Reply #64: your are right on target 100%

[Locrian]

As a survivor of crowd surges (Van Halen tickets in late 1980's Detriot) you described it perfectly.

You have NOWHERE to go. You can't move your arms because of the people pressure on all sides. Keep your legs moving is all you can do - and the surge can go in any direction: front, back, sideways. Its like being in some kind of human wave and it will litteraly pick you up and sweep you off your feet if you are not careful. Strength doesnt matter worth crap - agility and twisting to try to stay alive is all you can do. The pressure on you even makes it hard to breath. I have ZERO FUCKING DOUBT that if I had fallen that would have been it. There is just no way to describe the energy in a crowd like that.

Working your way to the edge is good advice. But it's difficult.

As for a bending down, trying to help someone, or anything like it. LOL forget it! People who think you can fight thru a crowd like that, or be a hero have never experience anything like it.