A medical student from a suburban medical school in another state was doing rotation in our emergency department. He asked me what he should do about issues with riding public transportation to the hospital.
On the way here, some guy two seats in front of me puked on the empty seat next to him. Everyone around him jumped to make sure that it wasn’t going to splash on them, then they just sat there like nothing happened. He just sat there like nothing happened. The bus driver was listening to music on his headphones and just kept driving like nothing happened.
Then some guy just started yelling at the top of his lungs, leaned back and started trying to kick out the window on the bus. Nobody did anything. The bus driver didn’t give him a second look. At the next stop, he just sat up in his seat and walked off the bus.
Then the bus got full and some guy standing in the aisle started saying loudly that if he had an Uzi, he could shoot every “motherf’er” on the bus dead and still have bullets left over in the clip.
What should I do?
My response:
“The first guy probably just didn’t want anyone sitting next to him. The second guy probably just missed his stop. You should have told the third guy that Uzi clips only have 32 bullets (I know this from the fierce battles I have with my son playing Modern Warfare 2 on X Box) and, assuming 2-3 shots per kill, there is no way that he would be able to kill everyone on the bus before running out of bullets and being pummeled to death by the survivors.”
He just looked at me with a blank stare.
“I’m kidding. Get headphones and ignore this stuff. And drink decaf. You’re too high strung.”
He continued with the blank stare. I could see that he was desperately trying to process whether or not I thought all these actions were out of the ordinary.
“Look at me. You need to start taking the subway. There’s a stop two blocks away.”
He kind of half-smiled.
Just a hunch, but I’m not thinking he’ll be doing many more rotations here.
Obviously not ER material.
You should recommend Anesthesia to him.
Funny responses.
Although …not being a city girl …I’d of been looking to you for guidance if I thought you were familiar, then in disbelief after you said that and then relief at subway, had I not thought of it. But is it better?
I know there is risk of violence in the ED, but would be more afraid on the bus in such a limited environment.
Tranquilizer gun anyone?
It is just so disturbing to hear about so many angry, violent people. What is wrong with so many people these days? I know most are normal, but we constantly read about mass shootings and beyond disturbing/sick murders, etc. Even locally in today’s paper, an article about a 28 yr old woman who had her 6th baby in the passenger side, boyfriend takes the infant (no one held her after she was born)told everyone he was bringing her to hospital, but smashed her with a brick twice on his employer’s property and buried her there.
People said he was responsible at work and no one thought of him as doing something so heinous.
How can we reverse this seeming increase in violence and anger?
WC – I went off track and so delete if you wish. The bus incidents would’ve scared me greatly. Not the vomiting. But, I would’ve offered tissues …I think ..depending on the person being receptive. Didn’t sound like he would be.
Sea Spray comments: “It is just so disturbing to hear about so many angry, violent people. What is wrong with so many people these days?”
Better news coverage. Nutballs used to be local problems, not global problems, so you only heard about it if it was in your community. Now you hear about every nutball in the world, the day they commit their acts.
The behaviors on the bus, however – that’s the result of large city anonymity. In a small city, any of those behaviors would get you attention from local law enforcement (vandalism, assault). In a large city, everyone assumes they’ll never run into the guy again, so they just want the encounter to be over. Which results in jerks learning they can get away with it, and they do it again and again.
Hi Tarl – Thanks for your input. I agree with you on instant communication via satellite now and we hear/read about everything …particularly if it is sensational. And violence has been with us from the beginning of our human existence …down right barbaric and still is in mass in some countries.
But,I do think the threat of mass murder/ sick violence has increased exponentially in this country. I was a kid when the Charles Manson/Sharon Tate murders happened and that made headlines because it was so gruesome and bizarre. The extreme crimes did. Although, I suppose as you said ..others weren’t reported. And …now we know if a pig sneezes anywhere on the planet.
Kids used to be safe in schools. Now even in our local schools – rural/suburbs they have doors locked,security etc, because of the trends with shooters around the country …as well as in the military and hostile employees, etc.
Recently, mobs of people plotting and descending on innocent people, mobs deciding they want to storm hospital ED’s for drugs, or pharmacy.
With the more recent Mob mentality, I’ve been wondering if it is all the negative news, etc., creating short fuses in people. And an anger charged emotional climate combined with fear and uncertainty.? Also some people may be more desensitized toward violence and the value of human life thanks to media in it’s various forms. Decline of morals and sense of accountability. Or parents actually parenting their kids verses blaming teachers, the system, etc. And people willing to sue others even though erroneous complaints…all they care about is what they can get and to heck with innocent people/companies being hurt. (I know scammers around forever too) Mutual respect for one another and respect for authority, compassion and willingness to go the extra mile for others seems lacking.
There have been gangs and Mafia, etc, but it just seems *more* of the average everyday people snap or have an entitled mentality and screw everyone else.
About the bus …and I am showing my naivete here …but I would think it is a privilege to ride the bus. Why aren’t they kicked off? Why aren’t standards held up? Why don’t people get punished for the crime? I am guessing that is all so petty vs the more serious crimes and police too busy.
Back when I was ‘po, I road the bus route that went straight through The Hood. There was always someone high on crack or manic ranting about something. That was every day. The weirdest bus trip, however, had to be the time someone’s ferret got loose and jumped on my lap though.
Pretty sure I would’ve screamed while becoming apoplectic if a ferret landed in my lap.
Note to self: Do not ever, ever, EVER go live in any of those cities.
Hopefully, it is a city with gun control so that he couldn’t own a gun as law abiding citizen.
Living in the city as well, I seriously think we need to come up with “homeless” bingo. Kinda like office bingo (google it), but instead it would have squares like “Full on conversation with invisible person” “Acts of violence against inanimate object” “Public urination” “1980′s fashion accessories” “”Help me get a cup of coffee” in front of the liquor store”.
What a light weight. Living in Detroit, and taking the bus route that past the homeless shelter and a substance abuse help center, that wouldn’t even qualify for an eye raise.
Puke is nothing. A dude masturbating into a dirty sock is a yawn. Same with peeps screaming at their air friends or yelling about the chip in their head.
The two worse was a drama queen cutter who got in a fight with her booty call and slashed her arm length wise and bled everywhere. The driver tossed both those idiots off.
Second was drug addled and drunk homeless guy who puke about a gallon of red wine. Also threatened to kill everyone too. Whatever Failure Pile. Driver had to stop the bus and have the cops extract him. He bit a cop and got pepper sprayed and tasered for his efforts.
I consider the mutants part of the free floor show.
Public transport is not for the faint of heart.
We have a winner!
My suggestion would be carry a cow prod with you. Someone starts acting crazy you can juice them in the neck and everyone is none the wiser.
About the cattle prod. In Hood Ratville, a cattle prod in the neck would be view as an invite to talk. A friendly tap on the shoulder, if you will. Lol..
When profs give a sarcastic answer to a straight forward question the student thinks: “How long do I have to smile and nod while this doc massages his ego. IS he joking or is he really stupid? Patience. Patience. Just keep my mouth shut until I can get out of this situation and find someone who can actually help me. I hope he doesn’t treat his actual patients like this. Does anyone around here take safety seriously or actually want to help me succeed in medicine OR do they just see students as a chance to build themselves up by pushing other people down? They think this is funny. Just smile and nod, repeat, smile and nod. No wonder we have a health care crisis.”
Just remember, there are some people who think that taking public transit is a joyous experience that brings us all together, and that the highest goal of any city planner is to get 100% of commuters onto the bus or the train.