Do you laugh when people fall down?

I had an unfortunate incident today. I was walking my dog and had to pass a large group of people gathered outside a funeral home on Park ave.(in Bklyn).They didn’t seem all that put out that someone they knew was being laid to rest.In fact they seemed downright jolly;joking and laughing,someone’s recent death a chance to socialize…Anyway, I know that folks tend to be scared of my dog so I tried to be extra respectful and gave them a wide berth.I figured I’d act right even if they weren’t.We were crossing against the light and I began to run and Bozzio did what he usually does if I run when he’s on the leash: starting leaping and biting at the leash.It’s kind of a game we both like but this time he tripped me and I fell and landed on my palms and
skidded a bit on them for good measure.

You’ve heard of road rash,right? I got a light case of it on both palms and on my right knee. And then I did what I do when I hurt myself which is to cry like a little girl.I didn’t realize right away that the people I’d just passed were hooting with laughter at my tumble.But then when I stood up and looked over at the noise I saw they were laughing at me. Apparently my fall was even more amusing than the funeral had been.
And of course I was fully blubbering by then. I wasn’t in that much pain but I was bleeding a little and there was gravel in the cuts and scrapes.I decided to turn around and go back home.I had to walk back past the laughers. I had tears on my face but I was really angry.I said to the one man who had laughed the loudest:”I hope that was funny for you”.
He said “yes, it was thanks very much”. Then I called him a fucking asshole to which he called out “don’t fall again” and to that I yelled “well, I hope you fall on your fucking fat head.” Not a very inspired exchange but at least I got to call him an asshole because that was how I felt about his behavior even before my fall.What kind of person kibbutzes outside funeral proceedings,anyway? A jerk.
Ok, so if someone falls down, I understand the urge to laugh because people falling down can be funny.After all comedians in movies seem to to fall all the time and everyone laughs. But there’s a grace period you ought to wait to see if they’re hurt. And if they begin to cry I suggest it isn’t a matter of humour anymore.
I personally don’t think people falling in the street and skidding on their palms is hilarious because my average intelligence tells me that’s going to hurt.