Today
Sunday, December 11, 2011 @ 6:06 PM
| 0 notesToday I saved a life.
Or something.
So my mom and I were on our way to church, right? I forgot what we were talking about when suddenly, this car started slowing down while moving diagonally in front of us. My mom absolutely hates drivers who are either slow or never turns on their signal light when changing lanes. The car had both and we were on a road where people drive really fast, so she started beeping at the car angrily. I told her to just overtake the car when I noticed that the driver's silhouette looks like someone bobbing their head to music. Or headbanging. Then as my mom drove past the car, I started screaming at her to stop the car. The driver wasn't listening to music at all.
She was having a seizure.
My mom immediately stopped the car but sort of just stared dumbly at the other car, which, by the amazing presence of mind of the driver, ended up being sort of parked at the curb. I yelled at my mom to call 911, and when she didn't respond, I grabbed my own phone and dialed the number. I guess my mom finally snapped out of her reverie while I was trying to call so she went out of the car and tried to cross the road. She can't, because the cars there are ridiculously fast, so she just started yelling at the passing cars "to help the lady over there because she needs help". Meanwhile, I was still waiting for 911 to connect. Not gonna lie, I was so disappointed then. The line rang about 5 minutes before the operator responded. And when she did, it was the stupidest conversation I've ever had.
(not verbatim)
Operator: Hello, 911. How can I help you?
Me: There's a lady having a seizure in her car. We need paramedics.
Operator: Where are you?
Me: By Bowie Regal Cinema.
Operator: What road?
Me: I don't know exactly, but we're by Bowie Crossing.
Operator: So what happened?
Me: My mom and I were on our way to church when this car started slowing down in front of us. When we overtook it, I saw that the driver was seizing.
Operator: So is there any landmark where this happened?
Me: We're by Bowie Town Center.
Operator: Where exactly?
Me: Like, the road in front of it. I mean, really close to it.
Operator: Are you close to the Bowie Regal Cinema?
Me: YES, THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY I SAID IN THE BEGINNING.
And then I went out of the car to walk over to the lady's car, where a really small group of people crowded. The operator was still asking me about her condition - if she was breathing, etc. etc. The other people were really nice. They were checking her pulse, and this other lady directed the traffic. All of them had their cellphones out because they were also trying to reach 911. Apparently they couldn't, because
their calls went to voicemail.
911 has voicemail.
911
The emergency hotline.
Has.
A.
Voicemail.
Sigh.
Anyway, after about 15-20 minutes, two police cars, a fire truck, and the paramedics came. I waited until the woman was carried to the ambulance because I wanted to make sure she was okay. I was shaking throughout the whole ordeal, and I still was, long after we drove away from the scene. It was a very memorable and very frightening experience. It was scary because 1) we could have hit that car, 2) we could have passed by without noticing, and who knows who'll see the lady? There was another car that overtook her before us, and it didn't stop, and 3) of all the cars that my mom yelled at to help the woman, only about 3 or 4 stopped. The bystander effect, huh. It's so sad to see that people could pass by someone who needs help. It's disgusting.
Ah, humanity.
Today
Sunday, December 11, 2011 @ 6:06 PM
| 0 notesToday I saved a life.
Or something.
So my mom and I were on our way to church, right? I forgot what we were talking about when suddenly, this car started slowing down while moving diagonally in front of us. My mom absolutely hates drivers who are either slow or never turns on their signal light when changing lanes. The car had both and we were on a road where people drive really fast, so she started beeping at the car angrily. I told her to just overtake the car when I noticed that the driver's silhouette looks like someone bobbing their head to music. Or headbanging. Then as my mom drove past the car, I started screaming at her to stop the car. The driver wasn't listening to music at all.
She was having a seizure.
My mom immediately stopped the car but sort of just stared dumbly at the other car, which, by the amazing presence of mind of the driver, ended up being sort of parked at the curb. I yelled at my mom to call 911, and when she didn't respond, I grabbed my own phone and dialed the number. I guess my mom finally snapped out of her reverie while I was trying to call so she went out of the car and tried to cross the road. She can't, because the cars there are ridiculously fast, so she just started yelling at the passing cars "to help the lady over there because she needs help". Meanwhile, I was still waiting for 911 to connect. Not gonna lie, I was so disappointed then. The line rang about 5 minutes before the operator responded. And when she did, it was the stupidest conversation I've ever had.
(not verbatim)
Operator: Hello, 911. How can I help you?
Me: There's a lady having a seizure in her car. We need paramedics.
Operator: Where are you?
Me: By Bowie Regal Cinema.
Operator: What road?
Me: I don't know exactly, but we're by Bowie Crossing.
Operator: So what happened?
Me: My mom and I were on our way to church when this car started slowing down in front of us. When we overtook it, I saw that the driver was seizing.
Operator: So is there any landmark where this happened?
Me: We're by Bowie Town Center.
Operator: Where exactly?
Me: Like, the road in front of it. I mean, really close to it.
Operator: Are you close to the Bowie Regal Cinema?
Me: YES, THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY I SAID IN THE BEGINNING.
And then I went out of the car to walk over to the lady's car, where a really small group of people crowded. The operator was still asking me about her condition - if she was breathing, etc. etc. The other people were really nice. They were checking her pulse, and this other lady directed the traffic. All of them had their cellphones out because they were also trying to reach 911. Apparently they couldn't, because
their calls went to voicemail.
911 has voicemail.
911
The emergency hotline.
Has.
A.
Voicemail.
Sigh.
Anyway, after about 15-20 minutes, two police cars, a fire truck, and the paramedics came. I waited until the woman was carried to the ambulance because I wanted to make sure she was okay. I was shaking throughout the whole ordeal, and I still was, long after we drove away from the scene. It was a very memorable and very frightening experience. It was scary because 1) we could have hit that car, 2) we could have passed by without noticing, and who knows who'll see the lady? There was another car that overtook her before us, and it didn't stop, and 3) of all the cars that my mom yelled at to help the woman, only about 3 or 4 stopped. The bystander effect, huh. It's so sad to see that people could pass by someone who needs help. It's disgusting.
Ah, humanity.
