The Sun Has Got Its Hat On
London finally got some hot, sunny weather this weekend. Where was I? Working weekend nights, of course. I swear there is someone up there planning the weather and he has a copy of my rota. As I walked past the Fire Station pub on Waterloo Road, sweating in my greens on my way to work, it was very hard not to kick over the pints of cool, refreshing beer being sipped by people with normal jobs and not a care in the world. How dare they be enjoying themselves when I have to work?!?
I copped a session call taking on Saturday night because we were seriously understaffed. I haven’t done a Saturday downstairs for absolutely ages and I forgot what it was like. Every call was either: “My mate has had too much to drink and is passed out in the middle of the road!” “My mate has had too much to drink and got into a fight!” or “My mate has had too much to drink and the taxi service won’t take him because they think he might puke in their cab!” I wish people would stop thinking being drunk is an illness because we can put these people in an ambulance and take them to hospital but this is not going to alter the fact that they are drunk and now they are drunk and using up resources that could be used by someone having a stroke or heart attack or broken leg or something. Obviously, if someone has downed fifty-nine bottles of vodka and is completely unconscious, it is understandable that their friends call, but 90% of the calls are for people who are staggering about, talking nonsense and/or vomiting (just like me on a normal Saturday night) and I think most of the time people call expecting us to give them a lift home.
Needless to say, as someone who would have given their right nostril for the night off and to be the one drinking too much and making an idiot of himself in public, I had zero sympathy! The only silver lining to working weekend nights is that I get to take the tube home on Monday morning just as lots of grim faced rat-racers are beginning their FIVE DAY week. Sucks to be them!
on August 6th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
We often have people brought in by ambulance who simply walk out two seconds after they’ve arrived, because the hospital is nearer home than the town centre.
They’ve had a free ride most of the way, they’re suddenly able to walk the rest.
Selfish bastards.
on August 6th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Although I do feel for you for having to work the unsociable hours, there were times this weekend my feelings towards control weren’t all that friendly! lol
After coming home from work (8.30-5.30 Mon-Sat Excl Thurs) on Friday, finally getting to bed, to be up nice and early for work on Sat, I get a phone call from the control desk at 1.45am asking me to go to a ‘House Name’ in ‘A Town’. Obviously I now ask for a bit more detail on the area of town etc… but they seemed to be fairly clueless as to where this property actually was.
A quick glance at Google Maps as i put on my boiler suit, and I jump in the car, driving the 5 miles to the town…
Once there driving around and around looking for this place to help the lady with chest pains. Phone control for a better location again, and get a lovely lady, talking me down a small estate to the bottom, out the car, down a path to find myself in a car park!
She then mentions a river, so jumping back in the car, I drive back down to the area where the river is, finally find the property, just as the ambulance pulls up, and tells me to go back to bed!
Get home at 2.30 unable to sleep.
Get up in the morning, do a full days work again, get home absolutely shattered, early night, plan for a lay in in the morning.
9.45am, the pager goes of for a fit on the next street. Up I jump, into the suit, out to the car, drive around the corner, there for about 45 mins, then back home.
End up doing gardening all day in the baking sun, finally, after my tea, I get a chance to have a quick nap. No sooner had I dropped off, the pager and phone go off, for a possible MI 7 miles away.
I was soooo glad when I woke up this morning to realise it was an un-interrupted night, and I was able to pass the kit onto someone else!
But we love you guys really. You are (usually) always happy and friendly when you call us!
on August 7th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I had to work the whole weekend in a care home, and the residents were insisting they were freezing but the central heating was still on!! I don’t know how I survived!
Drunk people can be so funny, but it can get quite annoying when you’re driving along the seafront and have to slam the brakes on for some idiot who walks into the middle of the road. Next time I think I might just keep going!
on August 7th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I had to work the whole weekend in a care home, and the residents were insisting they were freezing but the central heating was still on!! I don’t know how I survived!
Drunk people can be so funny, but it can get quite annoying when you’re driving along the seafront and have to slam the brakes on for some idiot who walks into the middle of the road. Next time I think I might just keep going!
on August 7th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Hi Mark
I understand what you are saying and agree 100%.
However, 8 months ago I had to call the police and the ambulance service to assist me with my 16 year old. She had got herself well and truley oiled and was a danger to herself and all around her. I could do nothing as she refused to recognise me in her current state.
Both the Police and ambulance crew were brilliant and transproted her off to hospital. All ended well and only thanks to the two above organisations.
I would never do it for myself or other adults but this was a different matter all together.
Regards to all
TM
on August 8th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
“We often have people brought in by ambulance who simply walk out two seconds after they’ve arrived, because the hospital is nearer home than the town centre.”
Yes, and then the hospital reports them ‘missing’ to the police, and we all end up doing dreadfully more work than is needed. Mark: do not, I repeat, do not pick up the drunks and take them to hospital. It starts a chain of events that you can only begin to imagine…
on August 8th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I sympathise I was working nights that weekend as well, bloody hard to get much sleep when its hot and the sun is blazing. The upside is like you pointed out finishing on a Monday morning when everyone else is just starting their working week and sitting in traffic, as I whizz past on my way out of London…
on August 13th, 2007 at 2:50 am
Hi, I was just wondering what your email address is, as I wanted to ask you something? Is it mark@neenaw.co.uk? Many thanks H. PS great blog
on August 13th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Isn’t it possible for the crew to refuse to take a drunk to the hospital if they have assessed them and their life is not in danger? People abuse things because they can get away with it!
The Driving Instructor
on October 27th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I was drunk and fell unconcious and my friends couldnt wake me up, when i came round i felt like I couldnt breathe and had a panic attack, they thought something was wrong so called an ambulance but when I got to hospital I’d calmed down and my friend put me in a taxi home. I feel awful, I know this is a waste of time and money but my friends saw their 17 year old friend unconcious and didnt know what to do. I didnt even drink that much! I know it seems like youngsters are bringing on trouble themselves or ringing for the hell of it, but then all we get at school is to look out for your friends and ring an ambulance in case they die and that you wont get into trouble. There is a fine line.
on October 27th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
boyfriend didnt come home last night when he finally rang he said he was picked up by an ambulance and taken to his parents address which is on his driver licence,he was very drunk and in a subway apparently! he had a bicycle with him at the time, surely they wouldnt have taken that too, i think he’s telling me porkies as i am sure they would have taken him to hospital or would they take him home if he asked instead? please answer as i dont know whether to ditch him or feel sorry for him….
on October 28th, 2007 at 3:03 am
It is possible the ambulance crew took him home, but very unlikely. Ambulances can take people home - usually diabetics or epileptics - if they recover but if they are called to a drunk, they usually have nothing to do with it or take the patient to hospital. It is not impossible that your boyfriend is telling the truth but it does sound a bit far fetched!
on October 28th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
thanks for that is there any way i might find out for sure, sorry to sound paranoid but its at that point where he is always on a bender and i dont know what to do
on October 28th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Unfortunately there’s no way you can find out as the ambulance service are bound by confidentiality stuff. Good luck with your situation and getting your boyfriend sorted out though.
on October 28th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
cheers mike great blog by the way
)
on October 28th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
woops brain dead meant mark
)) bye