Now for a happier item – a taxi driver who did the right thing. Twice.
A Watford cabbie who pulled a pregnant woman and baby from a burning car wreck has been honoured with a bravery award for his heroic actions.
Azhar Shah witnessed the horror smash at the junction of Stratford Road and Park Road, in Watford, while driving his taxi just days before Christmas 2012.
The 44-year-old was overtaken by a car speeding at about 60 miles per hour through the cross roads.
He saw the car crash into another vehicle crossing the junction with such force that the second car twisted around in the air and dropped down in smoke in the carriageway.
He ran over to help, and pulled a woman who was eight months pregnant out of the car.
But when the shocked woman was safely in his taxi, sheltered from the cold, Azhar heard her screaming “my baby, where’s my baby?”
The child was still in the burning car.
Knowing the car could explode at any time, Azhar raced back to pull out the baby from the mangled wreckage.
He disclaims the title of hero, saying it’s human nature to want to help.
H/t Tehmina Kazi
Well, they say heroism is that impulse to do good before your common sense gets a chance to kick in to tell you how stupid doing this is.
There’s a reason why one of the first lessons in First Aid training is to not enter a situation before you’ve figured out if you can do it safely, otherwise you’re just going to be someone else that needs to be rescued later.
Granted, I’d like to think I’d do the same thing.
There are times when every choice is the wrong one. But the choice Shah made means he can look people in the eye when he’s discussing his choice.
I contend that most people, if not deluded by religion, bigotry or ideology, will do the right thing if given a reasonable chance.