Monday, June 18, 2012

QotD: Wishful Thinking Edition.

During his recent visitations to the local hospital, with its magic no-gun forcefield that keeps the bad guys out, Robb noted an interesting phenomenon:
Oh, and by the way - the entire campus is posted as a smoke free area. Twice I had to walk through a cloud of smoke where the offender was literally leaning on a ‘No Smoking’ sign. The magic signs didn’t work there, they won’t work on a determined criminal intent on doing harm.
Here's an idea for the hospital: Instead of a "No Weapons" sign, how about just putting up a "No Killing People" sign? Or would the AMA get all nervous and butthurt if you did that?

16 comments:

Shermlock Shomes said...

Tam:

Next time you're down at IUPUI feel free to stand on the sidewalk next to Michigan St. and have a smoke (while carrying). Just don't step off the concrete onto the grass or you'll be in violation of the IUPUI Rules That Protect Us All From Harm.

Anonymous said...

... despite the signs, I'm sure that doctor induced "medical misadventures" would continue.

Moriarty said...

Four out of five physicians don't particularly care what the AMA has to say.

Matt G said...

"... how about just putting up a "No Killing People" sign? Or would the AMA get all nervous and butthurt if you did that?"

"Doctor, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You've been warned about this before."

Paul said...

I was going to say something about doctors burying the mistakes, but looks like that is covered!

Library-Gryffon said...

I'd love to know how hospitals handle employees who have credible threats against them and/or restraining orders out against violent people. I guess if I'm ever in that position, my choicer are either to break the law, because I won't even be legally allowed to have a weapon in my car since I have to park on hospital property, or I'll have to quit my job, both of which are pretty lousy options.

My hospital had a lockdown a few years ago because of "shots fired" a block or two away. You would think if management really believed in the efficacy of the "gun free zone" laws, we wouldn't have needed to, wouldn't you?

Moriarty said...

When I was a resident, we had an incident involving a tweaker patient and her "Local Meth King" boyfriend. After a confrontation with nursing, he left the hospital making credible death threats and vowing to return.

A call to the police availed us nothing. "Hospital security" was a joke, consisting of an unarmed, untrained 18-year-old former high school football player in a black nylon jacket with the word "SECURITY" printed on the back.

After discussion with the charge nurse, I went down to the parking lot and brought my 1911 into the call room. We passed a relatively quiet night.

I knew I could have been criminally prosecuted and kicked out of my program. At that moment, however, I was the physician in attendance and I had an overriding obligation to myself, my patients and my staff in the face of a credible threat.

However, I learned that sometimes you don't do the right thing because it's ethical. You do it because you're scared shitless.

After numerous complaints from staff over this episode, administration trained security in "verbal judo" and was debating giving them pepper spray.

They also gave them new nylon jackets.

Brad K. said...

Tam,

"Here's an idea for the hospital: Instead of a "No Weapons" sign, how about just putting up a "No Killing People" sign? Or would the AMA get all nervous and butthurt if you did that? "

I don't care who you are, that there is some glorious snark!!

fast richard said...

This week I'm on my way to that giant gun free zone called New Jersey. That means I should have no worries about crime...Right?

What it really means is I get to face the dilemma of whether to bring my normal personal property along with me and risk running afoul of the law, or obey the law at my destination and accept the lack of basic tools for dealing with unforseen circumstances.

evan price said...

Not long ago Mrs. Price had major surgery. This involved a rather lengthly stay in hospital.
I made sure my pocket heater was well concealed and totally ignored all the gun prohibition signs.
If an otherwise law abiding citizen can't give a cup of warm monkey piss for the signs, what would a real offender think?

perlhaqr said...

evan price: given that the hospital where my wife works has "no firearms" signs on all the doors, and a while back actually had an ND inside the hospital, I'd guess the answer is "not much".

rickn8or said...

fast Richard, yeah I've done the "stop at Pennsylvania exit one and unload" thing myself.

Locked my heaters in one box and the ammo in another. Spent a week with the Pucker Factor meter pegged. Don't know if I was more afraid of the NJ po-leece or the goblins.

Particularly irritated because except for a 10-mile stretch of western Maryland, I was completely legal from Memphis to that Exit 1.

Number One Son was five minutes late to Knoxville's most recent hospital shooting. Had he been on time, he would have been on the phone at ground zero, getting his marching orders from SWMBO for his trip home.

He's come down a bit from his "Those signs work" position.

Anonymous said...

Please don't lump doctors and other medical professionals into the AMA. The vast majority of AMA members are in the east and California, and even then a majority aren't practicing, but are Ivory Tower types.

When only 20% of a professional group belongs to the "big tent" of the profession, it gives you some idea how out of touch the "big tent" is!

Windy Wilson said...

Moriarity, "Verbal Judo?"
And the person who approved that gets paid by the hospital for ANYTHING?

Josh Kruschke said...

If I was crazy and so inclined would standing off site and moving bullets on site at a high volocity be allowed. The signs don't say anything about bullets?

Or so I've been told I'm effectively illiterate.

Kristophr said...

The most dangerous thing you can do with an armed criminal is mouth of at him while you are unarmed.

The casualty rate is nearly 70%, according to Kleck.

The retards that paid for that "verbal judo" training should be sued once that kid with the nylon "Security" jacket gets his ass killed.