Thursday 12 April 2012

When no one stops to help

I think it's such a shame in this day and age that the days of the good samaritan have passed us by...I'm not going all religious on you here, but what with it being Easter and living in a religious country, I half expected better.

Now it turned out this was nothing more than a drunk, passing out on the side of the road, but how are you to know that? He could've been diabetic, he could've been attacked or anything.

Yesterday I was out with my youngest and his mate nearing a 4 way stop, so I'm travelling at next to nothing. I see about 10 cars ahead of me a young man on the pavement, I don't notice him stagger i just see him crash to the ground and smash his head on the kerb. What do i do? I live in South Africa, one doesn't stop for anyone, ever, not even a female in distress as it could be a ploy to rob, rape or murder you, yes I'm being serious. No one else stops, no one else even pays attention, and as I drive past I notice he's vomited, yes he may be drunk, but he could also have a head injury. So what do I do?

I don't know the number for a government ambulance, in fact I dob't know the number for our medical aid ambulance either, so I pull into the garage, I tell the manager what has happened, he says I've done the right thing and he grabs a worker and they run off to help. As I leave the garage, having sone my bit, I glance up the road, he is still unconscious and no one has stopped to help.

I called back into the garage today to find out what had happened. The manager told me he was drunk, he was wearing a uniform for another petrol station, they had phoned them and said this guy was an alcoholic and they were trying to help him. The guy had come round and had refused any help, so they took him back to the garage where they let him sleep it off.

I apologised to the mananger he said 'what for?' 'you did the right thing and no one else did anything, thank you for stopping'

I will do the same again, from a distance and I must call my medical aid company in the morning to get the number for an ambulance...just in case.

3 comments:

  1. You definitely did the right thing, at least you got him some help and didn't just ignore him. I wouldn't have stopped either, especially with young ones in the car, but I would have done what you did. Even so, it must have been very difficult. Polly x

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    Replies
    1. I understand why no one stopped, but when i went back to the garage the following day, no one else had bothered to do what i'd done

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    2. found out I dial 10111 here for emergency assistance

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