We have some guy's that sit at the top of Rye Lane in Peckham. To be honest I wish all drunks were like them...they once saved my wife from a sticky situation whilst she was out running one night. Some local kids decided it would be funny to run behind her, she turned round and they started squaring up.

From out of nowhere, in a haze of Special Brew, Alcoman and his mates proceeded to give the kids a harsh talking to and ample distraction so that my wife could run away.

I went down the next day and bought them all MacDonalds!

A fair few woman get well and truly the worse for in Bristol.
Stu.

A fair few woman get well and truly the worse for drink here in Bristol.
Stu.

I know you ambulance guys hate those drunks lying on the streets I know you do and I can understand it in a way. Although sometimes, just sometimes you have got another point of view when you don't do such a job.

Once I went home at midnight and passed the local hospital. A few yards away from the entrance there was an obviously drunk man lying in the drive. He didn't move at all (probably he was asleep:-) but it just looked so odd and it was strange for me as I saw him lying there in a way (as I am not very used to that kind of look)
I have to admit I actually WAS thinking about calling 999 but I did not..
The funny thing about it: There were at least 2 or 3 ambulances coming out of the hospitals drive, I am sure they all saw him but nobody stopped which I thought was a bit absurd. There was this hospital a few yards away, there were all those ambulances and a police car as well but nobody cared. Is it supposed to be like that?
In spite of the fact that he might have been JUST drunk, one could at least check, right? I do not know, probably I am too naiv, probably I am wrong.

Don't forget, someone may have checked on him earlier and they were leaving him to sleep it off - no real need to get involved there?

Let us assume someone did, ok?
How could the police and the three other ambulances have known that? How could I have known? And even if, he was ignored by everyone

Presumably, the police, ambulances, and hospital are in radio communication, with each other or at least "Control." So the situation was probably generally known among them.

and without wanting to sound nasty, why are you questioning others when you (by your own admission) did nothing?

hmm?

just asking...

Good question actually. The thing is I WAS actually thinking about calling 999 but as I said I didn't. Among other things also because of the fact that I thought "Well, if even the hospital's ambulances pass him like that what is the point in calling exactly THEM" I was also assuming that he might have been to that hospital before, was thrown out of it or something like that. I was near enough to tell he was drunk and to be honest I actually thought "he'll be fine" and left.
In general I think people should care and sometimes it makes me sad to see that society's ignorance regarding homeless people on the streets etc. Going through London you don't even look at them and in the winter they die without anyone noticing it. It is their choice one says and most of the time they are just "dirty drunks" but apart from that knowledge and general attitude looking at our society it just makes me think we are loosing ourselves by forgetting those people. Whatever, doesn't matter.
It was all about the fact that I got confused by seeing those ambulances driving past that man.
@"Tom": Do you actually stop when you see people lying on the floor (no matter if they are drunk or just having a heartattack) although you are not on duty or not called? Well I suppose you do (right?) but is there any policy saying that you have to or something like that?
Because I have often seen police cars stopping for something they just noticed but never ambulances

I was coming back from town earlier to find a fire engine stopped with blue lights on near the greengate junction on Prince Regent Lane, wondered where the fire was as from where I was sitting in traffic I could see a fireman walking towards the chip shop putting rubber gloves on (here's me thinking that's a good way to stop getting chip grease on your fingers). It wasn't until I got past the junction I could see there was a semi concious man lying on the floor (looked like he was of "no fixed abode") and the firemen were making sure he was ok, they'd put him in a partial recovery position. Just seemed surreal to see firemen dealing with the situation.

They are not supposed to.... but many will do something if they think that person is in danger. The problems arise if something happens to the bloke as a direct response to thier actions....

If you ask me, there are far too few good samaratins these days, scared off by thugs and nutcases....

Yes, it is the creeping disease of litigation that stops people who would otherwise be Good Samaritans from helping out. It's a sad fact that, over the last decade or so, the risk of being sued if anything should go even slightly wrong, is becoming the first thing to be considered. What's the remedy I wonder?

Here in Washington, DC, fire engines are always the first-responders to an ambulance call. The theory being that there are more fire crews than ambulance crews, so the firefighters can get there more quickly and start CPR if necessary. Also, the trucks come in handy for blocking traffic, and the rest of the crew can be useful in moving the patient. On the other hand, the wear-and-tear on half-million-dollar fire engines must be a considerable drain on the budget. I've often thought that maintaining a smaller vehicle and sending just a couple firefighters as first-responders would make sense, but I guess they want to keep the crew and their fire engine together in case they have to respond to a fire once they're no longer needed at the current emergency.

For the same reason, you often see manned fire engines parked outside of grocery stores. The whole group have to go along grocery shopping, with some sticking with the engine while others shop.

Of course, the REAL benefits of warm sunny weather are that you see a lot more short skirts and crop-tops about :-)

Yep and underneath you can see those kind of legs which are not supposed to be seen