I had an interesting encounter last night as I left work...
* Disclaimer: For the sake of description, some of my references to the guy below may seem a little callous or harsh... mostly due to the fact that there's no delicate way to convey many of the details of the story. If that offends you, then go away; nobody forced you to read this. *
It was 21:30 and I was heading out of the hospital to the parkade to get my car and head home. As I entered the stairwell in the parkade from the side door, I glanced out into the darkness through the front entrance door and see some guy out there in a wheelchair waving at me through the window... Looking like he needed help entering the building, so I wander over and open the door (thinkign that front door must somehow be locked from the outside or something, or maybe he just needs help holding the door open)...
He doesn't make any motion to head indoors. He also doesn't say anything. He just sits there, occasioanlly making a sort of half grunt, half moaning noise, and gesturing (limply) with his arms, which I realize are not terribly functional due to some sort of neurological damage. He gestures and makes low noises for a moment until I realize he's trying to mime the act of writing. That's when it dawns on me he's UNABLE to speak... (hey, it was late..)
So upon realizing what he wants to do, I rummage through my bag and realize I have no pen... I *do* have paper. So I convey this to the guy. It involved much genturing and loud speaking and a few repetitions, but he eventually got it, and started (again, limply) gesturing at something... After a moment, he got a look on his face like he's gone through this crap before, rolled his eyes, sighed, flopped his arms into his lap, waited a moment, and then tried again with the motioning... Apparently, it's not the first time he's had this trouble getting his point across.
By now, I'm really starting to feel for the guy. In all, maybe 2 minutes have gone by, but already I'm realizing this could take a while.. Finally I realize he's trying to get me to understand that he wants me to open his little fanny pack (hanging from his chair arm) and when I do, I see a pen in there. I extract the pen and grab the envelope I'd found in my bag, and he mimed writing again. I handed him the pen, which he took in both hands... well loose fists...
As I held the paper for him on his armrest, he held the pen in both fists (like big chopsticks I guess), I realized the pen was broken somehow... the clicker inside wasn't clicking, so the ball point wouldnt STAY out... he leaned over, and used his tongue to press and hold the button on the end, so the tip would stay out, while he wrote on the paper. Talk about perserverance!
Understandably, the writing was pretty choppy... It took me a moment to decipher it all, but I eventually worked it out:
need
SeuRiTY
DRLeFTkeY
...Hmmm "Need Security?" I asked. He nodded. "A doctor left you a key?" He nods again. "OK then... I'll call security then!" He looks up at me all hopeful. I whipped out my trusty cel phone, and, given that I work Switchboard, I sadly already know the direct dial number for Security Dispatch... I dial it and after about 14 rings, they finally pick up (they're morons on a GOOD day, so I wasn't too optimistic)...
Security Moron Woman: *fumbling noises and a crash* "Security...?"
Me: "Uh, yeah Hi.. I'm Dave from the Switchboard.. I was just heading to my car in the Parkade, and there's a guy out front here who needed Security -- apparently you guys have a key for him, left by a doctor...?"
SMW: "Uhh ... a doctor left him a KEY? That's kind of unusual.. What's it for?"
Me: "Actually, I have no idea... See, he apparently can't speak, so he was writing brief notes to me on a scrap of paper... with a broken pen... and we're running out of paper.."
SMW: "uhhhh"
Me: "I need to get going home, too.. Can you just send someone by to talk to him? And tell them to bring a pen and some paper..."
SMW: *noises and ringing in background* "Uhh can you hold for a moment?" *click - hold music begins*
Me (to the guy): "They put me on hold..."
Guy: *rolls eyes and shrugs, then just sits there lookign defeated*
Right about now, it hits me that it's getting damn cold out there, especially in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, on a windy evening. With overcast. At night.
Me: "How about we head inside where it's warmer?" *gesturing going inside, and starting to open door*
Guy: *looks confused for a moment, then the light seems to go on and he starts aiming his power wheelchair at the doorway...*
I was a bit concerned at first... the guy was jerkign the joystick on his chair all over the place and I was sure he was going to bounce it off the doorway a few times... Somehow through all the chaos, he managed to get inside without touching the sides. I must say, I was both puzzled and impressed...
Once inside, I was still on hold... So I took the opportunity to gather more information from the guy... So I ask him what the key is for. He writes:
HadkeY
FoR
APT
Me: "Ah, Security has the key to your apartment?"
Guy: *nods and then writes more...*
LAsT
THeY
Letmein
Me: "Ah, Last time they let you into your apartment?"
Guy: *looked very pleased and nods emphatically*
Me: "And where is the apartment?"
CaRRiBean
BY
EMP
Me: *repeats this back to him*
Guy: *nods*
Round about now (on hold for the last 5 or 6 minutes), the Security woman comes back on the phone...
SMW: "Sorry to have you on hold so long... had a few Stats to deal with..." (meaning some emergencies...)
Me: "So, like I said, I do need to go soon, but I don't want to just abandon this guy.. Can you send someone around to help him?"
SMW: "Well, they're all busy on Stat calls now, so I don't have anyone free..."
Me: "OK well, while I was on hold, he told me he lives at Carribean Apartments by EMP...?"
SMW: "AH! OK.. what's his name?"
Me: "We hadn't got that far... let me ask him"
Me (to the guy again): "What is your name?"
TonY
**** (censored to protect his identity)
Whereupon, I tell her his name...
SMW: "OK.. Well, we still don't have anyone free, but if you tell him to go down to Emergency and wait there, I'll send someone to help him as soon as they're free..."
Me: "Alright, I'll do that; can you alert Emerg that he's coming so they don't have to go through all this again?"
SMW: "Yeah OK... bye" *click*
I deal with these idiots all day long at witchboard, so I'm used to that....
Anyhow, I start to explain that they'll be a few minutes and he'll have to wait, etc... But for some reason, he's not getting me... So it's MY turn to write...
Emergency
Calls
Busy right
And by this time, he gets it. He motions for the pen back (which I have since dis-assembled and fixed), and writes more:
SecuRiTy
GUys
TheYno
Come
And I again explain verbally (with gestures) that they will come soon, but are busy right now...
SoIneed
TOwaiT
Me: "Yes, for a little while. You need to go to Emergency and they will meet you there..."
Guy: *puzzled look*
Me: *writes....*
They will
meet you
at Emergency
As soon as possible
Guy: *Looks relieved and happy, gestures at the door*
Me: *goes and hold the door open so he can head to Emerg...*
Guy: *Makes some gestures, then looks like he gives up*
Me: *Realizes what he's doing finally* "You're welcome!"
Guy: *smiles at me and then zooms off to Emerg*
By the end, it was just after 22:00 and I'm finally wandering over to my car to go home.. It may have been confusing and difficult, but it felt good to know I helped a bit...
