# Would you accept this ride?



## UberMurphy (Dec 24, 2016)

I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


----------



## dnlbaboof (Nov 13, 2015)

you did the right thing the child could have died and no copper would give you a ticket if they knew of the emergency


----------



## Grahamcracker (Nov 2, 2016)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


Morally I feel you did the right thing


----------



## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


You did the right thing. And with the hospital only 1/2 mile away was safe. It's not like you're driving 40 miles of freeway during heavy congested rush hour. It appears that common sense took over and you helped out a person.


----------



## RynoHawk (Mar 15, 2017)

You probably did the right thing given how close the hospital was. She maybe should've called an ambulance instead of an Uber.


----------



## Go4 (Jan 8, 2017)

I probably would have CANCELED the ride and taken her to the hospital.


----------



## Nomad (Jul 30, 2015)

Yup, you did the right thing. It's easy to become jaded with RideShare and immediately think negatively about everything, but a situation like that obliges you to be human.

Plus, now you've got a quick "craziest Uber ever" story that might score you some tips from future passengers.


----------



## Go4 (Jan 8, 2017)

Massive thank yous to you for what you did! That child will grow up, and YOU played a BIG part in making that happen. You, Sir, ROCK!! I am so very proud of you, and hope the very best for the child and the Mother

You were right to feel concerned about her "just" holding her child, but bigger picture, you just did the RIGHT THING TO DO! I would gladly take a ticket, layoff, firing ect anything to help them

*You, Sir, ROCK!!
*
LOL Stray dog in Chinatown!


----------



## f1zero (Jan 29, 2016)

So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


----------



## Darnell Beck (Jun 27, 2017)

In simple terms, our economy. The woman can't afford a car, how do you suppose a $4000 ambulance ride factors into her finances?


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


Unfortunately, not everyone makes good decisions under pressure. It's easy to judge when we're sitting comfortably behind our keyboards with all the time in the world to analyze everyone's actions here. However, I'm going to side with the majority here and give credit where credit is due. UberMurphy , you absolutely did the right thing, and the way you thought it through before acting is very impressive. I'm quite sure that some drivers wouldn't have performed nearly as well in that situation.


----------



## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


I would give her the ride.



f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


People cant afford the " Medical System".
She still has to feed the other 3.


----------



## f1zero (Jan 29, 2016)

Darnell Beck said:


> In simple terms, our economy. The woman can't afford a car, how do you suppose a $4000 ambulance ride factors into her finances?


Maybe she couldn't have afforded the ambulance ride, but when someone is in medical distress, especially your baby, your first instinct is to call 911 and not an Uber. (Side note: the ambulance wouldn't have been $4k, it was only 1/2 mile to the hospital from her house, a few hundred at worst)

But driver did good


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

f1zero said:


> Maybe she couldn't have afforded the ambulance ride, but when someone is in medical distress, especially your baby, your first instinct is to call 911 and not an Uber. (Side note: the ambulance wouldn't have been $4k, it was only 1/2 mile to the hospital from her house, a few hundred at worst)
> 
> But driver did good


We don't know what the ambulance situation is there. Our local EMS was recently taken over by a large regional hospital system, so now response times are almost double what they were before. An Uber could have quite possibly been closer and timelier than waiting for emergency services to respond.

Also, as a mother, her first instinct was most likely to help her baby. I'm sure she was very distressed, and under that mindset, may not have been thinking 100% clearly. Not everyone has the training and/or experience to act calmly and rationally under pressure at all times. Without more information, it's impossible to judge IMHO.


----------



## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


Q. #57 -- Your child is deathly ill and could expire at any moment. You should call...?
a) - Uber. Their drivers are trained in handling emergency medical situations.
b) - Domino's. Might as well get a pizza, it's going to be a long day.
c) - Local EMS. Lights and sirens - woohoo!
d) - UPS. For a small fee they'll take a package anywhere.

The correct answer is "b" - bonus points if you ordered thin crust with extra cheese!


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

Spotscat said:


> Q. #57 -- Your child is deathly ill and could expire at any moment. You should call...?
> a) - Uber. Their drivers are trained in handling emergency medical situations.
> b) - Domino's. Might as well get a pizza, it's going to be a long day.
> c) - Local EMS. Lights and sirens - woohoo!
> ...


I'm just going to say that she's very fortunate she got UberMurphy instead of another driver who may have acted much worse.

Although now I have craving for a slice of extra cheese pizza, so thank you for THAT anyway.


----------



## Darnell Beck (Jun 27, 2017)

f1zero said:


> Maybe she couldn't have afforded the ambulance ride, but when someone is in medical distress, especially your baby, your first instinct is to call 911 and not an Uber. (Side note: the ambulance wouldn't have been $4k, it was only 1/2 mile to the hospital from her house, a few hundred at worst)
> 
> But driver did good


I had a pax once who worked for Uber IRT. He told me a story about a case that his co worker worked on. Uber pax submitted an incident in which she described waking up naked with her driver on top of her. Uber rep contacted her and, of course, asked if she had called the police. She had not.
In times of distress, people don't always respond as you might expect. That doesn't make them bad people.

Also, ambulances don't charge by the mile. There are plenty of examples of people paying thousands for an ambulance ride of less than a mile.

Either way, I agree, driver made the right choice. We perform a public service, whether the public views it that way or not. As such, it is important that we remember that people come in all different flavors. Just because we wouldn't do something a certain way, doesn't necessarily make someone wrong when they do.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

her baby was unresponsive and she called uber instead of 911?
What a shitty mother. I would have left her ass there to teach her a lesson. She should have been running to the hospital instead of standing at the curb.

There's no moral obligation. If she can wait for an Uber, she can wait for an ambulance.


----------



## mikes424 (May 22, 2016)

You did the right thing. Sometimes compassion and common sense is more important than following laws and regulations.


----------



## Jt76542 (May 4, 2017)

Id bet a Jimmy Johns driver would have done it as well, just faster!

You made the right choice.


----------



## NCHeel (Jan 5, 2017)

Kid dies on the way to the hospital. Guess who is getting named in the civil suit? Good Samaritan law will not protect you because you are offering a paid service.


----------



## AuxCordBoston (Dec 3, 2016)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


Lots of liability, however I could not imagine telling her no.



NCHeel said:


> Kid dies on the way to the hospital. Guess who is getting named in the civil suit? Good Samaritan law will not protect you because you are offering a paid service.


You are correct. He is responsible as the driver. Either drive them or call an ambulance. Simply driving off seems so cruel.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

AuxCordBoston said:


> Lots of liability, however I could not imagine telling her no.


I can't imagine sitting at a red light for 2 minutes while her kid is dying in her arms



AuxCordBoston said:


> You are correct. He is responsible as the driver. Either drive them or call an ambulance. Simply driving off seems so cruel.


I dont think it's cruel. She had a phone to call Uber. She can dial 911.


----------



## LAbDog65 (Nov 29, 2016)

I do not think I would have taken her but would call 9 1 1 and probably stay until they came. Today's society is so lawsuit happy.


----------



## PVP (Aug 23, 2016)

Darnell Beck said:


> In simple terms, our economy. The woman can't afford a car, how do you suppose a $4000 ambulance ride factors into her finances?


sometimes uber is faster than ambulance. A 911 call might take 5 minutes to explain what is going on plus waiting on ambulance is another 5 minutes and then when ambulance arives its another 5 minutes to access the situation and help the baby. If hospital is .5 miles away I would most likely have done the same especially if uber is close by. Just take uber there and get help fast instead of playing the waiting game and explaining game to 911 when there is a life on the line.


----------



## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

PVP said:


> sometimes uber is faster than ambulance. A 911 call might take 5 minutes to explain what is going on plus waiting on ambulance is another 5 minutes and then when ambulance arives its another 5 minutes to access the situation and help the baby. If hospital is .5 miles away I would most likely have done the same especially if uber is close by. Just take uber there and get help fast instead of playing the waiting game and explaining game to 911 when there is a life on the line.


I would of just ran half a mile if I was the mother.


----------



## driverx.nj (May 15, 2017)

f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


Just what I was thinking. It was the right thing to do, taking her to the hospital. I might have see the situation from afar and canceled as I road by if I did not know the emergency and just saw a Lady with 3 children and a baby. Just saying, that looks like a babd ride no matter the price being paid.

Knowing the WHOLE STORY...Good Job Sir.


----------



## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Maybe she called 911 and Uber, and Uber happened to show up first. If the hospital is just 1/2 mile away, then they would still get there before the EMS showed up. If the Uber arrived and I heard sirens in the background, I'd be like thanks but EMS is finally here but if Uber arrives and there's no sirens and the hospital is not far away, I'll get into the Uber no doubt.


----------



## mikes424 (May 22, 2016)

Just out of curiosity. Is there any news about the child? Did he survive?


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

PVP said:


> sometimes uber is faster than ambulance. A 911 call might take 5 minutes to explain what is going on plus waiting on ambulance is another 5 minutes and then when ambulance arives its another 5 minutes to access the situation and help the baby. If hospital is .5 miles away I would most likely have done the same especially if uber is close by. Just take uber there and get help fast instead of playing the waiting game and explaining game to 911 when there is a life on the line.


But what if it wasn't? Why take that chance. Btw, the moment you say something like My child is dying, they dispatch the ambulance as they're speaking to you. They are expert multitaskers.

But either way, what I can't wrap my head around is this:
My kid is dying! "Quick, get my my phone! I need to call an Uber!" I wonder how long she stared at her phone while it tried to pair her with a driver.

This is a case of she was more worried about her money than her child. If my child was dying, I wouldnt wait for an Uber. I would jump in front of the first car i see in the road and beg them to take me to hospital. That would be faster.


----------



## pwnzor (Jun 27, 2017)

I typically stop new requests when I see that ride is going to end up in the 'hood. I deadhead out of the area after dropping off in a seedy area. 

I mostly like to stay out of Atlanta and serve the suburbs to the north. 

That being said, God is smiling at you right now for helping out a fellow human. I'm not sure I would personally let a woman with three babies into the car. I can't stand the smell of feces.


----------



## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


An ambulance ride from my city costs between $1,400 and $2,000.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Coachman said:


> An ambulance ride from my city costs between $1,400 and $2,000.


A child was unresponsive according to OP. Who would care about money at this moment?
911 operators can guide you though some basic steps depending on the emergency while you wait for paramedics, and paramedics often times can take measures to save a life on the spot, prior to heading to hospital.


----------



## UberMurphy (Dec 24, 2016)

mikes424 said:


> Just out of curiosity. Is there any news about the child? Did he survive?


I haven't heard anything yet


----------



## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> A child was unresponsive according to OP. Who would care about money at this moment?
> 911 operators can guide you though some basic steps depending on the emergency while you wait for paramedics, and paramedics often times can take measures to save a life on the spot, prior to heading to hospital.


If the mother had called 911 an ambulance would have already been on the way. Neither of us has any way of knowing the baby's condition. Neither, really, does the OP. The mother was the one best equipped to decide how to get her sick baby to the hospital. She chose an Uber. I can't second guess that. Neither can you. Not without more information.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Coachman said:


> If the mother had called 911 an ambulance would have already been on the way. Neither of us has any way of knowing the baby's condition. Neither, really, does the OP. The mother was the one best equipped to decide how to get her sick baby to the hospital. She chose an Uber. I can't second guess that. Neither can you. Not without more information.


Yes I can. The fact that she wasn't on the phone with 911 when Uber arrived, tells me she's not fit to have her children. CPS should get involved.
911 would not have hung up on her, had she called.


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

Do we know for sure that she didn't call 911? Maybe she did AND summoned an Uber, then took the one that got there first. I understand that on the surface, it may look bad, but I can't bring myself to judge because 1: I wasn't there, 2: I'm not a mother, nor do I have any kids, 3: none of us can predict how we would act in a high-pressure situation. 

The end result appears to be that the child was taken to the hospital quickly by a good driver who was able to calmly make the right decisions.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

SibeRescueBrian said:


> Do we know for sure that she didn't call 911? Maybe she did AND summoned an Uber, then took the one that got there first. I understand that on the surface, it may look bad,* but I can't bring myself to judge because 1: I wasn't there*, 2: I'm not a mother, nor do I have any kids, 3: none of us can predict how we would act in a high-pressure situation.
> 
> The end result appears to be that the child was taken to the hospital quickly by a good driver who was able to calmly make the right decisions.


Well of course we weren't there. We're commenting on the information given. Isnt that what we do here? Otherwise we would have nothing to talk about since anything anyone ever says about a pax is only one side of the story. Why do we always side with the driver when they complain about a rude pax? We weren't there. Why arent we saying in every complaint post "we werent there"? ... sheesh. You guys can really contradict yourselves sometimes.

Based on information given, calling uber seems like a terrible choice. Children know to call 911. What if the Uber driver had refused to take her. Now she's going to request again?
That's all i'm saying. If she called 911 and Uber showed up first then that doesnt seem so bad. But highly unlikely.


----------



## Lythium (Jun 28, 2017)

f1zero said:


> So her baby was having a medical emergency and she decided to order an Uber that was a couple miles away instead of calling 911?  wtf is wrong with people


How long would it have taken the ambulance to get to her location, as opposed to the Uber driver that is right around the corner? And according to the post the hospital was fairly close to the pickup location, so any additional time that would have been saved by the ambulance cutting through traffic would have been negligible given the short distance. Obviously it might not have been the BEST option, but as a parent, if faced with the same circumstances I think I would have done the same thing.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

What I really want to know is if she tipped


----------



## f1zero (Jan 29, 2016)

Lythium said:


> How long would it have taken the ambulance to get to her location, as opposed to the Uber driver that is right around the corner? And according to the post the hospital was fairly close to the pickup location, so any additional time that would have been saved by the ambulance cutting through traffic would have been negligible given the short distance. Obviously it might not have been the BEST option, but as a parent, if faced with the same circumstances I think I would have done the same thing.


OP stated that he was "a couple miles away" when he got the request so yea, he wasn't "around the corner".


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> Well of course we weren't there. We're commenting on the information given. Isnt that what we do here? Otherwise we would have nothing to talk about since anything anyone ever says about a pax is only one side of the story. Why do we always side with the driver when they complain about a rude pax? We weren't there. Why arent we saying in every complaint post "we werent there"? ... sheesh. You guys can really contradict yourselves sometimes.
> 
> Based on information given, calling uber seems like a terrible choice. Children know to call 911. What if the Uber driver had refused to take her. Now she's going to request again?
> That's all i'm saying. If she called 911 and Uber showed up first then that doesnt seem so bad. But highly unlikely.


I wasn't criticizing your opinion, and if I came across like I was, then I owe you an apology. I absolutely understand and appreciate the points you've made even though I don't necessarily agree. Based purely on the facts presented, yes it looks bad. I'm just sure that there's more to the story that we'll most likely never know. That's why I personally cannot pass judgement on the mother.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

SibeRescueBrian said:


> I wasn't criticizing your opinion, and if I came across like I was, then I owe you an apology. I absolutely understand and appreciate the points you've made even though I don't necessarily agree. Based purely on the facts presented, yes it looks bad. I'm just sure that there's more to the story that we'll most likely never know. That's why I personally cannot pass judgement on the mother.


The thing that bothers me about this story is I know for a fact a lot of people avoid calling an ambulances even when they really need it because of the cost. They drive themselves or get a ride or whatever the case may be. Many have done it any many will continue to do it. If it's for yourself, I dont care.
But if it's for a kid, then this mother is a terrible mother, if in fact that was the case. Like you said, we dont know. But that's the first thing that came to mind for me when I read this story.

And no worries, no apology needed.


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> The thing that bothers me about this story is I know for a fact a lot of people avoid calling an ambulances even when they really need it because of the cost. They drive themselves or get a ride or whatever the case may be. Many have done it any many will continue to do it. If it's for yourself, I dont care.
> But if it's for a kid, then this mother is a terrible mother, if in fact that was the case. Like you said, we dont know. But that's the first thing that came to mind for me when I read this story.
> 
> And no worries, no apology needed.


Thank you. I've read numerous stories on this forum about exactly that. I'm not a fan of the government (CPS) separating children from their parents unless it truly is warranted. However, I wouldn't object to an investigation to determine why the mother called Uber instead of (or also) calling 911. If it was determined that she acted irresponsibly, then some appropriate action such as parenting/life skills classes would probably be in order. The goal would be to teach her how to respond to emergencies so that the same mistakes aren't repeated.


----------



## TriadUberGoober (Feb 16, 2016)

NCHeel said:


> Kid dies on the way to the hospital. Guess who is getting named in the civil suit? Good Samaritan law will not protect you because you are offering a paid service.


I'd rather be sued as the person who tried to get her to the hospital than as the person who refused to take her.


----------



## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

TriadUberGoober said:


> I'd rather be sued as the person who tried to get her to the hospital than as the person who refused to take her.


True. But how many here would see a woman with kids and no car seats and would just keep driving and cancel ride. Maybe even not cancel, park around corner and collect fee.
Show of hands... cmon don't be shy.
Exactly. Many would have. This is why this could have gone a whole different way and this woman could have been left without a ride, kid dying and no ambulance coming (assuming she hadn't called 911)


----------



## Just Another Uber Drive (Jul 15, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> True. But how many here would see a woman with kids and no car seats and would just keep driving and cancel ride. Maybe even not cancel, park around corner and collect fee.
> Show of hands... cmon don't be shy.
> Exactly. Many would have. This is why this could have gone a whole different way and this woman could have been left without a ride, kid dying and no ambulance coming (assuming she hadn't called 911)


I wouldn't have stopped. No car seat.


----------



## lilCindy (Jun 26, 2017)

I would not have taken the risk of getting sued but I am glad it all worked out!


----------



## Fishchris (Aug 31, 2016)

I can't believe how many people here would make a really bad choice, and give that lady and kids a ride !

911 !!!!!!

I'd tell her to call, and if she had some kind of issues with that, I'd call for her !

If that baby died because you didn't give her a ride, it would be really bad.
If that baby died in your car, because you did give her a ride, instead of calling 911, it would be about 1000 X's worse !!!


----------



## TriadUberGoober (Feb 16, 2016)

If the baby lived because I gave her a ride that would be the best!


----------



## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Here's the real thing of it though. At least for me. What if something goes wrong with the baby during the ride? If the kid is in an ambulance, paramedics have lights and sirens and the ability to speed without worrying about getting tickets, know exactly what to to prevent something from getting any worse, know what to do if it does get worse, have equipment and medication and a direct line to doctors in the hospital that they're going to. An Uber driver has absolutely none of that.


----------



## TriadUberGoober (Feb 16, 2016)

If, If, If! If wishes were horses then beggers would ride...


----------



## CenCal559 (Jun 2, 2017)

DID SHE GIVE YOU A TIP AND A 5*...lol


----------



## Strange Fruit (Aug 10, 2016)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


I'd have done the same. I have read the CA law that if the parent or guardian is present the driver is not responaoble responsible for no car seat too. But in some situations those considerations are below the threshold of things that matter anyways.


----------



## Paul Vincent (Jan 15, 2016)

f1zero said:


> Maybe she couldn't have afforded the ambulance ride, but when someone is in medical distress, especially your baby, your first instinct is to call 911 and not an Uber. (Side note: the ambulance wouldn't have been $4k, it was only 1/2 mile to the hospital from her house, a few hundred at worst)
> 
> But driver did good


*WTH?*
*Amount: $1,275.00 *
*Posted by:* ShouldaStayedHome 
*From:* West Hollywood, CA
*Posted On: *January 28th, 2017 10:01PM
*Ambulance Provider:* Westmd dba McCormick Ambulance
*Distance:* .6 miles
Drank too much on New Years Eve. Taken to hospital half a mile away- unconscious so I had no opportunity to give consent. I was grateful in the beginning and willing to pay, but $1275 is too much for a short ride. I was given no treatment in ambulance or in hospital. I received no info about or from the ambulance until a month later. And they only want to give me one month to pay. They could at least break down the cost on the bill or give information on payment options. This just comes off cold and unreasonable.

*american ambulance response*
*Amount: $1,547.13 *
*Posted by:* Suzann in Vernon ,CT 
*From:* vernon, CT
*Posted On: *January 3rd, 2017 10:01PM
*Ambulance Provider:* ambulance serv of manchester, ct
*Distance:* 2 miles and 15 miles
my insurance paid 1,392.42 then next transferred to Hartford, ct , we paid $100.00 plus more insurance paid 514.54. total 614.54. we learned that collection agency told us we must pay 827.00 November 10, 2016. We called them but they were verbal abusive and refused to accept proof of our insurance claims. Reason that we are hearing impairment. we refused to pay but we paid full 114.00on April 11, 2015. they did not tell us reason detail why.

*Cost of ambulance ride*
*Amount: $12,650.00 *
*Posted by:* David D. 
*From:* Hermiston, OR
*Posted On: *December 30th, 2016 03:12PM
*Ambulance Provider:* Hermiston Ambulance
*Distance:* 3.2 miles
I got out of my car to check on a tire, I thought was going flat from the noise I heard, was a large chunk of ice thumping against the tire and fenderwell, I knocked it loose from the fenderwell with my hammer from the trunk, and as I walked back around the car to place the hammer back in the trunk I caught the toe of my boot in a hole in the ice, and fell my body twisting to the right, and breaking both right lower leg bones in the process, the tibia in three places, and the fibula in one place. Excruciating pain, I could barely move, I tried to move back from the roadway I was lying in out beyond the car, but could only hunch up against the bumper the best I was able. I then called 911, and was taken to the hospital ER after about 10 minutes. The medic crew were awesome, the best I could have asked for, but then as I don't have insurance, haven't been at my job long enough, and my last insurance had dropped me, (Oregon Health plan), I received a bill for over $12,000.


----------



## uber fool (Feb 3, 2016)

Eyes open/ unresponsive/ hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that sounds like the baby has already passed sigh


----------



## UberMurphy (Dec 24, 2016)

In case anybody did not read my last post, the baby is fine now, he was bitten by a black widow


----------



## SibeRescueBrian (May 10, 2015)

UberMurphy said:


> In case anybody did not read my last post, the baby is fine now, he was bitten by a black widow


Thank you for the update, and for doing the right thing. I'm very glad that the baby will be alright.


----------



## Steven Ambrose (Sep 25, 2016)

I would not have accepted the ride, sadly. Not because I did not want to help, but because of the liability involved. If an accident would have occurred, it would have made a bad incident exponentially worse.


----------



## uber fool (Feb 3, 2016)

UberMurphy said:


> In case anybody did not read my last post, the baby is fine now, he was bitten by a black widow












If you did not take the kid honestly you have


----------



## SunchaserTampa (Dec 26, 2014)

From an emotional response - you did the right thing. 

But - I would have called 9-1-1 instead, and hung out until the emergency services got there - Sorry to say, but my experience in these things has come back to bite me in the nether regions too many times. When cops and / or EMS hear "non-responsive child ", they are there, immediately, if not sooner. A woman that is so " parentally-incompetent " - needs to be checked out. For the sake of her kids' safety. 

Hey - one more angle - if the kid totally stopped breathing or went into a deadly seizure while in YOUR vehicle - if she freaked out, or if you had an accident under those extenuating circumstances - wow, I'd hate to imagine.....


----------



## GaryWinFlorida (Jan 3, 2016)

Of course YOU did the right thing ... but the mother should have called an ambulance. Again though ... none of us know how we would react in a panic situation. If she relies on Uber a lot then that was her first instinct. Most people who drive everywhere do the same thing and hop in the car instead of calling an ambulance. My Dad did it years ago when he was having a heart attack ... he drove _himself _to the doctor, not even the ER.


----------



## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

I would have given the ride and chanced it w/ the cops.
Worth it if true.


----------



## Hoodat (Apr 29, 2016)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


Yes give the ride . Good job being a out standing real person .


----------



## cdm813 (Jan 9, 2017)

I would have NOT given the ride, but stayed and called 911 with her. There are a lot of people trained in EMS, not just folks in ambulances, so if a cop or fireman arrived on the scene first, they could start emergency procedures immediately.

You could have given the ride and potentially saved a life, but depending on the urgency in which you drove, you put at least three lives at risk in the process. In haste, you could have made some bad driving decisions and caused an accident, at which you are culpable for. Or at the very least, if the child dies at any point, you could be fingered in the civil suit as a factor in that child's death.


----------



## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

I'm used to be an EMT, I still carry a decently stocked "jump bag", no way in hell would I have given that ride. If you were in an accident and that child died as a result, want to bet you'll be sued and neither your insurance nor Uber's will cover you, good luck in court on that one. Even if you weren't in an accident and that kid died enroute, you're likely screwed, and the Good Samaritan law will probably not protect you.


----------



## Mcaudil (Jan 4, 2017)

UberMurphy said:


> I got a ping today and it's a couple miles away, so I pull up to the house and I notice a lady standing curb side with a baby in her arms and three kids. I was going to stop and tell her she needed to cancel and request an XL, so as soon as I stop, she grabs the door handle, opens the door and asks if I can hurry and take her to the hospital because her baby is really sick. I notice her baby's eyes are open but is unresponsive, now I know because of the small market I'm in, getting an XL in the afternoon here is about as rare as finding a stray dog in Chinatown. The hospital is only about a half mile away and so I felt like I have a moral obligation to give her a ride. I gave her the ride but was very nervous about her holding her child in the front seat and the three sitting in back.


If only there was an emergency vehicle service she could of called.


----------



## Fishchris (Aug 31, 2016)

GaryWinFlorida said:


> Again though ... none of us know how we would react in a panic situation.


I do, because I have gone over this exact kind of thing in my head many times already, so if the situation should ever arise, I already have a plan, without having to come up with one under pressure.

Same thing with a dangerous, or confrontational pax.... I already have a plan for that.


----------



## 68350 (May 24, 2017)

The easy answer is yes, you did the _right_ thing, whether or not it was the best decision _for you_. If the baby really seemed unresponsive to you, I would think the first thought to come to mind is to say to the mother, "We should call 911 for an ambulance instead." Then based on her reaction to that question, decide if you want to risk the ride if she says no to a 911. I might have given the ride off-app if she refused the 911 call idea. What I wonder is, if YOU called 911 for her, ignoring that she said NO to 911, who's gonna get the bill....


----------



## swingset (Feb 26, 2017)

You did the right thing, but it was still fraught with risk and potential bad that could have cost you a lot.


----------



## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

Like the old Dominoes guarantee, "Your baby will be at the hospital in 30 minutes, or your next baby is FREE."


----------

