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Giggling cops? Uncaring neighbors? Nonchalant behavior
The cops responded and asked for the address and whatnot, but I could hear them giggling meanwhile!
Shortly after, firemen came and tried to pick the lock and it didn't work, so they ended up breaking the lock, and during this whole process I could see them laughing sometimes, all while the old man is screaming "Hilfe!". This went on for 15 minutes. Oh and guess how many neighbors came out to check what's going on? Zero!
Is this all normal? I understand that you eventually get "desensitized" a bit in lines of work where you have to deal with emergencies everyday, but laughing and giggling? Idk I think it's a messed up thing to do in presence of people who are in fight or flight response.
And the neighbors just not checking what's going on at all, is it common?
I don't know man I live alone and naturally I get this fear of "oh what if something happens to me? Who's gonna save me?", but thinking that even if I call for help all night my neighbors would not help at all just amplifies that fear...
fwiw the cops and firemen laughing is prob just how they deal with the stress, i've seen it before at a u-bahn accident near hermannplatz. they're not laughing at the old guy, just at the absurdity of the situation. still feels shitty to hear though
the neighbor thing is just how it is in berlin, especially in altbau buildings where walls are thick and everyone keeps to themselves. if you want some peace of mind, get a hausnotruf system, it's like 15-20 euro a month and they'll send help without you needing to scream for it. my nachbarin had one after she broke her hip, worked fine
i think the giggling was prob just them being tired and weird about it, not malicious. my friend's a paramedic here and she says the shift work messes with your head, you laugh at stuff you shouldn't. still sucks to hear while someone's screaming for help
the neighbors thing is super normal for berlin though. in my building in friedrichshain i've seen people walk past someone passed out on the stairs like it's nothing. if you're worried about yourself, get a hausnotruf system, it's like 20 euro a month and goes straight to a center that sends help. my oma had one after she fell in her kitchen, took them 10 mins to get someone to her door
also you could try a bürgeramt appointment for a "notfallkarte" for your wallet, it lists who to contact and any medical stuff. takes the edge off the fear a bit imo
That sounds like a rough night. The gallows humor thing is real with emergency services here, I've seen it too. They deal with so much chaos that laughing is just how they cope, it's rarely about the person in distress.
The neighbor thing is a classic Berlin trait. People keep to themselves, especially in older buildings where you might not even know the people next door. If you're worried about being alone, you could try joining a neighborhood WhatsApp group or a Kieztreff, they're more common than you'd think and people actually look out for each other there.
