Well, Buoys & Gulls, I had an eventful day after all! I ran some errands in town, topped off the Camry---regular unleaded gasoline jumped $.70 per gallon, GRRRRR!!!---and wound up at WallyWorld, where the drama began to unfold like some Hollywood movie. I should've known something bad was gonna happen: the moment I pulled in and parked, a huge flock of pigeons descended upon my car and the nearby lot, like a scene from 'THE BIRDS' by Alfred Hitchcock, lol. Here are pics:
Leaving my car (on the opposite side from the birds, lol) and entering the store, I proceeded to knock out my shopping: beer, birdseed, septic-safe dish detergent, paper towels, and of course some canned cat food... I always check the cat food aisle to see if there's any preferred flavor available, 10-4? Anyway, I bagged everything I needed and headed for the door, making my exit and angling toward my parked car.
That's when things got interesting, because some poor older guy with medical conditions (I think Parkinson's Disease was one of 'em) came stumbling out the door behind me, lost his balance and toppled his cart on its side. I immediately put my own cart aside and began to help the guy retrieve some fallen goods which were ejected from his cart. Some young gal also helped pick up loose items.
The guy was staggering around like he was drunk, I did NOT know of his medical problems at that time, or else I would've gone directly to his aid. He staggered around in jerky fashion in a broad semicircle, accelerated when he began to lose his balance for real, then fell HARD and I thought he slammed his head against one of those cement lamp footings in the parking lot, the ones painted yellow.
But the angle of my perspective was deceptive, turned out the poor ol' guy broke his arm in that hard fall, and we soon had more folks gathered round the guy as he lay in pain on the asphalt. One Good Samaritan was on the New Mexico State Patrol, only off duty with his wife or girlfriend. I didn't know right away that he was a cop, but he was right there with me seeing to this guy, yeah? So good on him for "manning up" to deal with the situation...
Some Walmart employees arrived and the assistant manager (or whoever) took charge in the corporate sense, though the State Patrol guy had already called an ambulance. Once we started to sort things out and get things done, I offered to take the guy's groceries home for him, since he had some perishable items in his now-upright cart. I also moved his pickup out of the reserved pharmacy spot, aye? The injured man was lucid enough to give me his keys and information.
While the other Good Samaritans waited for the ambulance to show, I loaded the guy's groceries into my nearby car, then returned to offer more assistance. Forgot to mention that I ripped one of my own paper towel rolls out of its package to serve as a pillow for the poor guy as he lay there on the hard asphalt. I did that before I went and moved his pickup. I kept the house key, and the truck keys went to the Walmart honcho afterward.
So the ambulance arrived, a nurse or EMT started checking the guy, and he was eventually loaded on a gurney for a trip to our local hospital. During this time, the cop punched up the guy's address on Google Maps or whatever, so I'd know how to get there, and we also stuck around to give brief statements to the WallyWorld honcho before I split with the groceries for the guy's home.
Here's a funny part of this sad story: at some point during this incident, I needed to get the cop's attention, though I didn't yet know he was a cop. He was wearing a Buffalo Bills cap, one of those with the animal logo and no lettering, so I said, "HEY, BUFFALO BILL!!!" Later, we laughed about this, as we laughed when I told him on the side: "Cops and truck drivers, gettin' things DONE!" We actually had a little fist bump action going, lol.
After making my brief statement to the Walmart honcho, I took off and drove 2 or 3 miles north to the injured man's home and checked in with the neighbor and his wife (so they wouldn't think I was some tweekin' crackerhead breaking into the home, even though I had the front door key, lol). We unloaded the groceries and I put the perishable stuff in the fridge... during this time, the neighbor told me the guy's dog had died two weeks ago.
I asked about animals, you understand, in case any needed care while the guy was in the hospital. Poor ol' dude has been having a run of bad luck lately, more's the pity. I offered to give the neighbor guy a ride back to WallyWorld to pick up the accident victim's truck, as I was heading that way anyway... my home is south of town, while the poor guy with the broken arm lives on the north side.
Once we hit WallyWorld, I walked in so the honcho I dealt with earlier would recognize me as I vouched for the neighbor. The honcho retrieved the keys to the victim's truck from the Walmart safe, we shook hands with the honcho, and we made for the parking lot. Contact numbers were exchanged as well, and the nice neighbor (retired USAF) bade me farewell as I climbed into 'The Mighty Camry' and headed for the ol' hacienda at last.
The nice neighbor and his wife (also very nice, they're a bit older than I am, I think the gal said 74 when I mentioned my own age), well, they kinda look after this guy since he has medical problems, I guess he recently had a stroke too, which was probably a factor in his hard fall. Wish I had known that, so I could've gone directly to his aid and kept him from falling, but I'm no mind reader or fortune teller.
Those same neighbors are checking on the guy right now, and they will eventually give him a ride home from the hospital, which is damned nice of 'em. I would've done it myself had they not volunteered. I sent a follow-up text to the cop and his gal, since they had texted me the guy's address just to make sure I had it, or in case I somehow forgot it... not likely, but hey, why NOT, right?
Anyway, I met some folks today, and I hope to see the injured guy again to make sure he's alright... those neighbors & I might just throw him a 'get well party' in the form of a BBQ and a couple of beers, aye? I noticed some Black Velvet and a bottle of brandy (?) in the guy's fridge as I put the two gallon jugs of milk away, so I know the poor guy drinks... perhaps for "medicinal purposes."
Alright, that's my story of today's Good Samaritan action, I'm now at home and I'm enjoying a well-deserved cold beer, lol. Here's hoping the injured gent is alright now, he sure has had a run of bad luck lately with the stroke, his dog dying, etc. I didn't mind helping at all, as I wasn't on a time budget. Kinda reminded me of helping folks back in my 'trucking daze.' I sure hope the guy's okay now...
Last funny thing to salvage out of this f/u situation: after calling the State Patrol guy "Buffalo Bill" (due to his Bills ballcap), I later told him that he could take that to mean the pistoleer & Wild West showman, if he so desired, lol. He just laughed along with his wife/girlfriend, I never did find out which and it's none of my business anyway, 10-4? But we all pitched in today and helped a poor guy who really needed it.
ALRIGHT, I'M BACK TO MY COLD BEER, I'LL BE MOVING ON TO ANOTHER THREAD... CHEERS!!!
Leaving my car (on the opposite side from the birds, lol) and entering the store, I proceeded to knock out my shopping: beer, birdseed, septic-safe dish detergent, paper towels, and of course some canned cat food... I always check the cat food aisle to see if there's any preferred flavor available, 10-4? Anyway, I bagged everything I needed and headed for the door, making my exit and angling toward my parked car.
That's when things got interesting, because some poor older guy with medical conditions (I think Parkinson's Disease was one of 'em) came stumbling out the door behind me, lost his balance and toppled his cart on its side. I immediately put my own cart aside and began to help the guy retrieve some fallen goods which were ejected from his cart. Some young gal also helped pick up loose items.
The guy was staggering around like he was drunk, I did NOT know of his medical problems at that time, or else I would've gone directly to his aid. He staggered around in jerky fashion in a broad semicircle, accelerated when he began to lose his balance for real, then fell HARD and I thought he slammed his head against one of those cement lamp footings in the parking lot, the ones painted yellow.
But the angle of my perspective was deceptive, turned out the poor ol' guy broke his arm in that hard fall, and we soon had more folks gathered round the guy as he lay in pain on the asphalt. One Good Samaritan was on the New Mexico State Patrol, only off duty with his wife or girlfriend. I didn't know right away that he was a cop, but he was right there with me seeing to this guy, yeah? So good on him for "manning up" to deal with the situation...
Some Walmart employees arrived and the assistant manager (or whoever) took charge in the corporate sense, though the State Patrol guy had already called an ambulance. Once we started to sort things out and get things done, I offered to take the guy's groceries home for him, since he had some perishable items in his now-upright cart. I also moved his pickup out of the reserved pharmacy spot, aye? The injured man was lucid enough to give me his keys and information.
While the other Good Samaritans waited for the ambulance to show, I loaded the guy's groceries into my nearby car, then returned to offer more assistance. Forgot to mention that I ripped one of my own paper towel rolls out of its package to serve as a pillow for the poor guy as he lay there on the hard asphalt. I did that before I went and moved his pickup. I kept the house key, and the truck keys went to the Walmart honcho afterward.
So the ambulance arrived, a nurse or EMT started checking the guy, and he was eventually loaded on a gurney for a trip to our local hospital. During this time, the cop punched up the guy's address on Google Maps or whatever, so I'd know how to get there, and we also stuck around to give brief statements to the WallyWorld honcho before I split with the groceries for the guy's home.
Here's a funny part of this sad story: at some point during this incident, I needed to get the cop's attention, though I didn't yet know he was a cop. He was wearing a Buffalo Bills cap, one of those with the animal logo and no lettering, so I said, "HEY, BUFFALO BILL!!!" Later, we laughed about this, as we laughed when I told him on the side: "Cops and truck drivers, gettin' things DONE!" We actually had a little fist bump action going, lol.
After making my brief statement to the Walmart honcho, I took off and drove 2 or 3 miles north to the injured man's home and checked in with the neighbor and his wife (so they wouldn't think I was some tweekin' crackerhead breaking into the home, even though I had the front door key, lol). We unloaded the groceries and I put the perishable stuff in the fridge... during this time, the neighbor told me the guy's dog had died two weeks ago.
I asked about animals, you understand, in case any needed care while the guy was in the hospital. Poor ol' dude has been having a run of bad luck lately, more's the pity. I offered to give the neighbor guy a ride back to WallyWorld to pick up the accident victim's truck, as I was heading that way anyway... my home is south of town, while the poor guy with the broken arm lives on the north side.
Once we hit WallyWorld, I walked in so the honcho I dealt with earlier would recognize me as I vouched for the neighbor. The honcho retrieved the keys to the victim's truck from the Walmart safe, we shook hands with the honcho, and we made for the parking lot. Contact numbers were exchanged as well, and the nice neighbor (retired USAF) bade me farewell as I climbed into 'The Mighty Camry' and headed for the ol' hacienda at last.
The nice neighbor and his wife (also very nice, they're a bit older than I am, I think the gal said 74 when I mentioned my own age), well, they kinda look after this guy since he has medical problems, I guess he recently had a stroke too, which was probably a factor in his hard fall. Wish I had known that, so I could've gone directly to his aid and kept him from falling, but I'm no mind reader or fortune teller.
Those same neighbors are checking on the guy right now, and they will eventually give him a ride home from the hospital, which is damned nice of 'em. I would've done it myself had they not volunteered. I sent a follow-up text to the cop and his gal, since they had texted me the guy's address just to make sure I had it, or in case I somehow forgot it... not likely, but hey, why NOT, right?
Anyway, I met some folks today, and I hope to see the injured guy again to make sure he's alright... those neighbors & I might just throw him a 'get well party' in the form of a BBQ and a couple of beers, aye? I noticed some Black Velvet and a bottle of brandy (?) in the guy's fridge as I put the two gallon jugs of milk away, so I know the poor guy drinks... perhaps for "medicinal purposes."
Alright, that's my story of today's Good Samaritan action, I'm now at home and I'm enjoying a well-deserved cold beer, lol. Here's hoping the injured gent is alright now, he sure has had a run of bad luck lately with the stroke, his dog dying, etc. I didn't mind helping at all, as I wasn't on a time budget. Kinda reminded me of helping folks back in my 'trucking daze.' I sure hope the guy's okay now...
Last funny thing to salvage out of this f/u situation: after calling the State Patrol guy "Buffalo Bill" (due to his Bills ballcap), I later told him that he could take that to mean the pistoleer & Wild West showman, if he so desired, lol. He just laughed along with his wife/girlfriend, I never did find out which and it's none of my business anyway, 10-4? But we all pitched in today and helped a poor guy who really needed it.
ALRIGHT, I'M BACK TO MY COLD BEER, I'LL BE MOVING ON TO ANOTHER THREAD... CHEERS!!!
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