Another True Life Experience~
Several years ago OldGal fell off a horse and broke her wrist, off to the hospital we went. Upon arrival an EMT-in-Training was delegated the task of cutting off her ring since her hand was swelling badly. Now, I have no objection to an EMT, even one in training removing the ring. I have nothing but respect for those folk. What I did object to was that he was attempting to do this in the waiting room and not having much luck at it while my darling wife was in tears.
The last straw came when the young man behind the desk started asking me all those **** fool questions that hospitals love to ask. I answered as best I could until he got to the question, "The phone number of a relative or friend?" What has that got to do with my purpose in being there? All this while OldGal is crying and moaning. I told him I didn't have one to give him. (True! I don't even try to remember phone numbers. To quote Albert Einstein, “Never memorize something that you can look up.”) In a snippy tone he responded that, "HE HAD to have one." God forbid that one of the blanks on his form should be left blank! The whole hospital might have to shut down.
I thought about that for a moment, pulled a business card out of my wallet and read the phone number aloud. In an even more irritating tone he asked the question that I expected, "And whose number is that?"
Starting in a precise, low, calm voice I answered, "That is the number of J******* T*******, Attorney at Law who, should I pick up that phone and dial that number will come down here, waving his sword of legal retribution to the financial detriment of this institution and, quite possibly you personally." (Picked that phrase out of the air, believe it or not.)
His eyes got big, he stared at me for just a moment, jumped up and ran into the bowels of the ER. As God is my witness, thirty seconds later OldGal was on a gurney and on her way to a treatment room.
Sometimes ya just gotta get their attention.
Several years ago OldGal fell off a horse and broke her wrist, off to the hospital we went. Upon arrival an EMT-in-Training was delegated the task of cutting off her ring since her hand was swelling badly. Now, I have no objection to an EMT, even one in training removing the ring. I have nothing but respect for those folk. What I did object to was that he was attempting to do this in the waiting room and not having much luck at it while my darling wife was in tears.
The last straw came when the young man behind the desk started asking me all those **** fool questions that hospitals love to ask. I answered as best I could until he got to the question, "The phone number of a relative or friend?" What has that got to do with my purpose in being there? All this while OldGal is crying and moaning. I told him I didn't have one to give him. (True! I don't even try to remember phone numbers. To quote Albert Einstein, “Never memorize something that you can look up.”) In a snippy tone he responded that, "HE HAD to have one." God forbid that one of the blanks on his form should be left blank! The whole hospital might have to shut down.
I thought about that for a moment, pulled a business card out of my wallet and read the phone number aloud. In an even more irritating tone he asked the question that I expected, "And whose number is that?"
Starting in a precise, low, calm voice I answered, "That is the number of J******* T*******, Attorney at Law who, should I pick up that phone and dial that number will come down here, waving his sword of legal retribution to the financial detriment of this institution and, quite possibly you personally." (Picked that phrase out of the air, believe it or not.)
His eyes got big, he stared at me for just a moment, jumped up and ran into the bowels of the ER. As God is my witness, thirty seconds later OldGal was on a gurney and on her way to a treatment room.
Sometimes ya just gotta get their attention.
