At about 10:00 am this morning someone buzzed my apartment.
On the other end was a woman’s voice, very weak and shaky, “Call 911 for me, I need to go to the hospital.”
Wanting to assess the situation first, I went downstairs and there was a young woman, in distress indeed, barefeet, wet muddy clothes, snot on her face....
She said she was epileptic and was having seizures. Being just 2 minutes from Royal Jubilee Hospital, I said I would drive her.
Once in the car, Emily said she was very thirsty. It twigged on me that she wanted alcohol to ease the withdrawal from a pretty extreme drinking binge.
At this point, I was committed to driving her to hospital, so I said I couldn’t help her with the drink but we would be at the emergency entrance to the hospital in just a minute. When we pulled in, she said “I’m not allowed in there.” “ Why not?”, I replied, thinking she might be a hypochondriac who would go every day if she was allowed. “I got in a fight and they barred me.” Still, I had made a commitment to take her to hospital, and she needed help that I could not give her so I carried on to VGH. To make a long story short, when I dropped her off at VGH, my beautiful new leather upholstery was covered, not in mud, as I had originally thought, but you guessed it...

When I got home I pulled on a pair of disposable rubber gloves, grabbed a couple of clean rags, windex and a scrub brush and cleaned the car. To finish off, I put the rags and brush in the washing machine, added a scoop of soap, and didn’t add any other laundry. I didn’t want to contaminate my clothes with the filth. Made myself a cup of coffee, and carried on with my day.

I’m just glad that yesterday, when I went to purchase sheepskin seat covers, they didn’t have the ones I wanted in stock so I ordered them, to be delivered next week.

Sounds like quite a morning.

You washed them??? I would have tossed them in the closest trash can.

+1
Next time, call the ambulance, the lazy buggers in Victoria need the work. At least that's what they used to tell me when I had the pleasure of being in town when I was on the rig and saw them sitting around both Emergs.

I think many good hearted folks like you have a similar experience, Once. After that they call for an ambulance and let the folks with the easy to clean vehicle and protective clothes do their thing.

I'm with you though on washing vs. throwing. Properly washed no reason why the clothes and rags aren't reusable. I'd pay very close attention to seams and tight places in the vehicle though. Amazing where all the slop gets to. It gets harder to remove the longer it is in place.

Canadians (esp Victorians) are too nice.
A Texan would have had her arrested for disturbing the peace.

Actually now that HawkOwl has brought up the point about the seams drop by an ambulance station/fire hall, tell them your tale (they'll probably know the lady) and ask if they'll lend you some of their disenfection solution. Spray the he77 out of the seams and seat.

Excellent idea.

Pay particular attention to the seats, where the floor mats abut the side and center of the vehicle, and so forth. In short, everywhere any liquid could have run even if you have no visual evidence it did. If you have any question about a particular place soak it down. Believe me street diseases are nothing to be easily dismissed.

Your advice about using a stronger disinfectant and getting in the seams is noted.

Another reason to phone the ambulance and have nothing to do with people like that is that they can turn around and accuse you of sexual asault. Even if the police dismiss the accusation, getting through the initial investigation can be problem enough.

In this case, reacting with my heart and not my head could create a lot of trouble for me.

Sadly, I must agree with everyone who feels that the best course of action is to call 911, and let emergency personnel, including police, handle these
situations. There are just too many people out there, running all kinds of scams. Alcoholics and druggies are great at this sort of thing.

Sounds like this one would have been "known to police".

Kind instincts took over.
Calling 911 and staying with her would (maybe, depending on how speedy your EMS is) have gotten care to her faster and would have saved your car.

Always better to call the professionals: ambulance and paramedics!

Skilsaw, your acts of kindness are commendable.

Wow. That sounds like a lot of work. You must be pooped.

"Be a little more selfish, it might do you some good" David Byrne

I would never get involved with someone like that. I would talk to them, and call 911 but they wouldn't get in my car or house.

Not to mention when you hear from her lawyer. I'm sure she left some valuables in your car, or you touched her inappropriately. (Just kidding) At least, that's what some behind-on-his-rent attorney is going to claim as he tries to shake you down.

Good for you for helping her even if it she was a drunk & dirty street person. It would be nice to think that somewhere in her brain she stored away the fact that a stranger helped her when she asked, and knowing that may help her in the future.

(Yes, I know I am being very pollyannaish.)

I would always be fell an inclination to help and to trust BUT I learned years ago via some cons coming to the door that compelling front door tales of woe are usually scams. If someone appeared to be in danger I would certainly call 911 and stay with the individual but not inside the house or car. I would fight my natural instincts in such a case.

All deals were off when you got to the first hospital and she revealed her con. You should have dumped her there and then and saved yourself the trouble of cleaning out your car. It is no concern of yours that she is banned at the hospital (and what sort of hospital would turn away someone who is legitimately ill, anyway?), and your part of the undertaking was done when you arrived at the door.

I see what you did there.

Coule be worse.

An acquaintance of mine recently saved a life by stopping a stranger's bleeding following a serious accident. Now he has hepatitus C.

I have to vigourously disagree with this blanket statement. There are just too many variables of situation and EMS availability to follow a flat rule. Leaving it to the "professionals" too often is a way to let someone die or suffer long term unnecessary injury.

A better thing is to become well enough trained and informed so you can make a good decision. It is a sad thing indeed to see a bunch of people standing around watching someone die while waiting for the "professionals" just because they are afraid of doing something. The answer is to become educated. After all the person you save may be a loved one.

People are way too scared of infection from a random diseased person. Even if you get body fluids on you from such a person prompt cleaning negates much of the risk. If you cannot overcome your fear then carry a pair of gloves in your pocket.

In short, don't let fear overcome duty to other humans. Would you want to be left to die or have life long injury just because someone considered you too dirty to help, or because bystanders were too afraid?

Get trained and educated. The life you save may be your own or a loved one.

More to the story I'm sure.

I'm with skilsaw on this one. Perhaps some of the bystanders in the parable off the Good Samaritan were waiting for the professionals.

...Or were just wary of the bottom-feeding attorneys looking for their next do-gooder victim to shake down.

Bless you for your humanity, and, no good deed goes unpunished.