"41 year old male, seizure, will be met at station by staff"
It was rush hour on a Thursday evening. It was already dark and we had only just started. We got the shout to one of our local underground stations about two miles away. Normally a seizure on a train is indeed a seizure on a train. Today was no different. We arrived at the station after a few minutes and with the help of a very friendly station supervisor bundled all our stuff down the steps to the platform. To save on repeat journeys we brought the chair and life pack just in case. If he refused treatment as is common with epileptics we could leave him in the station and if he was in a bad way we could get him back up to the truck quickly. Most of the passengers had piled off the train to get some fresh air or find alternative transport. We were waved over to one of the middle carriages by a group of them. The closer we got the more I became aware of an argument going on. Indeed there was, between the driver and a passer-by. I say passer-by as for all intents and purposes he was but to me he was a colleague. Off duty but rendering aid. Very nice to see! This is what I heard as I got to the doors.
Paramedic: "Quite frankly I don't care about your train, this man is fitting and until he has a) stopped and b) the ambulance arrived nobody is moving him"
Driver: "We all have homes to go to as well, this is my train and we need to get it off the platform, it's causing chaos"
Paramedic: "I don't care"
Driver: "You idiots think you are so special, I don't care who you said you are, get him off the train."
Me: "This man isn't moving anywhere until I say so and until then I would like you to leave for patient confidentiality reasons. If there is a problem I will get the police"
Driver: "Look at you all fucking sticking together"
With that, he stomped off down the platform to a hail of abuse from various other passengers. Can anyone actually be that uncaring and selfish?! It appears so. Would he drag off a dead body? Probably. Would he wake up a drunk instead of calling us? No!
Our patient had stopped fitting and was beginning to come round. After about 5 minutes he was back to his normal self and gave us his full epileptic history. This seizure followed his normal pattern and he did not want to go to hospital. We were checking him over so we could send him on his way. The driver was by now loitering again at the door and sheepishly asked how long we would be.
"We'll be done when we are done"
My bluntness had the desired effect. He stomped off again down the platform telling someone over the radio that the obnoxious ambulance crew were dragging their heels as part of a power game. Maybe we were, maybe we could have removed our patient a few minutes sooner. On the other hand though, maybe he could have shown some compassion and respect. Maybe he should have just let us do our job. Maybe he should think very carefully before criticising us when he works for the greediest bunch of lazy, good for nothing scroungers this country has in its workforce. It really does make me livid.
My feelings about tube drivers are no secret. The way they repeatedly hold our country to random sickens me as I've pointed out in Tube Strikes: The Cost of Greed and this day was no different. It only went to reaffirm my feelings about them. The public will only put up with their nonsense for so long before there is a serious backlash. It took one search of Google for 'Tube Drivers' to find 5 negative stories about them on the opening page.
- MP's Condemn Tube Drivers
- Tube Drivers Strike
- Triple Pay Demands from Tube Drivers
- Tube Workers Reject Pay Offer
- London Held to Ransom
They are not held in high regard by anyone. I wasn't able to find any positive stories about them which speaks volume for contempt in which they are held by the public. There was no purpose to this blog other than to make myself feel better and showcase the moral fibre from which they are made. I do feel better now! I just wish one would have the guts to comment and stick up for their actions. Bet they don't........
I've added a video of a song about the London Underground by the parody music due Amateur Transplants (Adam Kay - @amateuradam & Suman Biswas - @amateursuman). This song has amused on on many occasion so hopefully it does the same to you. Genius!
"London Underground"