Letters to the Editor - How come so many ignored plight of confused old man?

Published: 15 April, 2010

• ON our way to the Hampstead fair on Easter Monday, myself and a friend were waiting to cross just outside the Gate pub in South End Green, Hampstead, when we suddenly saw an elderly gentleman walk across the road and get into the rear seat of one of the cars waiting at the crossing.
Moments later the driver flung open her door, rushed to the rear passenger door and began shouting for the man to get out of her car!
She was pulling at the arm of the man who seemed to be very confused.
I walked over to the car and said to the man you better get out as she doesn’t want you in her car; the lady managed to pull him out of the car, jump back in the driver’s seat and rush off.
The confused man then proceeded to walk down the line of traffic trying to get into other people’s cars.
Of course, nobody would let him in and they had all locked their doors.
He was in a state of wild confusion and asking people for help but everyone in the busy street ignored him.
He then got on a bus that was waiting at the terminus and was talking to the driver.
I asked the man what was wrong and could immediately see he was carrying a plastic bag with a long tube coming out of it which was attached to his arm.
Evidently he had just walked out of the Royal Free Hospital still attached to his drip.
I managed to calm him a bit:  he explained that he was trying to get home to his wife who had been murdered and her killers were after him.
It was clear that this poor elderly man was suffering from some kind of delusion.
After trying to coax the man to return to the hospital and him refusing, I asked my friend to call the police.
We feared that, while he would not present any danger to anyone else, some harm may come to him.
The police arrived and some members of staff from the hospital and they were able to escort him back to safety, but what really astounded me about this whole incident was the fact that in a street full of people not one other person apart from myself and my friend offered any help or assistance to this obviously distressed, elderly and confused man.
Are we really this uncaring now that we could quite happily just walk on by instead of coming to the aid of another member of our society who so desperately needs our help?
I like to think that in general people are not selfish and uncaring, but now I have my doubts
JASON HOWSAM
Aldgate High Street, EC3