Chinese passengers on a Guangzhou bus have bucked a trend of leaving people in distress to suffer on their own.  A bus driver and passengers pulled together to help a 23 year-old woman who fainted on board a bus on Monday (November 12), according to Anhui Satellite Television.

The crowded bus

Security camera footage shows the woman fainting on the crowded bus at around 8 a.m. Fellow passengers gathered round her and the driver went to see what was going on.

The passengers then agreed to let the driver take the bus to the casualty ward of the 458 People’s Liberation Hospital where the woman is now recovering.

The woman’s family thanked the driver and passengers for inconveniencing themselves to help her. The driver praised the “warm-heartedness” of the passengers, a doctor from the hospital also praised them, and the passengers praised themselves.

The driver praises the kindness of the passengers

The issue of Chinese failing to help strangers in need has been a big issue in recent years, most notable when 2 year-old Wang Yue was left to die by 19 passers-by in Foshan last year.

This contrasted with this year’s story of the “hero” bus driver who, after being hit by a stray piece of metal, used his last ounces of strength to driver his passengers to safety before keeling over and dying.

The government has tentatively introduced measures to encourage altruism. This year, a Brazilian was awarded by the city of Dongguan for helping stop a robbery.

This raises the question, do people deserve praise for simply doing what they are supposed to do?