Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Scenes from a commute
Yesterday I left work 45 minutes early. For an hour before I left work I did nothing but surf the 'net and wait for Boss to call to give me something to do. Didn't happen so I left.
It takes me 5 minutes to walk to the station. I was probably there for 10 minutes before a seat opened on the concrete benches which offer only the comfort of being out of the sun. I probably had not been sitting for 2 minutes when a man walked up and leaned against the pole next to me and proceeded to pass out. On his way down he hit that concrete bench with his elbow, nose and forehead. To say it freaked me out is an understatement. I saw it happening and couldn't do anything to stop it!
When he came to he was sweating profusely and you could tell he was disoriented.
There was a former Navy Corpsman there who immediately took over assessing him (the gentleman told him he was very dizzy) and I started yelling at the top of my voice for security while dialing 911. Thank goodness I am a "country" girl and I don't need a microphone. By the time 911 patched me through to the Highway Patrol, who would send an ambulance, the security guy was also on his walkie talkie talking to medical somebodies. I handed my phone to him so he could clear the call so I wouldn't get in trouble.
The gentleman refused to wait for the ambulance and got on the train. Needless to say we all watched him nonstop to his station. I felt so bad for him since you could tell he had hit his head hard by the very large and oozing red spot on the middle of his forehead and nose. I tried to get him to let me refill his water bottle but he refused. The "corpsman" asked to be allowed to have an ambulance meet him at his next station, but he refused that as well. I know he had to be horribly embarrassed by all the attention, but you could tell his fellow passengers were truly concerned for his wellbeing, and not just "lookie-loos."
Then this morning, a woman locked herself in the bathroom. She was there as a family unit. Non-english speaking. She refused to "listen" to her daughter who was screeching at her in Mexican for 20 minutes solid. It was very aggravating. I think the daughter was screeching more because she wanted in the bathroom, than any concern that mom could not get out. When she finally got her mom out of the bathroom there were cheers on the train that were more about not having to listen to her daughter screech anymore than happiness that "mom" was out of the toilet.
Today, again, I have very little to do. I have some invoices to pay and about 10 pieces of paper to file. It's going to be a long day. I wish I could read a book at my desk since there's only so many times I can pop into the BBs or check my email. Hmmm, maybe I can work on updating my webpage!?!
It takes me 5 minutes to walk to the station. I was probably there for 10 minutes before a seat opened on the concrete benches which offer only the comfort of being out of the sun. I probably had not been sitting for 2 minutes when a man walked up and leaned against the pole next to me and proceeded to pass out. On his way down he hit that concrete bench with his elbow, nose and forehead. To say it freaked me out is an understatement. I saw it happening and couldn't do anything to stop it!
When he came to he was sweating profusely and you could tell he was disoriented.
There was a former Navy Corpsman there who immediately took over assessing him (the gentleman told him he was very dizzy) and I started yelling at the top of my voice for security while dialing 911. Thank goodness I am a "country" girl and I don't need a microphone. By the time 911 patched me through to the Highway Patrol, who would send an ambulance, the security guy was also on his walkie talkie talking to medical somebodies. I handed my phone to him so he could clear the call so I wouldn't get in trouble.
The gentleman refused to wait for the ambulance and got on the train. Needless to say we all watched him nonstop to his station. I felt so bad for him since you could tell he had hit his head hard by the very large and oozing red spot on the middle of his forehead and nose. I tried to get him to let me refill his water bottle but he refused. The "corpsman" asked to be allowed to have an ambulance meet him at his next station, but he refused that as well. I know he had to be horribly embarrassed by all the attention, but you could tell his fellow passengers were truly concerned for his wellbeing, and not just "lookie-loos."
Then this morning, a woman locked herself in the bathroom. She was there as a family unit. Non-english speaking. She refused to "listen" to her daughter who was screeching at her in Mexican for 20 minutes solid. It was very aggravating. I think the daughter was screeching more because she wanted in the bathroom, than any concern that mom could not get out. When she finally got her mom out of the bathroom there were cheers on the train that were more about not having to listen to her daughter screech anymore than happiness that "mom" was out of the toilet.
Today, again, I have very little to do. I have some invoices to pay and about 10 pieces of paper to file. It's going to be a long day. I wish I could read a book at my desk since there's only so many times I can pop into the BBs or check my email. Hmmm, maybe I can work on updating my webpage!?!