Rubberneckers

I went to a job today that was a bit different. Different because it was daylight and not down a narrow country road (and it wasn't raining, but that's for another post.) I was very close to my own hospital, and possibly could have walked there faster. I went to assist a man who had driven his car into a bathroom and kitchen showroom. He was unharmed, but the damage to the car and to the shopfront meant that he was well and truly trapped. It took the fire crew about 25 minutes to make the area safe and to remove the roof, so that we could slide him out of the car on a spinal board, just for precaution.

As it was daylight, and on a main thoroughfare, there were an awful lot of bystanders. I'm not used to working for an audience, and it can be quite offputting, looking up and seeing fifty or so people watching your every move. What really surprised me today was the number of people with their mobile 'phones, photographing and videoing the 'action'. This gets me mad! I understand why people slow down to look at accidents. There is something compelling about the misfortunes of others, and we all have a degree of voyerism in us. But, photography and video? No!! I recall one instance when I was being photographed at an accident, and the chap opened the door of the ambulance and started taking photographs of the patient. This is going too far.

What also struck me today, as it does every day, is the teamwork, the slick working together of the ambulance crews, the firemen and police officers, to ensure the safe extrication of the patient. That's one of the reasons I do this; to be a part of this team.