What would you do?

[Calaber]

A 000 operator will bar your phone from making calls in certain situations. No idea what is deemed that situation, but I've had it before after ringing 000 and so has a few other people I know, I assume its so you cant do dodgey **** after the 000 call.

My phone is with Virgin and on that night, according to an apology received yesterday on e-mail, 447,000 post paid customers were deprived of phone access for around 12 hours due to a system glitch. This happened about 2 hours before I needed the phone. Of all the nights for it to happen....

As I said though, emergency calls were fine and I was able to get the ambo's. (My workmate wasn't too happy, though.)

And NAAF - it was only a Lite Ace or something similar - the wheels wouldn't have been worth pinching.)

 

[Garth]

i would like to think i would have done exactly what you did, but in this day and age anything is possible, who knows what i would do at the time.

 

[Big-Al]

I'd have checked to see if his wheels were worth taking and then continue on my way.

Nah would have called the fuzz if I could or called them as soon as possible. Gotta be a bit careful these days.

 

[minux]

unfortunately there are to many people in this world who no longer care for their fellow man or woman

It isn't that we dont care, it is just not worth being stabbed, mugged, bashed, shot etc in an attempt to possibly help someone.

Personally, I would have kept driving and just called police.

 

[VS_Pete]

minux is right so many people have been hurt by helping very sad.

 

[commodore665]

I had an interesting incident the other night and I wonder how other members on the forum would have handled the situation.

I have a job that sees me running around in the early hours of the morning in a small regional township just out of Newcastle. As part of that job, I have to travel from the office to a pick-up point about six k's away every night to take delivery of that day's newspapers. The trip involves isolated roads through bush, with absolutely no lights or houses anywhere around.

On Saturday morning, around 2.30, I was making this trip when I came up to a Toyota ute stopped in the middle of the road, with its lights on, but couldn't see any person. I carefully drove around the car and thought maybe the driver was having a leak in the scrub, so I continued on my journey.

On my return trip about fifteen minutes later, the ute is still there, lights on and I could hear the engine running. Still nobody in sight. I parked the car behind the ute, with high beam focussed on it. Walked up with my torch and inside, the driver is slumped over the wheel. The cabin was closed up so I couldn't tell whether he was sleeping or dead. I couldn't detect any movement.

In view of the remote location, the fact that I was alone and there was no other help if things went pear shaped, I chose not to try to arouse him or check for vitals, but called the ambo's immediately instead. They arrived within about five minutes as we weren't far from town. They stirred the driver and he appeared to be more than just drowsy, he seemed to be affected either by booze or dope. I didn't hang around because my mate was waiting back at the office and on that particular night, my phone company decided to chuck a wobbly and I couldn't make any calls other than emergencies (fortunately) to let him know why I was held up. At this stage, I don't have a clue what the driver's problem was, so I don't know if it was serious or not.

What would you have done under the circumstances?

You did all the right things , and good on you as well .

 

[c2105026]

My first instinct would have been to do a Calaber did. In thinking about it, may have been risky, but when you are then and there and are thinking it may be an emergency, you may not act as you would reading about it after the fact. Like today had an emergency at school; performed ok; but thinking about it could have done things a little differently.

 

[Calaber]

As I mentioned, due to the location, the darkness and lack of any nearby assistance, I was reluctant to open the door to see if I could aid this bloke. He looked about forty years of age and from what I could see, reasonably solid, not overweight. Beside him were two large partly drunk bottles of cola. My main concern was his reaction if he was drug or alcohol affected. If he had suffered a heart attack or some other medical emergency, I was limited by legal considerations as to what I could do. I completed a First Aid Course years ago, and could have performed CPR if push came to shove, but I recall being told that you can be sued if your treatment causes any injuries and your First Aid Certificate is not up to date, which mine certainly isn't.

As for personal risk, I covered that as well as possible by parking a reasonable distance back from his car, with my high beams on to give me as much light as possible in the surrounding area. I approached from outside the light beam and only turned the torch on when I came alongside the cabin. I had in mind that it could have been a dangerous set-up but dismissed that idea because of the time that had elapsed between the first and second time I came upon the vehicle.

Minux has said that he would have driven by and called the police. That's fine in theory but the police are usually flat out on Saturday nights and could have taken hours to reach the scene. The car was stopped in the middle of the lane on a narrow, unlit country road so there was a potential traffic hazard which had already existed for an unknown period (at least a quarter hour to my knowledge).

There was no question in my mind of what was the right thing to do and no heroics were involved. I could never just ignore such a scene, only to hear later that a person had been found dead in his car with the engine running etc, and it was obvious that traffic had been driving past and ignoring his plight. I'm just one of those dumb shits who can't ignore somebody who needs help.

 

[Filippimini]

, I was limited by legal considerations as to what I could do. I completed a First Aid Course years ago, and could have performed CPR if push came to shove, but I recall being told that you can be sued if your treatment causes any injuries and your First Aid Certificate is not up to date, which mine certainly isn't.

This is a common misconception. You cannot be sued for trying to help. Nor is it your legal requirement to render assistance. You have to do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[hi_ryder]

i hope if im ever in that spot you drive by and call me some help. good on you...