# Uber Ambulance



## Doowop (Jul 10, 2016)

http://www.ozy.com/acumen/got-a-medical-emergency-you-might-want-to-call-an-uber-instead/81346


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## Mazda3 (Jun 21, 2014)

I've done an ambulance run before. Appendicitis. She threw up in my car.


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

I would think you are more likely to die from bleeding out if you call Uber.

Driver gets there, sees you bleeding all over and doesn't want the mess in their car sooo...driver pulls around the corner and waits 5 minutes to do a no-show cancel.

Honestly, if I come to get you and you look like you need an ambulance I will be dialing 911.

Edited punctuation


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## heynow321 (Sep 3, 2015)

**** you. I'm not trained nor compensated to drive your sick ass around. I'll cancel on them or throw them out


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## Alison Chains (Aug 18, 2017)

You can get at least five cleanup fees for the price of a single ambulance ride. Fact.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

Would it occur to these expert researchers that death might be more common in an ambulance because one is more likely to call an ambulance when there is a life threatening injury involved


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Any Uber driver who drives medical emergencies deserves whatever they get. You can't fix stupid.


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## 7Miles (Dec 17, 2014)

I AM SORRY FOR TYPING ALL IN CAPS. I AM DRIVING A PREGNANT WOMAN TO A HOSPITAL AND IT IS VERY LOUD IN HERE. I AM IGNORING STOP LIGHTS AND HAVE SOME BLOOD ON ME TOO.
WILL POST HERE LATER. BYE !


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## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Sorry you've been wounded however I am not allowed to run red lights nor stop signs. I also do not have authorization to go above posted speed limits.

I need you to sign here saying you acknowledge that you will probably die before we get to the hospital and it's not my fault.

Please sign here as well, that says you acknowledge there will be a cleaning fee charged.


Actually I consider whomever wrote this article or published it to be very irresponsible for even suggesting this idea.


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## heynow321 (Sep 3, 2015)

So unbelievably ****ing stupid


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## 7Miles (Dec 17, 2014)

Ambulance knows where to take patients better. For example here in San Diego from all the hospitals there are only 2 or 3 trauma ready hospitals for millions of us. Reason - money. Most hospitals don’t have money to have trained teams and surgeons 24/7 ready . It costs a lot of money. So if you were hurt badly in El Centro which is 2-3 hour drive from here - you will be transported by helicopter to San Diego’s only 2 hospitals that can help you.
Me as an Uber driver - I have no idea about anything like that.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

At least all the comments on the story are about how crazy an idea that is...


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

I carry an AED in my trunk/work bag. Will deploy it for free, hope its at least worth a five star review. Will need to replace the pads after use.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Bubsie said:


> I carry an AED in my trunk/work bag. Will deploy it for free, hope its at least worth a five star review. Will need to replace the pads after use.


The pads cost several hundred bucks to replace, so you should get at least 5 stars and an "Above and Beyond" badge!



7Miles said:


> Ambulance knows where to take patients better. For example here in San Diego from all the hospitals there are only 2 or 3 trauma ready hospitals for millions of us. Reason - money. Most hospitals don't have money to have trained teams and surgeons 24/7 ready . It costs a lot of money. So if you were hurt badly in El Centro which is 2-3 hour drive from here - you will be transported by helicopter to San Diego's only 2 hospitals that can help you.
> Me as an Uber driver - I have no idea about anything like that.


This is a very important point. Real ambulances don't take patients to the nearest hospital; they take patients to the "nearest *appropriate* facility," and that is quite often not the closest hospital.

It's not just trauma centers, either. There are two levels of stroke centers, heart attack centers, pediatric emergency rooms, burn centers, maternity centers, hyperbaric chambers, psychiatric units, and vast differences in diagnostic resources like CT, MRI, and cath labs.

Rocket surgery is not simple, and it's critical for the patient to start out at the right place. Anything else slows down their treatment and adversely affects their outcome.


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

$55 for new adult pads on Amazon (for the Philips HeartStart model), I dont carry the child size, they expire after 2 years anyway...then the battery...sigh. I'll settle for a week of commission free driving if I have success and it hits the news as a positive Uber story.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Bubsie said:


> $55 for new adult pads on Amazon (for the Philips HeartStart model), I dont carry the child size, they expire after 2 years anyway...then the battery...sigh. I'll settle for a week of commission free driving if I have success and it hits the news as a positive Uber story.


You're right, it's the battery that's $200-$300 I think -- not the pads. It's been a while since I've bought AED stuff.

But why do you carry it? Is it provided by your day job?


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## Howie428Uber (Mar 4, 2016)

I did the easy mess-free version of this last week... A disabled lady who believed she had a broken jaw and was obviously in pain needed a ride to the ER. An ambulance was unlikely to do anything that useful for her and I'm sure she got to the hospital quicker and way cheaper by taking an Uber.

That sort of thing is reasonable, but the example given in the article of a stabbed or shot person is taking it too far.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Howie428Uber said:


> I did the easy mess-free version of this last week... A disabled lady who believed she had a broken jaw and was obviously in pain needed a ride to the ER. An ambulance was unlikely to do anything that useful for her and I'm sure she got to the hospital quicker and way cheaper by taking an Uber.
> 
> That sort of thing is reasonable, but the example given in the article of a stabbed or shot person is taking it too far.


And you're assuming, of course, that her jaw pain is not a heart attack (jaw pain is a classic symptom) or stroke...

Yeah, if she had an infected tooth, you're good.


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## Strange Fruit (Aug 10, 2016)

JimKE said:


> Any Uber driver who drives medical emergencies deserves whatever they get. You can't fix stupid.


I drove someone to the hospital. He was a foreigner used to a civilized society where u just go to be treated, no question about can u pay, no bill, so he's kinda lost here (one day may we be a civilized country). He was having worrying chest pains. Not really any training needed on my part. Just drive to the hospital as he asked. Ambulances are expensive, like $2000 u will owe. This forum has a lot of worriers and exaggeraters. If he suddenly died, that'd be a hassle, but life happens. Not like it's yr fault if someone dies.



MHR said:


> Actually I consider whomever wrote this article or published it to be very irresponsible for even suggesting this idea.


May it be Uber themselves?
It seemed too dumb to even click on.
But I can see why people who aren't bleeding out or whatever would just take an Uber. Lots of people go to the ER when they aren't "about to die". They ride just like evry other pax, but less likely to make annoying small talk. I prefer them. It also makes the driving more meanigful.


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## Cndragon (Dec 8, 2016)

True story.. my grandmother hated hospitals because my grandfather was healthy and strong his whole life, went to the hospital and died. Ever since then, anytime someone had to go to hospital, she would go into a panic. All the logic in the world did not change her mind. She always argued, had he stayed at home, he woudnt have died cause no one had died in her home, but people die in hospitals so....going to a hospital will kill you.

I loved and still love my grandmother dearly, but cant help but feel like she wrote this article.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Strange Fruit said:


> I drove someone to the hospital. He was a foreigner used to a civilized society where u just go to be treated, no question about can u pay, no bill, so he's kinda lost here (one day may we be a civilized country). He was having worrying chest pains. Not really any training needed on my part. Just drive to the hospital as he asked. Ambulances are expensive, like $2000 u will owe. This forum has a lot of worriers and exaggeraters. If he suddenly died, that'd be a hassle, but life happens. Not like it's yr fault if someone dies,


Well, the ambulance crew could have given him meds to keep him from having a heart attack; they could have kept him from dying if he did have one; and they could have probably brought him back if he coded.

And where I live, he would not have paid one cent for the EMS treatment or transport. I didn't realize San Fran was so backward.

But you go ahead and collect your $6 fare, and pontificate about how uncivilized we are.


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## Doowop (Jul 10, 2016)

What do you do when, on the way to the hospital, Pax requests last meal at Arby's drive thru?
And promises to tip on the app?


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Doowop said:


> What do you do when, on the way to the hospital, Pax requests last meal at Arby's drive thru?
> And promises to tip on the app?


Last meal requests are only honored if the pax is on their way to be executed for some heinous crime.


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## melusine3 (Jun 20, 2016)

Strange Fruit said:


> I drove someone to the hospital. He was a foreigner used to a civilized society where u just go to be treated, no question about can u pay, no bill, so he's kinda lost here (one day may we be a civilized country). He was having worrying chest pains. Not really any training needed on my part. Just drive to the hospital as he asked. Ambulances are expensive, like $2000 u will owe. This forum has a lot of worriers and exaggeraters. If he suddenly died, that'd be a hassle, but life happens. Not like it's yr fault if someone dies.
> 
> May it be Uber themselves?
> It seemed too dumb to even click on.
> But I can see why people who aren't bleeding out or whatever would just take an Uber. Lots of people go to the ER when they aren't "about to die". They ride just like evry other pax, but less likely to make annoying small talk. I prefer them. It also makes the driving more meanigful.


Many people having a heart attack are in denial about that potential and we are not trained as medical personnel to tell the difference. Ambulances have all sorts of drugs and equipment that they can use in the event a patient suddenly turns, and turn they do. What you suggest that we do is taking on far more responsibility than we are due.


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

melusine3 said:


> Many people having a heart attack are in denial about that potential and we are not trained as medical personnel to tell the difference.


In addition, about 25% of all fatal heart attacks are _"silent."_ No symptoms at all.

We had one lady in her early 40's on the rescue truck who was *having an MI* -- we were watching it on the monitor -- and she was chatting to us like nothing was going on at all: _"How nice of you cute young boys to give me a ride!"_ Fortunately we got her to the hospital and she did fine.

We transported her from an urgent care where she went for treatment for fatigue. She had no cardiac history, but when the urgent care did an EKG they saw the MI and called 911.


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## melusine3 (Jun 20, 2016)

JimKE said:


> In addition, about 25% of all fatal heart attacks are _"silent."_ No symptoms at all.
> 
> We had one lady in her early 40's on the rescue truck who was *having an MI* -- we were watching it on the monitor -- and she was chatting to us like nothing was going on at all: _"How nice of you cute young boys to give me a ride!"_ Fortunately we got her to the hospital and she did fine.
> 
> We transported her from an urgent care where she went for treatment for fatigue. She had no cardiac history, but when the urgent care did an EKG they saw the MI and called 911.


Gives new meaning to the term "Tombstone"


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