coming into the station at about 25 mph.

I think people were just frozen. It's awful.

I heard that too. 22 seconds is enough time I think to probably save him but admittedly i think I would be in shock and also scared. I mean, he grabs on to you and if you don't get him on out time, is he going to take you down with him accidentally? And when you see that someone just got shoved onto the tracks, how likely are you going to want to stand near the edge of the platform? Is that psycho guy who did it still there? Is he going to shove me in to?

Anyone who would have saved him would have been a hero. But I don't know if I'm ready to blame anyone for not saving him. While 22 seconds is long enough to save someone...its not a lot of time to make heroic decisions.

I saw someone mention that if he had ducked under the platform there is enough space there that he probably could have lived. He was probably himself so shocked and scared that he didn't realize that in time.

I agree Gloria. I'm sure there was probably some way to get away from the train potentially but I know I would never think of it in a situation like that.

I can't blame anyone for not doing anything either. It's not enough time to process what's going on and what to do. I'm terrible with on-the-spot huge decisions.

I think if the people had a little more time to react they would have helped him, it was tragic that it happened just as the train was coming in. It's hard to be brave when there is a Subway train racing toward you.

My dad did make a good point to me tonight. He said individually we may not react quickly to a situation but what are the chances that a group doesn't act together. Good point. I have seen groups gather pretty quickly for urgent situations so gave me something else to think about.