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HeroicStories #844: Stranded
Reaching more than 37,000 subscribers in 118 countries, this is...
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HeroicStories #844: 20 January 2012 www.HeroicStories.org
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Stranded Story Editor:
by Therese Allen Joyce Schowalter
California, USA
"Whoever said it never rained in Southern California never lived
here," I thought as I crossed Vermont Avenue at Manchester to catch
the next bus home. It was pouring buckets of cats and dogs, and I
was soaked! My watch said midnight but it wasn't that dark because
it was a commercial area.
"Good. I'll be home soon," I thought as I saw the #220 heading north
toward me.
"You want this bus?" the operator asked, looking down disdainfully
at me from behind the wheel.
"Yes." I decided not to say I liked showering outside at midnight in
my clothes.
"I can't pick you up when your wheelchair is not up on the island."
"I travel this way at least four times a day and no other drivers
have any problem letting the lift go all the way to the street," I
explained as politely as possible. I knew I had to be nice -- the
driver had the power to leave me. Most people wouldn't believe this
could happen, but I knew better.
"I don't care what other drivers do. I know the policy. I know what
this bus will do, and I cannot pick you up," the driver snapped
while she kept her well-manicured talons on the steering wheel. She
slammed the door and sped away.
All I could do was watch the bus drive off while I was left on the
street, getting more drenched with each passing minute.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, three people appeared. "Did that
driver just do what we thought we saw? Drive off without you?" one
man asked.
"Yes," I stammered, trying not to shiver with the cold.
"Did you get her badge number?" a woman inquired.
"No, she wouldn't give it to me, but I have the bus number, time,
and location. I will report her first opportunity I get."
"Here," a second man said, "Let us help you get dried off. We'll
wait here until the next bus comes for you."
As they all pitched in to dry me off, I couldn't figure out where
these people came from -- let alone how they found all their
supplies so quickly. They put each of my legs in a plastic garbage
bag to keep me from absorbing any more water. They made another bag
into a scarf, and draped towels around my shoulders for warmth and
protection. They gave me coffee which was hot, with just the right
amount of cream and sugar: the perfect antidote for this blustery
night.
The first man wrote down what he had observed, and compared notes
with me. Gratitude threatened to overwhelm me. At 12:30 a.m. the
next bus came along, and as I'd done countless times before, I
boarded it when the driver put down the ramp for me.
As this happened in 1987 I've long forgotten their names, but my
gratitude to those three people is still fresh.
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"One Social Worker" by Kelly Kimura from Japan praised a social
worker in the United States who is helping Kelly's mother-in-law
with her home and life as she ages.
Patsy from Kentucky comments: "Dealing with my own aging mother's
problems and knowing how much energy it takes to get the services
she needs, I'm truly touched by this story. We've had some positive
experiences, but also some terribly negative ones with negligent
care or rude aides. It takes a great deal of diligence and on-going
watchfulness to make sure things stay on track. Advocates for the
elderly are a precious resource and Kelly is fortunate to have found
such a good one for her mother-in-law. I wish them well!"
Walt in the USA has great suggestions: "Today's computer technology
can aid of those of us with aging family members. The new technology
-- far beyond the 'I've fallen and can't get up' emergency button --
include unobtrusive devices to detect motion. If Mother goes into
the bathroom but hasn't left after an hour, a monitor alerts a
neighbor or social worker. Likewise if she doesn't open the
refrigerator for several days. Check out 'aging at home' and similar
search words. The cost, while not cheap, is far cheaper than
assisted living costs and retains the individual's independence.
Also -- connect with a geek to set up a web cam, which allows you to
visit with her real time, in her native tongue, and see her
condition. The hardware can be as simple as an on/off switch."
We have more replies in our discussion about drowning inspired by
"Panic in the Deep End" (#842), a story of two teen girls who nearly
drowned in a public swimming pool. Ruth from Washington State had a
similar story: "Several years ago at my son's swim class I saw a
teacher take a group of 5-year-old students into five foot deep
water. She had them hold the edge of the pool while she worked with
one student to swim to a platform 15 feet from the edge, then she
left that student on the platform to work with the next student. One
energetic boy bounced up and down on the platform until he bounced
off the edge into the five-foot deep water. He continued bouncing,
but was too short to surface. His mother noticed, but just pointed
and made little noises. I tried to alert the instructor nearest me,
but it was too noisy. So I dived in and rescued him, shoes, cell
phone and all. At the next class the boy and his mother brought
roses to thank me. His mother reported that he wasn't scared; he
just noticed that he couldn't talk under water. The pool doesn't
take very young children into deeper water any more."
John in Ontario has more tips. "The first thing they teach you in
rescuing a drowning victim is that they will drown you. Thus, use an
aid like a towel to pull them to safety. If the drowning person
starts climbing up the towel you just let go and back away. If you
have no training use a long pole from outside the pool. Plant
yourself firmly so you don't get pulled in. Or just alert the
lifeguard." (Full story on our archives:
http://heroicstories.com/archives.html .)
Reader John in Massachusetts wrote: "If a drowning person starts
climbing on you, swim down, then away, then up. As soon as you swim
down enough that grabbing onto you won't help they'll let go, then
swim away and back to the surface. This is admittedly hard to
remember in the moment, but can save your life."
We asked Mario Vittone from the site we referred you to last week,
if this was accurate advice. He replied: "If someone grabs you and
you go underwater they will always (ALWAYS) let go. They want to be
above the surface and they won't hold on to a would-be rescuer as
they go under. If they don't, they are not drowning." Remember,
"drowning doesn't look like drowning", as explained at Mario's site
here: http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154 . As Pam in Virginia
said, "Everyone should see this."
Joyce Schowalter, Networker in Chief
*** and Susan in Alabama
Co-Conspirators to Make the World a Better Place
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