[bmelton]

In many cases, this is a matter of priority. Most people either aren't interested or don't want to subject themselves potentially dangerous.

Some people might be more inclined to question your insane abuse of helium balloons while we are in the midst of a helium crisis. Why didn't anyone mention that to you? Probably because in most cases, advice like that is discarded or met with argument. Most people would rather not say anything and perhaps shake their heads than to even bring it up.

You also admit that you had to get close to notice the scrape of blood. If nobody else got that close, he probably wouldn't have appeared to be in any danger and hence, likely did not need help.

There is (what I assume to be) a homeless man in the neighborhood I'm currently in who every day visits a reflective sheet-glass window and poses, as if he is checking out his figure or how he looks for a substantial portion of the day (e.g., more than an hour) while he smokes cigarettes.

Perhaps he needs _help_ in the vague sense, but he isn't in any imminent danger that I can tell, and as I'm just passing through, I am not in a position to help him in any permanent way, nor am I inclined to contribute financially to his nicotine habit.