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No good deed left unpunished
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by J.S. Magruder, Unknown News whynotresist.blogsome.com
April 16, 2007
Some days, all I can do is shake my head in dismay.
During the last major snowstorm here, a snowplow driver, on the clock to the State, cleared the driveway of an elderly cardiac patient so that he could get to his doctor. For this, the driver was sacked -- misuse of taxpayer money.
I pay taxes, and believe me, I'd happily pay to see Department of Roads workers actually out serving the citizens that need them . He wasn't sitting in a coffee shop drinking coffee, or sleeping in his truck, or in an office surfing the internet -- no, the guy did a decent thing, is now without a job and will probably lose his pension.
During that last storm, I did need to call for an ambulance. Though we only live two miles outside of town, it took them eleven minutes to get to my house -- most of that time unable to get through our unplowed drive (we live on a farm and the drive is about a half-mile long). They hoofed it up to the house and thankfully, my problem was pulmonary, not cardiac or I might well have died, given that sort of a delay.
The plow operator didn't even know the family who's drive he cleared -- he simply responded when asked -- because it was the decent thing to do.
We scream about incivility, and pine nostalgically for times when people behaved better (I'm not sure they ever did, but nostalgia isn't always an accurate reflection of what was really happening in a place and time) and then we punish individuals that do for others.
Honestly, I cannot believe anyone, even the most punitive of bosses would sack someone for potentially saving a man's life. I've worked for some real bastards in my day, but I cannot imagine any of them taking it this far without at least being aware of what sort of a schmuck they would look like.
My God, read some of the comments from the "law and order" types and you'd think the guy was out running a side business digging people out for money. I'd be embarrassed to be that petty, yet their mean-spiritedness seems to be applauded and encouraged.
Taxpayer's money? You bet. That's
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Snowplow driver fired for good deed
Associated Press April 12, 2007
BENNINGTON, Nebraska -- The snowplow driver who used state equipment to clear the private driveway of a heart patient says he has been fired by the state Roads Department.
Chuck Odom, who had worked 30-plus years for the state, said he was told Monday that his good deed on March 2 led to his firing.
A call Thursday seeking comment from the Roads Department was not immediately returned.
Department policies bar use of state equipment on private property.
Chuck Odom's wife, Sharon, said the termination letter her husband received listed several reasons. She said she would not share them because she and her husband wanted to talk to a lawyer first.
Sharon Odom did say the letter mentioned that her husband had talked to a reporter despite his agreement in writing not to discuss the incident during the state investigation.
After the March 1 blizzard, Odom answered a call from rural Bennington resident Alice Howard, whose husband was a heart patient.
Bob Howard was experiencing some pain. The Howards didn't think it was an emergency, but he was worried about getting to his scheduled doctor's appointment in Omaha.
Their quarter-mile-long driveway was filled with snow, and drifts kept them from reaching the snow blower in their garage.
The couple's friends and the private snowplow operators she called March 2 were so busy they couldn't help either.
So a friend recommended Odom, whom she didn't know.
Odom soon arrived with a plow. When that plow stuck in a drift, Odom called in another plow, then someone with a loader to finish clearing the driveway.
The Howards arrived late for the doctor's appointment but in time for Bob Howard to be seen.
Archived from original publication
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exactly the sort of thing state employers should be doing -- helping out the people that pay their salaries.
As frightening as my own experience was that day (which I should note, was made considerably less frightening by the wonderful volunteer fire department we have here that took my son aside and had one person look after and play with him so he wouldn't be scared seeing his mother getting oxygen.) it would have been far worse to know I had a serious condition and was trapped. At least mine took me by surprise* and I didn't have time to sit and build up anxiety as the snow continued falling.
Over and over in the comments, people insist the sick person should have called 911 and gone through the "proper channels", implying that until the man was actually experiencing a heart attack, he was expected to sit there terrified (and probably bringing on a heart event through worry) until something happened and he could call for help that wouldn't be able to get to him quickly as his drive was filled with four feet of snow. You know, "rules are rules" -- even if it kills someone.
We love to casually assign the word "hero" to those that kill, yet we punish a man for doing a truly heroic deed that should have been celebrated rather than resulting in his termination from State employment. What a world we live in. Blech.
© by the author.
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* Maybe "surprise" isn't exactly accurate. I have a number of overlapping autoimmune disorders that have been there, but under control for about ten
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We love to casually assign the word "hero" to those that kill, yet we punish a man for doing a truly heroic deed that should have been celebrated rather than resulting in his termination from State employment.
What a world we live in.
Blech.
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There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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years. In January, my husband's employer switched to an insurance company that requires mail order pharmacy unless you want to pay 3 times the cost at your own pharmacy.
Fine, they screwed-up two of the medications that have pretty much been keeping me alive for the last decade and subsequently, for eight weeks we waited for them to arrive, which they never did. Then the company claimed it was "lost" blah, blah, until finally it was determined that they destroyed the Rx, and never sent it in the first place and I'd need to get a new one from my doctor.
Unfortunately for me, that started a lupus/rheumatoid arthritis flare that left me in pretty bad condition. I really just chalked my exhaustion up to being the mother of a toddler and being somewhat old.
The day of the storm, I became stuck in the drive about ¼ of a mile down. I picked up my 32-lb. son and ran back up to the house with him in my arms (there was a forty mph wind blowing snow everywhere) and realized as I got in the door that I couldn't breathe. Not well, at least. As I'm now on my second course of mega dose Prednisone in a month's time (along with everything else and re-building a level on the regular medications) just to get the damn lupus under control, I'm more than slightly upset that it could have been avoided had the insurance company and their pharmacy service worked out a system where people might actually get some of the services we pay outrageous premiums for.
Now I'm looking at a much more costly road ahead than I would have if I'd been permitted to refill my medications at a drugstore instead of having the pills shipped from a warehouse on the other side of the country where none of the reps can tell you anything when you call with an inquiry -- so they simply make things up to get you off the phone.
I get to find out this week if I'm looking at organ failure as a consequence of all this (God, what's that consultation with a specialist going to cost me out of pocket, I wonder?).
On the bright side, I now have fifteen extra pounds and a lovely pink rash across my cheeks and nose that in combination (I'm not being sarcastic) almost give me a healthy glow. People keep telling me I look fantastic, go figure.
I don't share this story seeking sympathy (I mean come on, everyone has something to deal with) but to illustrate the absurdity such as was sent to Unknown News a few weeks ago by a "medical professional" intent on blaming the ill for their conditions ("Doc, give me a pill").
As far as I can tell, I've been taking pretty good care of myself with problems arising only when those charged with delivering my care (at the cost of over $10,000 from salary and an additional $3,000 deductible straight from pocket each year, that seems to cover less and less) do not carry out their obligations in a timely manner. Then of course, there's the lost wages as my husband has had to take time off work caring for, and ferrying me to various medical appointments. Thank God we don't have socialized medicine like the Canadians because I wouldn't be able to get the extraordinary level of care I'm getting from the bastards that take all our money and damn near kill me in return. ...
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