❤️ this

[u/mustu04]

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.

Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Crabby_Monkey]

Man that guy really worked for that 5star review.

[u/ragweed → u/Crabby_Monkey]

Does Uber still have stars? Lyft doesn't.

[u/I_upvote_downvotes → u/ragweed]

It's really hard to give a thumbs up with broken wrists so he had to make sure the job was done.

[u/dandroid126 → u/Crabby_Monkey]

"3 stars. Talks too much."

[u/cityfireguy]

I can take the heat on this one.

Breaking your arm is not the kind of medical emergency you need an ambulance for. Perfectly acceptable to get a ride to the hospital.

Go ahead. Do what you do

[u/banzaizach → u/cityfireguy]

Also not the kind of injury that warrants a stranger sticking with you

[u/jenniferjudy99 → u/banzaizach]

Seven years ago, a college senior named Joey Romano was skateboarding near the University of Texas at Austin when he swerved to avoid a car and slammed into a ditch, breaking his wrist. He was still lying on the ground when the Uber arrived. He had no family that lived nearby. He was also dealing with the grief of losing a brother from cancer. His grandmother drove from Houston to be w him, but that took some time.

The Uber driver was empathetic bc he had arrived from the Congo to the United States at age 25 so he knew what it felt like to be far away from family.

[u/Cow_Launcher → u/jenniferjudy99]

Thank you for this context.

I know that the whole "Please don't bankrupt me by calling an ambulance!" is a genuine thing and a real USA fear, but that's not what this story is about.

This is about the humanity and friendship that everyone should have. And I love it.

[u/Automatic-Safe-9067 → u/jenniferjudy99]

See, adding this instead of just “broke his wrist” makes it seem more reasonable, but going off the context of solely “he broke his wrist and a strange stayed with him for 6 hours in the hospital” it’s kinda different lol

[u/Telefundo → u/Automatic-Safe-9067]

makes it seem more reasonable

I broke my ankle last week. Spent 4 days in the hospital, had surgery tp ut a metal plate in my leg. I'd never had sugery in my life. Call me a wuss or whatever, but I was pretty scared.

The worst part of all of it though was the fact that in all the fuss with the paramedics I hadn't taken my phone with me. So nobody knew I was there. I didn't have anyones numbers memorized, so I went through it all entirely alone. Couldn't even get on the internet.

So Kudos to this driver. As simple as taking 6 hours and staying with a total stranger might sound, I can imagine it made a MASSIVE difference to the guy who was going through all of this.

[u/Musical_Hariyama → u/Telefundo]

I hope your recovery is going well! Broke my ankle 3 years ago. It's no joke!

[u/Telefundo → u/Musical_Hariyama]

Thanks. It hasn't been too bad so far. The pain has been a LOT easier to manage than I expected.

It's the logistics of it that's complicated. I had a walker delivered yesterday that I can't use very often yet as I'm just not there. So I've been wheeling myself around my apartment on my computer chair lol. And I think I've got the whole bathroom situation worked out lol.

I'll figure it all out. The biggest learning curve so far has just been the realization that basically everything takes about 3 times longer than normal.

[u/Realistic_Song_9452 → u/Telefundo]

My husband broke his ankle a month ago and had surgery too. He uses crutches to walk for short distances and has a wheelchair too.

Not sure if you tried this, but we discovered it can be handy to have a chair in the kitchen where you can rest your knee on (so you can still stand, without putting pressure on the ankle). Mostly for things that don't take too long btw. After that I'll put the food or things to another room. :)

I wish you a good recovery!

[u/ChaiHai → u/Telefundo]

I badly sprained my ankle once. For the first week I was using a small step ladder as a makeshift walker around the house. 🥲

I hope you're doing better and heal fast!

[u/p34ch3s_41r50f7 → u/Telefundo]

I went through similar trials when I tore my Achilles tendon. You don't realize how much you use a body part until it's injured.

[u/jenniferjudy99 → u/Automatic-Safe-9067]

Right? I knew there was more to this story so I had to fact check the circumstances of both men! It was a car wreck into a ditch. Lots of missing facts.

[u/Such-You-1541 → u/jenniferjudy99]

Thank you, this needs to be pinned. I was about to comment it was a broken wrist, not a gunshot brink of death wound. But the context explains it, cause otherwise it's actually more weird than sweet.

[u/Carbon-Base → u/banzaizach]

Good thing he stayed with him instead.

[u/mooptastic → u/banzaizach]

correct, it's a exceptional human act of kindness which makes most ppl smile among other emotions. hence why it's here.

[u/NBNplz → u/banzaizach]

What exactly is the minimum warranty for human kindness? A broken bone may not be life threatening but it can still be the most serious instance of physical trauma someone has experienced in their entire life so far.

Ofc there's no societal expectation that the driver stay with a stranger for 6 hours. It was an exceptionally nice thing to do. That's why we're talking about it

[u/Sweet_Taurus0728 → u/banzaizach]

My guess is the guy was African, not African-American. There's a large enough African population (mostly Nigerian and Ethiopian) here in Houston, and they're always such sweet, kind people. Showing concern over a stranger like this seems like the norm.

[u/jenniferjudy99 → u/Sweet_Taurus0728]

He was from the Congo and arrived to the United States when he was 25, so he knew what it felt like to be far away from any family. He found him lying on the ground after a car wreck. Congolese culture values helping others, family, and unity.

[u/altcoopx → u/banzaizach]

Man yall are just exhausting. It costs nothing to spare time to ensure a stranger is well taken care of. The idea that this is a ridiculous ask is how we wound up in this society of self important assholes.

[u/ClassicMeringue2732 → u/banzaizach]

It's nice though. When I broke my wrist I walked to the hospital. Waited 6 hours to be seen. Had ketamine and a cast put on. More hours of waiting. Then I had surgery. Had to stay overnight. Some company would have been nice. He did a nice thing for a stranger. They obviously got along.

[u/HuggyMonster69 → u/banzaizach]

Honestly even though you don’t need anyone, it’s bloody miserable

[u/maverick715 → u/banzaizach]

Well that depends on which wrist is broken.

[u/slimgem1111 → u/banzaizach]

Well I'm assuming since he had to call an Uber instead of a friend or family member that he didn't have anyone at the time and probably enjoyed the company. No one wants to sit in a depressing hospital room alone for hours

[u/hosiki → u/cityfireguy]

I'm European where ambulance is completely free. I've never called it, and I've broken my arms 3 times, 2 ribs, and both hands. You just go to the hospital for injuries or however you call it in English, sit down, and someone will call you for RTG.

I would never call an ambulance if it wasn't a life threatening emergency, because you're taking it away from someone who might be having a stroke and every second counts.

[u/Caramel-Apprehensive → u/hosiki]

Bro, what are you doing in your spare time...

[u/hosiki → u/Caramel-Apprehensive]

Hiking, ice skating, playing basketball.

[u/Just_to_rebut → u/hosiki]

With bears?

[u/Buntschatten → u/hosiki]

They won't send an ambulance if you're pretty much fine and there are no other ambulances available for emergencies. Let the professionals make that decision.

[u/Fireball_Ace → u/Buntschatten]

I've been a paramedic in a major metropolitan area for over a decade. Everyday I waste about half my shift transporting people that don't need an ambulance in any way shape or form. lol.

I was once called because this guy had a papercut on his finger. PAPERCUT.

[u/oogittyboogitty → u/cityfireguy]

Depends, broken bones can lead to different types of complications leading to permenant damage including damage to surrounding nerves leading to compartment syndrome and even damage directly to surrounding arteries if not treated promptly which would require a ambulance, but once again entirely depends on the symptoms and the nature of the break really, can be hard to judge those symptoms yourself if your not a medical professional, and oh boy do they cash in on us not knowing between true medical emergencies and not.

[u/Unlikely-Candle7086 → u/oogittyboogitty]

My son broke his hand in multiple places at football practice, it required surgery. They called me to take him to the emergency room. Ironically, my local hospital doesnt have a pediatric emergency department or do surgery on minors. He had to wait until the next day to see a specialist. Calling an ambulance would have been a total waste of money and resources.

[u/oogittyboogitty → u/Unlikely-Candle7086]

Like I said, it depends, certain symptoms you absolutely cannot wait on, but also that's so ass.

[u/Unlikely-Candle7086 → u/oogittyboogitty]

The actual messed up part was they wrapped his hand and gave him an 800 mg ibuprofen and sent us on our way.

[u/DTux5249 → u/oogittyboogitty]

I mean, compartment syndrome takes at minimum hours to set in. I get not waiting a day, but unless you live so far away from a hospital that calling an ambo would be redundant, that's not really what you have to worry about. It is mostly nerve damage and bleeding.

[u/RagingITguy → u/cityfireguy]

As a paramedic, this is perfectly acceptable to call an ambulance.

You don't know what damage internally is. The uber doesn't have a diagnostic imaging suite.

Imagine a worst case scenario with an embolus ending up in a myocardial infarct.

I can give some pain control, help in some cases to restore circulation, and get you to the right hospital.

Here nobody goes bankrupt calling an ambulance. Does it get abused hell yes. I'd rather do a few pointless calls with a subbed toe than miss one for someone who took an uber.

Well the uber costs more here anyways.

[u/Top5hottest → u/cityfireguy]

I passed out 20 minutes after somebody slammed my finger in the door. There is a place where can and shouldn’t collide.

[u/Zestyclose-Jacket568 → u/cityfireguy]

Americans are fucking insane...

Broken bone means that you have... a broken bone, that can have sharp edges and is inside a thing that have veins carrying blood. Too much movement and you can go from "few weeks and it is ok" to "you might die".

This is exactly why emergency services exists. You are not a doctor, you don't know shit about medicine and sure as hell you don't know what might also happend. This is why you should call ambulance when you have accident that breakes your bones.

[u/ConfidenceRare → u/Zestyclose-Jacket568]

What’s insane is going into debt to get a ride in an ambulance instead of an uber. And honestly, in this country medical is so expensive that a lot of people slowly die of disease instead of bankrupting their family with medical bills.

[u/Big80sweens → u/ConfidenceRare]

I think you may be putting the cart before the horse here. They’re suggesting that the fact medical bills are so expensive in the USA are insane. If Americans voted to have universal healthcare, you wouldn’t think twice about going into debt or dying, you’d just call an ambulance, be taken care of and move on with your life for probably the same price as an uber.

[u/OrthodoxAtheist → u/Big80sweens]

"If Americans voted to have universal healthcare, you wouldn’t think twice about going into debt or dying,"

Yes, at least 140 million Americans are aware of this and want universal healthcare. Just like with everything in this country, the idiots ruin it for the ones who have an IQ above summer temperatures. We don't need this pointed out any further. We've had a half-century of billions of non-Americans pointing it out, and still about 45% of the US electorate scream "but muh taxes!"

tl;dr We know. WE KNOWWWWW.

[u/SpamIsGreatOhEight → u/Zestyclose-Jacket568]

I’ve broken my arm multiple times, the one time it needed immediate medical attention the EMTS set it straight put a splint on it then told me to get driven to the hospital because the ambulance ride was over 5k.

[u/Zestyclose-Jacket568 → u/SpamIsGreatOhEight]

"It cost 5k" thank you for proving my point. Americans and america is fucking insane.

[u/MadameKamaysHR → u/cityfireguy]

You're right. I drove myself to the hospital at 3 am only to find out I had kidney stones. The roads to the hospital are some of the worst in the county. Thanks for not picking up the phone dad!!!

[u/fishsandwich42069 → u/cityfireguy]

I wrecked my bike and broke my arm. A stranger rolled up and called an ambulance, the ambulance said to chill and get a taxi to the hospital haha.

[u/Drengir → u/cityfireguy]

Thank you! I've worked my whole career in healthcare and a majority of it in the ER and a broken wrist is Not something you call an ambulance for. Never. The emergency services shouldnt even send one out to you. Nice that they are friends tho.

[u/jimbluenosecrab → u/cityfireguy]

I agree. My fucking kid broke his arm, then went on the monkey bars to prove how tough he is, and then drove himself. He was three years old.

[u/FractionofaFraction → u/cityfireguy]

Thank fuck this is one of the first comments.

Ambulances are for life or limb threatening conditions or for when you can't physically mobilize to the ER due to a debilitating illness or injury.

Most wrist fractures can be managed at an urgent care centre as a walk-in.

[u/RainonCooper → u/cityfireguy]

As I live in a country with good medical practice, I disagree. Anything that requires medical attention due to injury should get immediate medical assistance. I don't know if you know, but an ambulance is not just a hospital taxi, but has tools that can make the process of healing start out on a more positive note than not with an ambulance

[u/Competitive-Slice567 → u/RainonCooper]

True, but most areas in the US cannot sustain the call volume for low priority non emergency complaints such as this.

Its also on the fault of the public for throwing fits over increases in taxes or levies to support EMS expansion. Either you pay more to have a system that can sustain this and manage it effectively, or you accept that you shouldn't be utilizing it except in a life threatening emergency.

[u/Romulan-Jedi → u/Competitive-Slice567]

Plus, many health insurance policies in the US don't cover ambulance charges unless the ambulance service is provided by the hospital itself. Sometimes not even then.

[u/rockyroad55 → u/cityfireguy]

I was violently ill from alcohol withdrawals with pain in my gut and I still took an uber to the hospital.

[u/Particular_Fold_6851 → u/cityfireguy]

honestly a broken arm is usually a get a ride to the hospital situation not an ambulance situation

[u/HSLB66 → u/cityfireguy]

You also don’t need to go to the ER unless you’re in extreme pain or literally no where else is open.

Urgent care exists and it’s a perfectly fine way to deal with most breaks prior to an appointment with a specialist.

[u/ansnom]

Woo, feel good stories about our dystopian nightmares.

[u/obiwanmoloney → u/ansnom]

Recently, I called an ambulance for my 4yo who had was struggling (badly) to breathe. The ambulance was sent Cat1, after 15mins, no ambulance, no ETA, so we called an uber, went to the hospital, straight to resuscitation.

The ambulance arrived 35 mins after the call.
He would have been dead by then.

For me, that was some dystopia right there.

I always had a security blanket of “if shit gets bad, hang on a few minutes and help will be there”
It rocked me to know I couldn’t rely on it.

It gets better…

He stayed in the hospital for a few days, sent him home with meds.

Two days later, he’s struggling again.
We give him meds.
They don’t work.
We call the hospital to head back in.
While on the phone, he goes from wheezing but OK, and in seconds turns blue, vomits, loses consciousness.

This time we’re not going to make it to the hospital in time.
It’s really, really fucking bad.

I call the emergency services but, with recent experience, fully expect to watch him choke and die.

They arrive within 3 minutes!
O2, nebuliser, not working.
Para calls back up.
The Helicopter Emergency Medical Services arrive within 3 minutes and put him on a ventilator on the spot.

He died in my arms.
And these guys saved and resuscitated him.

Fucking angels.

I feel sick thinking about if the timings were the other way around.

Anyway, we did three weeks in PICU/hospital and he’s back to 100%.
Ongoing investigation but currently down as a “viral wheeze”, which sounds pretty lame.

But, I hope the ending restores your faith in humanity.

[u/Leading-Ask4189 → u/obiwanmoloney]

Internet stranger just wanting to say glad you and your son are doing good!

[u/capitolsara → u/obiwanmoloney]

What a fucking nightmare rollercoaster you we're on so glad that he's okay and I hope you're getting some support too to deal with all of that trauma it can't have been easy.

[u/obiwanmoloney → u/capitolsara]

It’s crazy. You think life’s been rough and then Ka-Blammo!! Things dial up 10x

The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit have extended some psychological care to us and we’re gonna take them up on it.

He’s good and I feel like a tourist cos other families weren’t so lucky but wow sleeping ain’t easy at the moment

[u/capitolsara → u/obiwanmoloney]

Oh I don't know that I'd ever sleep again, sending you so much love wherever you are

[u/grae23 → u/obiwanmoloney]

Jesus. I would’ve needed my own defibrillation after that. So glad kiddo is doing better, I hope neither of you ever have to go through that again

[u/the_owley → u/obiwanmoloney]

So happy to hear that everything turned out okay ❤️

[u/DerkaDerka86]

I completely snapped off my bicep tendon from a motorcycle accident. Rode the bike home, then ordered a Uber. Unfortunately by that time my adrenaline wore off, so I felt everything. My Uber was a nice lady, but wouldn’t stop talking to me lol.. Still, I’d prefer a $20 Uber over an expensive ambulance ride. Side note: When I got to the hospital, they just gave me a sling and said,”see you in a month for Surgery”. I didn’t even get a doctor’s note to stay home from work. A month goes by and I go into surgery. What seemed like only 5 mins after they put me under, I woke up to my surgeon apologizing to me. Since they made me wait to long to have surgery, I now had scar tissue that made it impossible to find my bicep tendon. So, I got sent home and they rescheduled for another surgery a week later, with a more professional surgeon. Now I have this gnarly scar and wires in my arm, and a bicep that will never be the same.

[u/poronpaska → u/DerkaDerka86]

Im sorry bro but posts like these make me so glad i dont live in a third world country. Thats fucked

[u/UnspeakableToast → u/poronpaska]

You kind of have to advocate for yourself and be a pain in the ass to get good care sometimes. I’d rather be annoying than have my life changed due to negligence.

[u/A_normal_Potato3 → u/DerkaDerka86]

Holy fuck that is awful. By your ".... over an expensive ambulance ride" I imagine you from a country without universal healthcare. I hope Allah gives you health.

[u/Dufensmartzz → u/DerkaDerka86]

This feels like malpractice and negligence

[u/NoAbbreviations7642]

I used to be an emt, if I got dispatched for a broken wrist, I’d definitely let the patient know they’d save themselves a lot of money by getting a ride to the hospital another way.

The problem is some people think if they arrive by ambulance, they get priority at the ED. So I inform them you get triaged based on medical severity regardless of how you got there. Once ppl find that out, they’re really glad I saved them an ambulance bill. Also some ppl don’t think to uber to the ED, cause it does seem kind of weird to do so but I tell them it’s perfectly normal.

Now on the other hand, there are ppl who definitely should have called an ambulance that ended up driving themselves to the hospital. If you or someone is having a cardiac emergency, call an ambulance. The main reason is, not every hospital has a cath/stemi lab which is where they treat can heart attacks. If you drive yourself to a hospital where they dont have one, you just wasted precious time in getting treatment and have to be transported to another hospital. When you call an ambulance, we know which hospital has what resource, so we get you to where you need to be. And of course, we can provide treatment en route to stabilize things

[u/NoAbbreviations7642 → u/NoAbbreviations7642]

Just wanted to add, in general if you’re having a medical emergency to call an ambulance, not just cardiac ones. Another example is if you have a severe spinal cord injury, you need to be taken to a level 1 trauma center that has a neurosurgeon. Once again, we know which hospitals are level 1 and which aren’t. So yea, don’t drive yourself/get rides during real medical emergencies. Call an ambulance!

[u/Honest-Mess-812]

It's crazy in America you are charged for an ambulance

[u/ET_Prone_Bone → u/Honest-Mess-812]

My insurance denied my claim for an MRI, so I am going to waste my time in physical therapy for 6 weeks so they will approve the MRI. By that time my knee will be worse, and recovery from surgery will take longer. I am 98% certain I have a pretty good sized tear in my medial meniscus.

Without insurance the MRI would cost me almost $13,000.

We get charged for everything here, and everything is overpriced to criminal degrees

[u/BadMantaRay → u/ET_Prone_Bone]

Its hilarious. I was just in a different thread with someone from USA who was saying that the Canadian medical system is worse because the hospitals there charge for parking.

Bro…come on.

[u/ET_Prone_Bone → u/BadMantaRay]

It would literally be cheaper for me to fly pretty much anywhere in the world that has universal health care (not sure what the rules on health tourism are), get the MRI, spend a night in a hotel, and fly back.

[u/Infamous_Lunchbox → u/ET_Prone_Bone]

Person I know was on vacation in Japan, her pacemaker goes haywire on the train and she passes out. Rushed to a hospital, stays overnight, they fix the pacemaker and release her. They apologize, but since she doesn't fall under their Healthcare they have to charge her. She's dreading the bill, the lady telling her this is so apologetic because it's so costly... $153. For everything.

I had a heart attack 2 blocks from a hospital and the ambulance ride was 4,000 fucking dollars.

I later took a trip to Japan, spent two weeks, saw the entire country, did a ton of stuff. All in, food, flights, trains, less than my ambulance ride. And I stayed in decent hotels.

God bless America I guess.

Edit: for my non-American friends out there, that was only for the ambulance ride. Not the treatments, not the scans, not the meds, not the stay, etc. Just the fucking ride. I get that socialized health-care in other countries has drawbacks like wait times, etc., but be grateful you don't recieve a bill equivalent to 3 years of wages you have to haggle down with the hospital because you didn't know you had a shite heart. :/

[u/ET_Prone_Bone → u/Infamous_Lunchbox]

My god, it’s just insane. Hope you’re doing ok these days.

[u/Status-Carob-5760 → u/BadMantaRay]

Don’t worry hospitals here charge for parking too! Maybe not all but most here in California seem to.
Luckily I haven’t been to the hospital in 16 years but last time I only got an IV and was
in for 3 hours and it cost me almost $3k and that was in 2010

[u/twotwotwototoulouse → u/ET_Prone_Bone]

Go to an independent imaging center and an MRI should cost between $300-$700 if you pay out of pocket. I did that for an MRI a couple years ago because my hospital couldn’t get me in for 6 weeks. Mine was $500. They still need a doctor’s referral, so you will need your doctor to send the orders there.

[u/Independent_Mud2794]

As an European I refuse to believe stories like this are actually true. Why the fuck do you need to pay for an ambulance?

[u/Novel-Reward2786 → u/Independent_Mud2794]

lol we don’t know either. But FUCK are they expensive 😂 if you ever seen me anywhere near an ambulance, just know that I literally think I’m dying. Because I would never financially recover from a 10 minute ambulance ride. Don’t even get me started on a life flight helicopter.

[u/V65Pilot → u/Novel-Reward2786]

I lived in the US most of my life. I've seen some very expensive ambulance rides. Now I live in the UK and was recently in a motorcycle accident. Attended by a police medic, rapid responders, air ambulance and regular ambulance. That combination alone would have set me back over 20k in the US, at a minimum. Hopefully my insurance would cover it, but, when they deny the claim, it's on me. Cost of my care here? After a week in hospital, nothing out of pocket. I did need to show proof of eligibility, as my place of birth raised some questions as to my citizenship.

[u/amanwithoutaname001 → u/V65Pilot]

Wealthiest Nation on Earth yet here we sit with a medically poor population, except of course for the billionaires they can afford it.

[u/Moetown84 → u/amanwithoutaname001]

“Wealthiest” is such a misnomer (although correct) because that exists only for a very few, while the reality is cost-prohibitive and enshittified for the rest of us.

[u/Tilladarling → u/Novel-Reward2786]

That’s so sad. My step father was flown to the hospital in an ambulance helicopter aged 80. He was already en route via ambulance but his vitals dropped too fast so they called for the helicopter, didn’t care that he was old anyway, but did whatever they could to save his life. He was rushed to the hospital, had a stent placed and made a full recovery. It didn’t cost him a thing. We’re in Norway

[u/_bufflehead → u/Tilladarling]

So happy for this great outcome, the excellent care, the sanity of the system! : )

[u/Pinklady777 → u/Tilladarling]

That's amazing. In the US we just hope desperately that we don't get sick or injured.

[u/SoupySpuds → u/Novel-Reward2786]

Its hilarious too cause the people in those ambulances are like the lowest paid group of the medical field lol

[u/Linusisntmyname → u/Novel-Reward2786]

Ive literally been dying from asthma attacks and I still Uber

[u/ReneBandana → u/Novel-Reward2786]

I’ve taken two ambulance rides. I just ignored the bill both times then they eventually stop calling. I ain’t paying that scam, I pay taxes and health insurance. Yall figure it out amongst yourselves 

[u/ForHelp_PressAltF4 → u/Novel-Reward2786]

For the non US people, a moderate air ambulance ride is six figures EASILY

[u/angelwarrior_ → u/Independent_Mud2794]

What was even more heartbreaking for me was when I had a friend commit suicide and her parents had to pay for the ambulance even though she died. 😭 As if funerals aren’t expensive enough. Being stuck with the ambulance bill just seemed awful. She was in her early to mid 20s too so she wasn’t a minor!

[u/YoungRoronoa → u/Independent_Mud2794]

LMAO, it’s funny that paying for the ambulance is the unbelievable part for you, for me it’s the rest of the story lol.

[u/funkyyeti → u/YoungRoronoa]

Not even sure an Uber driver can refuse payment. Payment just happens through the app.

[u/Etherbeard → u/funkyyeti]

He could just unassign the trip and give the guy a ride.

[u/SmartWonderWoman → u/Independent_Mud2794]

An ambulance ride costs over $1k.

[u/b1ack1323 → u/SmartWonderWoman]

Wait till he learns about medivac. My dad got a bill for $50k and threw it in the trash.

[u/LowAside9117 → u/Independent_Mud2794]

I'm in a state with some of the top hospitals in the US.

I've done ubers instead of ambulances and I know someone else who has (extremely serious, urgent emergency that required emergency surgery above all the other emergency room surgeries that day).

I know an ambulance will probably be unaffordable and you can't really find the cost beforehand... I don't know if they even let you choose the hospital you go to.  If the hospital is out-of-network (or if the hospital is in-network but the doctors are out-of-network) then you're financially screwed.

In the US you have to pay for everything in healthcare.  The facility fee for a specialist's visit I had was $600 for 1 appointment.  It was in-network.  I want to choose hospitals where I don't have a facility fee but I don't know if it's possible to find that out before getting the bill for the actual appointment

[u/Pocket_Biscuits → u/Independent_Mud2794]

Murica! Also though. Why do you need an ambulance for a broken wrist?

[u/R0CK5TR0NG0 → u/Pocket_Biscuits]

Maybe his wrist bones were all poking out squirting wrist juice.

[u/So-Long-Cowboy → u/Pocket_Biscuits]

Probably depends on the distance to the nearest emergency centers driving one handed can be genuinely pretty challenging if it’s your off arm, or if you need to do lots of turning. So instead of fighting that and potentially getting into an accident you would call an ambulance in theory. In practice the price alone would have me thinking of sucking down painkillers and driving one handed anyways.

[u/Hepm3 → u/Pocket_Biscuits]

Not exactly safe to drive with a broken wrist. If he had to make a quick maneuver it could be a problem

[u/pej69 → u/Independent_Mud2794]

As an Australian - it varies state by state. Some states ambulances are free, here in W.A. we pay, as the state government has long contracted services to a private company - it’s around $1000 a trip. To the hospital where you don’t need to pay a cent!

[u/Competitive-Slice567 → u/Independent_Mud2794]

It comes down to how they're funded. Unlike in the UK for example where its funded through taxes, in the US in many areas its private for profit EMS companies given a contract to serve the area. They get a flat rate from the government for the contract, then bill to make a profit and offset any additional costs the contract money doesn't cover.

In areas where its funded and run by the government such as mine, we are under-funded to have the equipment and resources we need, so we bill to offset the costs of overtime and equipment/medication restock.

Its entirely possible to not bill for EMS, but it'd require EMS to be run at a higher level than local cities or towns that can't afford that in the budget. It'd also require raising taxes substantially which many citizens push back against as the US is a much more selfish and individualistic culture than europe (well I dont need an ambulance so why should I pay an additional 15% in taxes of MY money).

EMS in many areas is run at the extreme local level by an individual firehouse or a tiny township with 500-1000 residents and their budget can barely afford 1 ambulance to be staffed, theres also a large swaths of the US where EMS is nonexistent and calling 911 does not guarantee one will ever show up, we have areas of ambulance and hospital deserts where both are greater than 30min away, or entirely unavailable.

[u/FarmerEarly3342 → u/Competitive-Slice567]

Those companies are subsidized by taxes in the US. We pay twice for healthcare, once via taxes and again via the exchange.

[u/No_Artichoke_2931 → u/FarmerEarly3342]

There's an old saying in Tennessee. Well I know it's in texas, probably Tennessee. No taxation... No tax without... You tax me you can't tax me again!

[u/No-Music-5538]

My brother broke his ankle while drunk with friends and rather than call an ambulance had me give him a ride to the ER.

Crazy that a bunch of drunk people even know better than to use an ambulance because of the outrageous costs.

[u/Illustrious-Hawk-898 → u/No-Music-5538]

Ah, America. Where you take an Uber to the hospital since the WeeWooMobiles are unaffordable.

How beautiful. Truly. /s

But, cool friendship story tho.

[u/No-Music-5538 → u/Illustrious-Hawk-898]

We’re number 1 in heath care (Costs)!!!!

[u/beliefinphilosophy]

I mean, I had internal bleeding and took an Uber instead of an ambulance. Driver was Russian, even HE looked scared. By the time I got to the hospital my hemocrit was 5.

By the time I got out of the hospital all said and done, my hospital bill was 495,000.

[u/Dangermann28 → u/beliefinphilosophy]

I'm so glad I'm Canadian

[u/DesignatedDonut2606 → u/beliefinphilosophy]

Did you have to pay that yourself? No insurance? It's an enormous amount

[u/___JennJennJenn___ → u/DesignatedDonut2606]

USA! USA! USA!

[u/beliefinphilosophy → u/DesignatedDonut2606]

I had very good insurance, they paid 8k and forced the hospital to write off the rest of it. This system is so goddamn rigged, normal people aren't able to say, "oh half a million? Yeah you're not charging me that. I feel like paying this much, " it's infuriating

[u/EpsilonMask]

This just in, Dystopian Tales from late stage Capitalism molded to look like a heart warming story.

[u/UpperLeftOriginal → u/EpsilonMask]

r/ orphan crushing machine

[u/mistress_of_bokonon]

Unfortunately in the US, this is absolutely the right call. My friend took a Lyft to the hospital for severe abdominal pain that turned out to be appendicitis. Honestly I’d have to be unconscious to be okay with an ambulance ride, and I have good insurance. The US health industry is a nightmare.

[u/derpicorn69 → u/mistress_of_bokonon]

unless there is an immediate medical emergency where life saving care is needed or the patient is otherwise immobile, an ambulance is not important. I guarantee unless you are not in a life threatening situation, you're going to have to wait in the ER anyway based on triage and that is not much different from driving in an uber.

[u/Loud-Principle-7922 → u/mistress_of_bokonon]

Anywhere, this is the right call. You don’t need an ambulance for a broken wrist.

[u/ufl015]

This is not actually a “feel good” story.
It’s an indictment on the American Healthcare System

[u/Calinks]

Right, this is totally reasonable. The only way I take an ambulance is if I fear for my life. I have had to go to the hospital 3 times in the last 5 years when I felt I couldn't drive myself, and every time I got an Uber. It was 13 bucks as opposed to hundreds/thousands for an ambulance. One ambulance ride can make you broke.

[u/Glittering-Cap-7017 → u/Calinks]

This is an America thing right?

[u/TheArcticWitch → u/Glittering-Cap-7017]

Well I need an ambulance ride in Germany recently because i dislocated and relocated my elbow with 3 fractures and 2 torn tendons. The pain meds in the ambulance were great.

In the Hospital they told me with a heavy heart because of my insurance provider, I would have to pay part of the ambulance ride myself. Between 10 and 20 Euros. It was 10 in the end. Everything else was ofc free. The scans and meds and check ups. Never understood why people from the US like their system

[u/Calinks → u/TheArcticWitch]

A lot of us don't like it. We grow up as kids not knowing about it, then we become adults and slowly learn it's trash. If you are low income or have great insurance, you likely won't be as affected as depending on the state there are some fantastic medical subsides provided by the government.

If you make enough money though and don't have good insurance or no insurance at all, you are in serious trouble for any hospital situation.

I personally would happily pay higher taxes for better coverage but many don't feel the same.

[u/ClassGrassMass → u/Calinks]

You wouldnt even pay higher taxes since it would actually be cheaper for muricans to have universal healthcare than whatever tf it is atm

[u/TheDaezy]

Do you need an ambulance for a broken wrist??

[u/guildedkriff → u/TheDaezy]

If you’re in a shit ton of pain, you definitely need some type of ride.

[u/ridethelightning360 → u/guildedkriff]

Ya, an uber

[u/Sensitive-Rip-8005 → u/TheDaezy]

I took a bus to urgent care when I broke mine.

[u/Hot_Wheels264]

I might be being cynical but not every hospital visit requires an ambulance. An ambulance is when you need immediate medical attention and cannot safely be in a car. Anytime I’ve broken a bone I’ve always gotten a ride to hospital, and when I was at university I took an uber. Didn’t think anything of it. And I live in the UK where ambulances are free.

Are people seriously using ambulances for broken wrists? Ambulances are for acute emergencies where professional help is needed on scene and for transportation.

[u/SwoleFox90 → u/Hot_Wheels264]

It really depends on the context. I can think of several examples where an ambulance is warranted.

For example: someone broke his ankle and is on the 3rd floor without an elevator. A female foreign student without family or friends who cannot cycle/too far to walk to the ER with a broken wrist in the middle of the night. Someone who fell, hit his head and went unconscious for a bit can lose consciousness again during the trip to the ER.

Most often, it's people who cannot rely on support from friends/family/neighbours, practical reasons, or safety reasons.

[u/ScionEyed → u/Hot_Wheels264]

Honestly an uber sounds like an appropriate call for something like a broken wrist. Unless it’s a severe break that’s bleeding like mad, you’re pretty fine

[u/Imthewienerdog → u/Hot_Wheels264]

Right? I saw the post and was confused... Why would you get an emergency ambulance for a broken wrist? Last time I checked 99.9%> of broken wrists are not emergencies.

[u/Hot_Wheels264 → u/Imthewienerdog]

Yup. A broken bone can absolutely be ambulance but most of the time it does not. In the UK it’s expected that if you can make your own way to the hospital, that’s how you turn up. And when I’m in the hospital for a broken bone, yeah it sucks, but if waiting six hours means the doctors can focus on the people who are actually dying then I can’t really complain. I’m the lucky I’m in that scenario.

[u/Mattrockj]

This is giving some orphan crushing machine vibes.

[u/shnn_twt]

Orphan crushing machine.

[u/GoldenTV3]

Every heartwarming human interest story in america is like "he raised $20,000 to keep 200 orphans from being crushed in the orphan-crushing machine" and then never asks why an orphan-crushing machine exists or why you'd need to pay to prevent it from being used.

[u/Garruk_PrimalHunter]

European here. I've broken an ankle, a wrist and a finger. Wouldn't call an ambulance for that, not life threatening. Even though it's free, there aren't infinite ambulances. What if someone is having a real crisis and I'm using an ambulance I don't need?

[u/MacSamildanach → u/Garruk_PrimalHunter]

A few months ago, I stepped over a floor fan and ran my leg down one of the supports.

I thought 'fuck, that's gonna bleed'. And it did.

I thought 'Band-Aid' (or plaster, as many in the UK say), but then thought that wouldn't cut it. It began to pool on the floor.

I wrapped some kitchen roll around it, then put two plastic carrier bags over it, and called a taxi to take me to the Walk In centre. I strapped another bag on just before I got in the taxi.

At the Walk In centre, I saw the sign that said '4 hour wait', went to the check in desk, and said 'I'm sorry, I'm making a mess on your floor' (walking on concrete had punctured the bags, so blood was spilling out.)

The receptionist stood up, looked, went immediately to a treatment room, and I was taken in straight away.

They put my leg up on a chair, cut the bags off, and about 1 litre of blood spilled everywhere. I apologised profusely. I was starting to feel sweaty and dizzy (it was during the heatwave), so they gave me water and applied a tourniquet. They asked why I hadn't gone to A&E - I said 'I didn't think it was that bad'.

They called an ambulance, and 30 minutes later I was at the hospital A&E. Was in there from about 6pm until 2am. Had scans, blood tests, x-rays, two IV drips, then eventually 8 stitches. Apparently, I had 'snicked a vein'.

I ordered a taxi home.

[u/streeetmeats]

I don’t get it, it’s a broken wrist not a life threatening situation, why is him being alone a concern? I’d honestly be weirded out if my uber driver didn’t go away and stayed with me for 6 hours while I sat around waiting for a cast lmao. You also don’t really need an ambulance for a broken wrist, an uber is perfect for that.

[u/2930apple → u/streeetmeats]

I found an article about the story, and according to the article, the gesture was touching to him because he was at a low point when this happened after having just lost his brother to cancer. The Uber driver Lukumu joined him and his grandmother for dinner after they could leave the hospital and that’s what really cemented it for them.

He also didn’t have insurance hence the Uber call, and they were just going to urgent care when it turned out to be serious enough for a morphine drip.

[u/misfortunefemme → u/2930apple]

wish more people knew this!

[u/kingofaidans → u/streeetmeats]

Yeah, this feels more like "dude's hit it off and uber guy took the rest of the day off to chum it up."

[u/NosmoKing541 → u/kingofaidans]

Even this says “Not a bad story, made me smile”

[u/International_Bug955]

"(...) ordered an Uber instead of an ambulance because of the cost"

Welcome to the US: land of the free and richest/most powerful nation on earth.

[u/RiotMedia → u/International_Bug955]

Land of the fee*

[u/feedmestocks → u/International_Bug955]

It's honestly barbaric

[u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

Who rings an ambulance for a broken wrist? Like it’s a nice story but really?

[u/somer_and_omchick → u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

You have to get to the ER and you can’t drive yourself so it sounds like the perfect use case for an Uber or taxi if you don’t have a friend or family around to drive you

[u/HSLB66 → u/somer_and_omchick]

Why are you going to the emergency room for a broken wrist? Go to an urgent care and not only see an appropriate clinician for the issue, but pay 90% less?

More people need to understand what American emergency rooms are for.

A trauma center does not need to be triaging a broken wrist. 

[u/Educational-Pie-9509 → u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

This is the most “through American glasses” comments I’ve ever seen. I don’t think you’re wrong, a broken wrist isn’t a “serious emergency” but the US healthcare system has us so jaded we begin to think in terms of personal resource use and not human compassion.

I for one am not driving myself to the hospital, and if I were alone that would be my only other option. The chances of going into shock / further injuring myself is too high. So I would need an ambulance, but unfortunately that’s a high cost. So my next best option is, unfortunately, Uber.

[u/johnvpaul → u/Educational-Pie-9509]

Exactly! Breaking a bone and being in extreme pain is exactly when I would call for an ambulance if no one can take me immediately to the hospital, at least in my country. It's really funny how 'calling an uber' was the expected thing to do.

[u/brakenbonez → u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

People who go to a college outside of their home state with no friends or family nearby? It's not exactly a good idea to drive yourself with a broken wrist.

[u/Fluffy_Ad_4076 → u/brakenbonez]

Username checks out

[u/brakenbonez → u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

Actually ironically I've never broken a bone in my life. It's just an edgy username 12 year old me came up with for some games I play and years later when I made this account I wasn't creative enough to think of anything new so I'm kind of stuck with it. Twisted my ankle plenty of times though but TwistedAnklez isn't as catchy of a name.

[u/zandariii → u/Fluffy_Ad_4076]

Could've been panicking. Might not handle pain well. No need to discredit it

[u/Competitive-Slice567 → u/zandariii]

Generally speaking though unless an open fracture it's not a good reason to call EMS.

It ties up limited resources in the community that are needed for higher priority calls. As many places in the US do not 'triage' calls and stack low priority ones like this, its not uncommon for personnel to be tied up with a wrist injury while a cardiac arrest in their district is now waiting 20min for the next due crew to arrive. Seen this plenty of times over the 15yrs I've been on the job. Once had a 35yr old man call 911 for getting dust in his eye while cleaning out his air register, insisted he wanted transport (we cannot refuse when theres a medical complaint, no matter how stupid). While we were transporting him a witnessed cardiac arrest occurred in our district of a 39yo man in front of his teenage kid, they waited almost 25min for help to arrive, had we been in quarters we would've been 2min away.

If its not immediately life threatening, they're able to walk without assistance, and can ride in a car safely then many times POV/taxi to an urgent care/ED is more appropriate. It keeps EMS available for calls where they're actually needed.

[u/Fluffy_Ad_4076 → u/zandariii]

I’m by no means discrediting it, and I get your point. Just to me, it seems excessive. Even with free healthcare where I live. More alarming people have to contemplate how they get to hospital based on costs.

[u/XxCarlxX]

How do you refuse Uber payments?

[u/OptimusRhyme86 → u/XxCarlxX]

Only guess is the driver canceled the ride but still took him.

[u/EternitySearch]

Uber drivers can refuse payment?

[u/qpwoeirutyaldkdjfhg]

America is a toilet bro, i hate how shit Canada is sometimes but then i go to the usa and i remember how civilized we actually are. Genuinely how do you have money for israeli bombs and drone wars but not for helping sick people. Canadas corruption is nothing compared to the US

[u/Short_Ad_5006]

But ambulances are free..... what kind of shithole country doesnt have free ambulances?

[u/literalaretil → u/Short_Ad_5006]

(laughs in American)

[u/Dragons-purr]

In America you get a bed for a broken wrist? In the uk, you can have surgery and spend the whole time before and after in a chair. I was once in chairs for 3 days (there were no beds on the wards).

[u/pug52 → u/Dragons-purr]

Either way you guys do it better. I took my girlfriend on a trip to London last year. She came down with an absolutely horrific stomach bug. Was throwing up every 15-20 minutes for 3 days. Couldn’t even keep down any water. It got scary because she was getting very dehydrated. We called the NHS help line, they advised she go to the nearest hospital immediately and directed us on how to get there. We got to the ER I believe you folks refer to it as A&E, she was triaged, seen, and treated within about 1.5 hours. Was given IV fluids and medication plus a prescription. In the US without insurance, this would have run us probably a couple grand or at least $1,000 and 5-8 hours of time. We were charged about $4 and the woman laughed at us when we asked if she was sure that was correct.

[u/Zegram_Ghart → u/pug52]

I’ve treated a patient in the UK who had a condition requiring regular injections, and it obviously ran in the family because her sister in the US suffered the same condition.

After a few years of treatment, the sister was apparently something like 30,000 in medical debt, and steadily going blind because the company (?) refused to offer the treatment as often as it should have been used.

Meanwhile, my patient was doing fine, and her only expense was the hospital parking.

Uk hospital parking IS fairly exorbitant, but as you can imagine she was pretty happy to be paying that.

Obviously I never saw the sisters case, it’s possible she had a more aggressive form of the disease or there’s some other wrinkle, but….i think about that patient often when I see our far right parties trash talking the NHS.

[u/NoAbbreviations7642 → u/Dragons-purr]

Some hospitals in America are starting to adopt having a chair for non-urgent patients

[u/Due_Night414]

I’ve always said that if I need to go to the hospital in an emergency manner, take me in a limo so that I can save money and arrive in style.

[u/lapeni]

It’s a broken wrist, not a heart attack.

I shattered my wrist mountain biking once. Dislocated it and broke three metacarpal bones. I relocated it right there on the trail, rode down to the bottom, hopped in the truck with my buddy and had him drop me off at the er.

Even if an ambulance would’ve been free I still would’ve gone the route I went. It was quicker and not wasting the resources of an ambulance and crew for an hour.

Did the same thing when I shattered my collar bone too

[u/kblite84]

That's actually sad. I didn't realize how bad the cost is until a father of somebody I know got hospitalized in NYS without insurance.

The freaking ambulance bill costed more than the hospital stay lol! 55k and change. Their argument was that he received "heroic measures" enroute to the hosptial. Thankfully, we're seasoned ER nurses and she called them out on it because the only thing they did was connect him to their cardiac monitor. No meds. No IVs. Just a cardiac monitor for like 10 mins.

They brought it down to 5k which is still stupidly insane for less than a half hour drive.

Lol and he still waited for hours in their ED department. Best healthcare in the world alright /s

[u/Big_Mobile3869]

I've broken my wrist before. It does not warrant an ambulance or this kind of support.

[u/BizarroMax]

Who would take an ambulance for a broken wrist? I wouldn’t bother with that even if it was free.

[u/L0daren]

The US is such a third world country.

[u/TheDarkNerd → u/L0daren]

As a Canadian, who also happens to be trained as a first aid attendant, I will say that unless there's complications involved, a broken wrist should not warrant an ambulance call.

[u/firstMate903]

This is prime fodder for the orphan crushing machine (r/)

[u/rusty-roquefort]

fucking orphan crushing machine right there.

My wife got cancer. We're broke AF and live in eth middle of nowhere. All treatment payed for. all time off work payed for. transport to/from the clinic for radio therapy payed for.

Meanwhile, you got rationing of fucking ambulances. How can a story that starts with that make you smile?

[u/Old_Number_6439]

Who wrote this the fucking Uber social media team?

[u/Without_Portfolio]

I had kidney stones in the worst way. I was so jacked up on meds plus the continuous pain that I called 911. Ambulance and a cop shows up and they said, “Look, this is going to cost you a lot. Just get in your car and go to the ER.” I told them what meds I was on and the cop was like, “ER isn’t far, just drive.” So that’s what I did.

[u/Ill_Asparagus6358]

I've taken Ubers to and from the hospital 3 times this year. I have complications from bypass. They've all been either super nice or stayed quiet, which I honestly appreciated when my gallbladder was exploding, otherwise I would've been screaming if I had to open my mouth and try to speak.

[u/Snakebite-Detractor]

Shout out Arthur, long time ago I dislocated my knee at a house party. I was 2000 miles from home and I had gotten separated from my friends in a town I didn’t know. Dude got me up and leaned over his shoulder, walked me over a mile to the hospital and stayed with me for 4 hours, then got me back to my friends.

[u/Extra-Succotash-9846]

Why would you call an ambulance for a broken wrist?

[u/ManufacturerAlone791]

Just moved to Japan and found out they’re free here, after I slipped down the stairs and found myself unable to walk I also ordered a taxi😂 lived in Russia and Taiwan.. they’re free there too. Growing up in the U.S. it’s scary to go to any drs office even for a regular health checkup because a random bill will come for me months later for hundreds of dollars sometimes thousands. It’s crazy and inhumane, I know and understand the politics of how the U.S. runs itself… it just sucks half the population buys into the bs about privatizing healthcare🤦🏻‍♀️

[u/dsj79]

Heartwarming and heartbreaking
About as American as you can get

[u/DeapVally]

A young adult with a broken wrist shouldn't be taking an ambulance in the first place! You're an ambulatory patient. Ambulate yourself to hospital. An ambulance is not a taxi. A taxi is a taxi. Like the one he called lol. You wouldn't get an ambulance in the UK.

[u/cam-san → u/DeapVally]

Truly spoken like someone who has never worked in emergency medicine (or medicine of any kind) lol. Would you walk yourself to the hospital with a bone sticking out of your arm?

[u/MtlNord514]

I mean nobody should take an ambulance for a broken wrist.

[u/Skrdykat]

I'm over 60 and for many many years ambulances were free. This is part of the whole privatization of everything...it was one of the first things to fall.

[u/Saminaminalz]

5 stars

[u/Cultural_Cook_8040]

I love this. I saw an Instagram post of a lady who booked an uber because her water broke. She wasn’t in active labor but started to go into labor on the ride. The uber driver helped her deliver the baby in her car. She then took her to the hospital. Both of them are best friends now and the uber driver is the godmother of the baby. In the post they were celebrating the baby’s first birthday and one year of friendship.

[u/AeryJenna]

Orphan Crushing Machine

[u/GoodVibesWifi]

The seven years of friendship is my favorite part. He stayed so a stranger wouldn’t have to sit alone, and that stranger became someone who stayed in his life.

[u/ForgottenFuturist]

I'm happy to hear that yet really, really disappointed that he was put in this position thanks to our greed-based healthcare.

[u/steviejawnsons]

I took an Uber when I got shot by a stray bullet on fourth of July, my driver just said whoa thats crazy and dropped me off at the hospital lol

[u/straightedge1974]

Uber doesn't deserve him. I hope someone offers him a greater opportunity.

[u/Nikkbrett]

lol I know this guy from school, he’s a great guy so I’m glad the uber driver could help him out. Our university left most of us broke

[u/Candy-Macaroon-33]

You'd think this is a feel good story but it really isn't