Thursday, March 29, 2012

And They Were Wrong Because...?

In a video that went viral in Singapore recently, a group of youths were showed beating up a driver of a Ferrari outside Orchard Towers, leaving the driver lying on the street.

However most Singaporeans who had seen the video thought that the youths did nothing wrong. In the video, a young man and his girlfriend were walking across a zebra crossing when they were almost knocked down by the Ferrari driver. The young man swore and made a rude gesture at the driver who came down from his vehicle and confronted the young man. After an argument, the driver threw the first punch at the latter. Five more youths immediately ganged up on the driver and started punching and kicking him.

In a move that puzzled many Singaporeans, the police have now arrested two men who beat up the driver of the Ferrari. I am one of those Singaporeans who are puzzled.

I think this whole incident is totally the fault of the driver. It was a zebra crossing and the couple were walking across it. Without question the driver was at fault for not stopping at the zebra crossing. After that, the young man swore at him.

That is a natural reaction. Anyone is his position would have done the same thing. The driver should have never came down from his vehicle (strike 1), after he did he compounded his problem by arguing at the young man instead of apologizing (strike 2), and then he threw the first punch (strike 3).

And the guys who beat up this idiot were the one called up by the police? What sense does that makes? I mean if you almost knock someone down, for god sake at least say a “sorry” right? And this idiot threw the first punch to boot!

I don’t care if it was 5 on 1, I don’t think these boys were at fault in this matter. Anyone, including me, would have done what these guys did.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

the youths have been found to be in the wrong becos the attacker was driving a ferrari...

in my experience, these days, pple who drive such cars are incredibly rude, uncouth and crass.

they also believe they are always in the right. it would appear the authorities also think these drivers are always in the right.

so they do not see 5 youths coming to the help of another fellow who was wrongly assaulted, but 5 youths beating up a rich man...

plse dun forget, besides LKY, the other god in this country is money.
if u'v got it, anything also can. if u haven't, u'r in the wrong!

sgcynic said...

I do not agree that the 5 youths were not at fault. However, it is clear the driver was at fault.

Anonymous said...

@sgnynic

I am afraid you are not saying anything at all.
In the case like this,youths with no money In Singapore know too well that street justice is the only recourse for them.
If the police and courts charge the driver,that would not be politically acceptable to the ruling PAP government as it will be interpreted as encouraging Mob Violence
The driver is not arrested but the youths are and the Police sent a very disturbing verdict to society at large and this unfair verdict can only perpetuate more street violence.
Therefore,this must be a civil case between two parties and let them fight it in Courts for the Courts to decide fairly or unfaiirly

Gar said...

They all overreacted and they should all be punished.

Seems like the Ferrari driver has already been punished although I can't seem to find the video. Normally, I would imagine getting punched and kicked by five people is fairly painful.

Get the Ferrari guy for being a pompous asshole and throwing the first punch. He's completely in the wrong.

However, 5 guys punching and kicking someone when they are down is way overreacting as well. They could have killed him. Once he's out of commission walk away. He's no longer a threat.

Granted, being a pompous asshole and thinking you own the world because you drive a Ferrari is pretty bad in my book. But, it doesn't warrant the death penalty.

Anonymous said...

Way I see it : -

The driver is in the fault. For traffic offense, provocation & hitting the first punch.

The youth is in self-defense so has to return the punches, until another group of youths came to his defense.

In the heat of moment, yes the group over-assaulted the man perhaps.

If the Driver were smart enough, he probably should drop the charges. But if he insists, the law may not also be on his side.

How did you know the police didn't lock the driver?
He's wounded and probably lying in bed in bad shape. And the police are rounding these people up.

That's how I see it.

Ghost said...

Yes, the clip seen to have been taken down. Maybe because it is now a police case but I did find thumbnails of the incident on the site below.

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/caught_in_the_act/1032754/ferrari_driver_fight_you_cant_bash_someone_and_get_away_with_it.html

Personally, I feel that the driver is totally at fault. Hell he should have never got out of the car in the first place much less acted aggressively to the couple, much less throwing the first punch. Being a pompous asshole aside, the moment he threw the punch, the other side has the right to fight back and that's what they did.

Anonymous said...

@Gar
they didnt over react. and the driver didnt get "punished" as you have concluded.

the way i see it:
1) the driver requested for a beating
2) he wanted more than 1 challenger because he said "come here" many times.
3) the malay boys, being kind singaporeans, took some of their precious time and risked their lives to help him out by giving him his wish.

if you didnt want a beating or risked getting hurt, would you stay in your car and lock all your doors OR, come out and issue a challenge to a fight?

the fact is this ball-less guy wants his cake and eat it - lost the fight and now crying all the way to the police station and play the victim card..

Ghost said...

Actually, I don't think he made any report to the police. There's no report of that at all. The police came into it after the video went online.

Anonymous said...

Let me recount how an acquaintance dealt with people like the Ferrari driver. This was some 40 years ago at least. He had an accident with the driver of an expensive car. The driver duly acknowledged his fault and asked friend to see him at his address as he was then in a hurry for an appointment. Friend accepted this and duly visited the expensive car's owner's place later on. However, when they met, the culprit now flatly denied responsibility. It was pointless to argue with him. What came next was rather classic, if a tad over the top. He searched out the culprit's car in the parking lot and unloaded on its windscreen a huge rock with the desired result, for some quick street justice! I am not advocating that we turn vigilante, but sometimes the system leaves one with little choice of an adequate redress.

Ghost said...

The incident you accounted has nothing to do with this case. Your friend was involved in an accident case and frankly there's nothing wrong with the driver changing his mind on who was at fault. He should have left it to the police or insurance company to see who was at fault. In fact I would argue that your friend was stupid in getting himself into further trouble by that rash act.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you have ever got into an accident in which you were clearly not at fault at all and went by the 'due process' to claim?

The present system allow people to lie lie and lie and get away with it!

A van bashed into my car's rear at a red light - my car was stationery behind other cars in front waiting for the light to change. The van came from behind and bashed into my car. The road was a little damp and obviously the van's brakes were not as good as they should be. The joker also appeared like he has just awakened. It was quite early. Fortunately, damage was small and after taking pictures I saw no point to pursue it knowing from experience the sort of 'agony' you have to go through including complication with my own insurance if the issue is not settled come renewal time.

But when I duly informed my insurer to keep it posted saying I was not lodging any claim, I was nevertheless advised for my own protection to make an official report in case the other party were to lodge a report blaming me for it!

Ghost said...

Unfortunately it seem you have the same problem most Singaporeans have in thinking that when there's an accident, it is always the one behind that knocked into you that's at fault. That's not the case.
When insurance and police do investigations, they look at everything; not just who knocked into who. Remember that case a few months ago when a driver stopped infront of a taxi and then reverse back into the taxi, hoping to get the taxi into trouble for causing accident. That driver was stupid and not just because it was caught on camera. Through the impact and dent of the 2 vehicles, investigators can have a rough idea of what happened and who was at fault.
Your insurance company did the right thing in telling you to make a report. The fact is that 9 out of 10 times, no one ever thinks they are totally at fault when there's an accident. You should make a report quickly because as time passed, memories get hazy and might not tally with the evidence. You should thank them for giving you the right advice.