Social responsibilities

One night last December I was walking home past several blocks of flats. It was past mid-night. The place was deserted. Then I saw a man urinating at the side of one block. He was dark-skinned, tall and stout and looked drunk.

I was thinking if I should do something or not. Call the police? No point. Take photo? What for? Go and tell him off? What if he beats me up? What else could I do?

In theory, it is easy to say what you would do but in practice it is not so easy.

As I walked past the block, he had finished his job and was keeping his tool.

Never mind lah, I thought, let him go, just that he drank too much beer and was urgent. Not good for him to control for too long.

What about people having sex in a bus? I would intervene, tell them to buy some shields and go to a hotel or at least I would tell the bus-driver.

Someone cycling on an overhead bridge? I think I won’t do anything. But if he knocks down an old man or a pregnant woman, he could face serious consequences.