There was a plane crash in the area last night. I found out about it on FaceBook… Great news and media outlet this FaceBook right? Well, yes, I guess it is, as a way to keep up with friends and family and find out what’s happening in their lives that you might not normally know.
But the way I found out about this was by the status of a FaceBook Friend, it read “OMG i think there has been a plane crash n Albany“. That’s news enough right? Lets you know what’s going on. There are couple of comments and then this person says “I am gonna go check it out I will report back” (first outlined comment).
Okay, now this is where I have the problem. See, I left my Cub Reporter badge in the drawer when I realized that in cases where there are accidents, unless you are a trained professional or asked to help, chance are you are going to be in the road and more of a hindrance than a help. [Subtitle Road Rage Part II cause you all know those people that practically *stop* as they go by an accident so they can, what? hopefully see blood?] At any rate, this person who was safe and secure at home decides it is their duty to go and find out what’s going on.
Which leads to “Ok just got back…if you go out Washington Rd just past Albany that is where it happened…pretty much across from the airport. I couldn’t get close enough to see anything they closed the road and you had to turn around. I will listen to the scalnner for any updates” (the second outlined comment). Now this comment just more or less proves my point really. They had closed the road down, probably for safety reasons, something about aviation fuel and flammable perhaps? So what did they manage to do? Add to the congestion, cause potential blockage for emergency vehicles AND put yourself in danger. But they got some great news right? Some pictures? Got a name? Oh no, they didn’t because they “couldn’t get close enough to see anything”. So what did they do? They went back home to listen to the scanner and report any updates. Now we know why most major cities have stared scrambling/coding the emergency radio traffic so they don’t have this problem in the first place.
I can understand human curiosity, and quite frankly, if the plan had crashed next to my house I would have been outside seeing what I could do the help. But to leave my house, drive to another location just to see a wreck… not me, no thanks, and I’m sure the emergency responders thank me too, cause that’s one less person they have to watch out for.