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Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome

I deducted a star because I had to sit through the 90 second intro credits and dialog several times to be sure I heard all the witness comments. Two of the witnesses were aware that the river was more heavily polluted on that day in particular, reeking of rotten eggs and filled with dead fish. Both deduced it was a health hazard, in part due to the unconsious state of the rower herself. The paramedic may have been trained on not entering a suffocating condition. I don't think it's the bystander effect if people have good reason to think they might die. Those unaware of the danger, who failed to act only because they had the bystander effect, showcased how the bystander effect might be a survival trait.

This was a wildly unique experience. I ran it in Hebrew first, just because I like to try and figure out what's happeneing, and I more or less got the context, but it was such a cool VR project I ran it a second time in the English mode. The models and environment and how everything unfolds really puts you in that exact moment. When the rescuer finally runs in to save the lady, it happens just right in front of you, and brings it all home.