Page 1 of Wrong for trying to help someone?

We were walking home from the park earlier when my eldest piped up "look mummy, that silly man is asleep on the road, not in his bed, he should go home."  So I strapped the kids in the buggy and went over to have a look, he was breathing, but didn`t answer when I spoke to him, shouted at him or shook him, he looked clean and didn`t smell of booze or anything else, I tried again and when he still didn`t respond at all, I called an ambulance, and explained that we`d found him and couldn`t wake him and I was worried so they sent someone out, I clearly said to the man on the phone that he could be drunk or something, but he didn`t smell of booze and looked clean with nothing obviously wrong with him other than he wouldn`t wake up or respond.

When they arrived (having missed the person standing there waving at them like a loney and having to make a U turn), they didn`t even get out of the ambulance, instead of which, sat there asking if I`d called the ambulance, so I told them what had happened, to which they replied "oh well, we know him, he`ll be drunk and asleep.  It`s a waste of our time and the worst thing about the age of the mobile phone is that people are always finding people unconcious and calling ambulances for them."

I`m really angry.  He didn`t look like a hobo or anything or smell of booze, he had clean clothes on, nothing with him and didn`t respond when I tried to wake him.  I thought I`d done the right thing until they turned up, but it seems like they`d have rather I didn`t bother.  It wouldn`t be so bad, but I specifically said to the guy on the phone that he could be drunk but he didn`t smell of booze.

So, was I wrong to phone the ambulance?

No, plain and simple.

As a diabetic, I live with the possibility of having a hypo which has symptoms very similar to inebriation. Diabetics without ID have been known to fall into a diabetic coma and die because they`ve been assumed to be dead drunk when they`re actually dying. I`d hope somebody would call me an ambulance.

J Mark Oates

you did absolutely the right thing... well done you!!!

as above said about Diabetics they can appear drunk, and seconds can literally save lives, i know i have dealt with many asa police officer, even smashing doors down to get to them.  Did they get out and treat or exmine the man?  I suggest writing a letter of complaint to the amulance service, and outline that if you recieve no reply within a reasonable timeframe, that your next letter will be to the local press.

Absolutely the right thing to do - Found (well would have run over him if I hadn`t have been turning right) a guy in the middle of the road one Christmas Eve on the edge of a deserted Industrial estate in Exeter, another time saw a guy fall over & knock himself out (breaking his nose from the pool of blood that was there) opposite our house, called MS999`s current employers, in the interim he staggered off but he was tracked by the trail of blood spot to his house around the corner.

A diabetic friend of ex-brother in law fell off his bike on one of the coldest nights of that year & fell into a stupor the Essex police almost abandoned him at the roadside for being "drunk", before one of them twigged that he wasn`t drunk.

Here we got a lift home at 3am the other week by the RCMP, as THO abandoned her plan to drive our party home & two of us weren`t totally equipped to deal with the cold spring air at that time.   They swung around & asked if we wanted a ride home. :D




My outlook on life is positive & carefree, I`m positive that I`m a pessimist & I don`t care what what you think.



Never has so little had to be explained by me to so many so often.

This item was edited on Saturday, 2nd June 2012, 20:01

Thanks guys :)

I was really upset, because he made me feel so bad, and I genuinely was trying to help!  I`d never seen the bloke before so I hadn`t a clue that its something he does regularly :)

I think you`re right mark, I shall send them a letter.  It could have had the effect of making me not stop next time, which could as you and Mark have both said have had fatal consequences for someone.  I assume they`ll know who came out as I know exactly what time I called and where from?

all calls will be recorded and logged, details of the ambulance call sign, and the paramedics within will be on that log... if you get no joy, send them a data protection request, and copy in the local rag!

You did absolutely the right thing. They just happen to be in the wrong job.



"Talking`s for lesbians" Psycho Paul 2011.

You did right.

Long story short.
Just turning in to my home street after work about 3.00am.
Two senile old sods, one flat out on the pavement, walking stick beside him and the other stood over him.
Watched in the rear view mirror for a while, no movement from either party. Deep sigh and reverse.

Both absolutely rat ar*ed. Helped up sparko and put him in the car after finding out they were only going to the end of the street.
Get in I say to the other.
No you`re alright I`ll run up.
Seventy year old Seb Coe wannabe then does a full faceplant, re-arranging his nose with expected claret accompaniment.
999, ambulance, 2 paramedics resigned to this one not making it onto casualty, one hour and lots of banging on a door, his sister, asleep (surprise, surprise).
A last round of "We really love you, you`re a really nice fella"
and a parting "No mate you did the right thing, we get kind of used to childcare for the over 70`s but you never know" from the senior of the two medics.






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Every Third Car

Quote:
fluff_n_stuff says...
It`s a waste of our time and the worst thing about the age of the mobile phone is that people are always finding people unconcious and calling ambulances for themJust... wow!

What an arsehole!


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