Would you drive a friend to the emergency room?

[ted]

A friend that lives across the street called me for a ride to the hospital, she was having heart pains, she is 90.
I took her to the emergency room and all is fine, she should be back home soon.

In this bizarro world did I do the right thing?

Issue #1.
Should I have told her I would call 911 and wait with her for help?
I just want her to get the quickest care possible.
Be it either me taking her to the hospital of the first response paramedics responding to her 911 call.
We live in the city (San Diego), any guesses to how quick a 911 heart pain paramedic takes to show up?
At this point I'd rather drive her if that is quicker, its a 10 minute drive to the hospital.


Issue #2.
This favor made me a half hour late for work.
To add to bizarro world my supervisor is concerned because my Federal job (atc) only allows for family sick leave.
According to the supe neighbors for this reason should not expect me to provide emergency transportation if it interferes with work.

Issue#3.
Then there was discussion of my liability transportationg this ill lady to the emergency room? She called me and requested I drive her to the Emergency room. Still I was praying for her to hang on during the drive.

Porsche content, after she was admitted I heard her telling a nurse about her ride in my Porsche to the Hospital.

[Sonic dB]

She is 90 years old.

The day we stop doing things for others in our world, out of sheer kindness...
will be the day that the world ends...and I dont want to be here for that anyway.

pay it forward

[old man neri]

A possible solution would be to call 911 and ask which would be quicker, driving her or waiting for a ambulance. However, an ambulance is probably better because they have all sorts of equipment inside with trained techs. Also, if something bad happens I think they can call ahead to the hospital and have the right people waiting for them to arrive. They might also know what hospitals are over capacity and which ones might better accommodate her.

Just my uneducated thoughts. I am in no way saying you did the wrong thing.

[cool_chick]

In a heartbeat.

[ZAMIRZ]

Yes you did the right thing, and your supervisor sounds like a spineless piece of *****.

[Dutchie]

You did the right thing ! oh and change your job your supervisor sounds like a real *********

[KFC911]

Agree wholeheartedly with everyone else...you did fantastic! Furthermore, you made the lady's ride memorable, and I sure hope she's OK. Besides, if you've got to arrive at the "pearly gates", would you rather be in a Porsche or an ambulance !. I would have probably "gone off" on your supervisor if I were in your shoes...good man!

[on2wheels52]

I'd think the neighbor would have called 911 herself if she wanted an ambulance, most deliveries to the ER are by private vehicle.
Jim

[livi]

Well done. Your good deed made her heart ten years younger.

[Buckterrier]

I had an allergic reaction to a bee sting and my wife drove me. She got chewed out by the ER room for NOT calling 911. From a humanitarian standpoint you did the right thing. Imagine if you said you couldn't go & she crocked while waiting for the ambulance?
And yes your supe is a toad.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

I had an allergic reaction to a bee sting and my wife drove me. She got chewed out by the ER room for NOT calling 911. From a humanitarian standpoint you did the right thing. Imagine if you said you couldn't go & she crocked while waiting for the ambulance?
And yes your supe is a toad.

+1, it's a tough call. ER personnel will always say to call 911 since the paramedics will have the appropriate treatment drugs and equipment but if you can expedite delievery to the hospital, that's not all bad either. Stroke and heart attack are obviously life threatening events where time to treatment is most critical, if you know you can get her to the hospital before paramedics get to the house, you have made the right call. Also, just the fact that you are doing what she wants and keeping her calm is helpful, if you wait for the ambulance and she becomes anxious, that could bring on the heart attack as well. As I said, it's a very difficult call.

[gchappel]

You absolutely, imho, made the correct decision.
In this crazy world we live in, no good deed goes unpunished.
If I knew I could get her to the ER quicker than paramedics could respond, and especially if it was at her request- I would do it in a heartbeat (no pun intended.)
I hope we never stop being good neighbors.
Don't look back.
Oh, and your boss sounds like a loser.
Gary

[Rick V]

Would I drive a neighbor to the ER, In a New York Min. You did the right thing and tell your boss there is more to life than $$$$$$$ and if he doesn't understand that he/she is a very sad and shallow person.

[jsb944]

I would absolutly have driven her...assuming I thought she was not in a fragile state where moving her myself would have put her in jepordy.

You did the right thing.

As someone said above....liability BS and boss BS aside...the day we stop doing 'right' we may as well all just move to france.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

While I probably would have done the same thing, there's an obvious liability issue here also. Let's say the worst happens and she has complications or passes away while in your care. Don't think you're going to get sued by her surviving family seeing "the rich guy with the Porsche" as an easy target? Guess again.

I don't trust people. I want to, but I don't.

[jsb944]

Jeff


You're right of course...there is that chance....but to me if that's not one we're willing to occasionally take we're no longer human.

Don't get me wrong...not starting an ambulance service or anything....but at some point if we stop believing in people we'll turn into that character that Mel Gibson played years ago...with the tin-foil hat.

[Moses]

Your first instinct was to help. You did. How in the world can your boss think that was a mistake. What an asshat.

"Good Samaritan" laws protect you from liability.

The sad thing is that you've been made to second guess a noble gesture. What a shame.

[lm6y]

In a perfect world, you would be looking down at you boss, while he lies on the floor writhing in pain. Then you can explain to him that the family leave act doesn't account for this, as it will interfere with your work. Then continue what you were doing.

You did the right thing, without question. There is always the comfort of being with someone you know to make a stressful situation more bearable. Especially if you are 90. You don't get that in an ambulance.

[VaSteve]

What federal job do you have that 30 min makes that much difference if you're late for an emergency? Your boss deserves a kick in the nuts for being a jerk.

[Chocaholic]

I believe he said he's an air traffic controller.

Re-reading the supervisor's comment:
"my supervisor is concerned because my Federal job (atc) only allows for family sick leave."

I don't think his supervisor is to blame here. It seems he's concerned for his employees tardiness (pay dock?) in the light of "federal" job rules....not his own. Also, assuming you are an ATC, that's not a chair that should be left empty for very long!

And from a logical perspective...I'd say it's your responsibility to make a judgement call regarding the request to drive someone to the ER. If that person seems on the brink of death (crushing chest pain, severe convulsion, gaping wound, etc.), it's expected that you would use your judgement to do the best thing for the patient regardless of their request (call 911). Assuming your friend wasn't obviously dying, but was merely concerned or in an obvious non-life-threatening situation, you made the right choice.