I see dead people (or so I thought)

[compuwiz1]

Yesterday I was on my way to work and passed a maroon colored Pontiac Grand Prix running, guy in front seat and lights on, including a turn signal flasher. It was parked at the end of the street which gets little travel. I remember it being there, although I thought little of it. On my way home from work about 5 pm I observe same car, same position, still running, lights still on, including the flasher. This time, however, the guy in front seat is sitting with his face slumped down in his chest. I drove to the end of the road, turned around and noticed that his windows were down and there was music playing. I pulled side by side and yelled, hey buddy, are you alright? I repeated myself 3 times loudly, to no avail.

Sorry, I was not going to touch him. So, I go home, dial 911 and tell the dispatcher what I had observed. She said she would send help right out. I got back in the car and waited on the street til a police officer arrived. I got out and told him that I had called out of concern.
So he goes to the window and shakes the guy, waking him up. He just seemed confused, talked to the officer for awhile and drove away.

Maybe I should have just minded my own business?

 

[yankeesfan]

should have tried waking him

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Not at all! In the event he actually needed help you could have saved him. Always err on the side of caution. I'm sure you will get responses that say you shoul;d have minded your own biz, but eff them, you did a good thing

 

[rh71]

I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd be relieved if anything.

Yeah, you did the right thing.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Lot of gas in that car...

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: yankeesfan
should have tried waking him

I thought about it but something just seemed creepy about the situation, so I called instead.

 

[Auggie]

screw it, i think you did the right thing.

a year ago, i found a guy sprawled out backwards in the parking lot outside of a gun range, beside his car. thinking it was just some drunk that had passed out, i went inside. but after a few seconds (a minute, probably) i got too uncomfortable, wondering if someone had accidentally discharged their gun while loading or unloading it from their car, so i went back outside. it turned out the guy had a heart attack and fell down beside his car. the EMTs said they thought he'd been down for 15 or 20 minutes, so its very likely that i didn't contribute to his death by hesitating to check him out and get some CPR started, but I still wonder if i had just walked up to him and checked him immediatly, if he'd still be alive.

it never hurts to check, and if the guy was pissed that someone called for help, well, he can get over it.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

 

[KLin]

I was just taking a nap jerk!! damn nosy poeple. :roll:

EDIT: And it's crimson, not maroon.

 

[dsity]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

i don't think it works that way.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

911 calls are routed based on the dispatching center responsible for the tower you are currently connected to... it has nothing at all to do with what your number is or where you are billed.

 

[SandEagle]

:thumbsup: for caring about others. a very rare commodity these days.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

911 calls are routed based on the dispatching center responsible for the tower you are currently connected to... it has nothing at all to do with what your number is or where you are billed.

Didn't know that.

 

[Alone]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

Ah, that's what roaming is for. At any given time, when you switch over to a new tower, your 911 calls will be routed to the police responsible for that area.

Also, thanks for calling the police. Not for his sake, but rather that it could have been me in the car, and I could have been doing more than just taking a nap.

 

[1sikbITCH]

You're probably going to get sued now.

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

You didn't take his wallet? What the hell is wrong with you?

 

[d33pt]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

hahahaha..it's a cell phone not a land line. it would've routed you to the closest dispatcher. so you wouldn't have called 911 if it was a real emergency?

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Didn't know that.

If you check out how E911 works, its actually pretty interesting.

I think you exactly the right thing. Situations like this make me wish that more people would take CPR/first aid classes. They teach you very simple ways to handle situations that you would have no idea how to handle otherwise.

Glad you put an effort into helping a stranger out!

 

[zzuupp]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

........

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

That makes it worth the 911 call. Maybe, this will help getting his license pulled

 

[skyking]

good on ya OP. I know several people with diabetes, and your action could save someone with low blood sugar. Diabetics can get into situations and die just because no one is around/cares.:thumbsup:

 

[Drakkon]

I had a similar thing happen a few years ago. Friends and I were out driving along a deserted neighborhood around 1am and come upon a car stopped at a 3 way stop. We sit and wait behind him for a little while. Then honk at him. Then finally I get out and go over to the window and see a guy slumped over in his seat. So i bang on the windows, nothing, we keep honking the horn, nothing. I can see he is breathing as his chest is moving so we run down the street and call the cops from a 7-11 (none of us had a cell phone - it was like 2000 ). They say they will send someone. 10 minutes later we are still there banging on the window trying to wake the guy and across the street a little ways down the road we see a garage open and a fire engine pull out :shocked: didn't even notice the fire dept there - they come over to us and ask what is up - we ask what took you 10 minutes...so the fireman goes over and bangs on the hood really hard with his flashlight - guy snaps awake and freaks - he sees the engine and the lights so he turns the ignition and guns it - peels out down the street. Fireman says he was probably drunk and just shrugs away.

So i say you did the right thing calling the authorities and letting them handle it...you never know what someone is going to do when they wake up.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: rh71
I think you should own a cellphone, for one.

I do own a cell phone but it has moved from Cali to Washington and I have not bothered to change the number to the new area code. I didn't want to reach a 911 operator in Ca.

The guy was not mad or anything. He just seemed confused, saying he was going to the grocery store, but never made it. He is elderly. I question whether he should still be on the road. :shocked:

Where abouts did you move to?

 

[waitman]

You should of honked at him!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow those have pretty good gas mileage!



Yeah you did the right thing, unlike when I was a kid. We saw a similar situation at camp so we started throwing small rocks at the car to try and wake him up LOL. Was middle of night and there was this red light flashing in his face, was super creepy lol good times. Was some drunk guy.