# Ambulance gets booted



## YodaMedic (Dec 1, 2012)

What do you guys think of this story....
http://www.wwltv.com/news/eyewitnes...ted-while-tending-to-emergency-181631351.html


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## JPINFV (Dec 1, 2012)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw_VRQYzMYM[/youtube]


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## Aprz (Dec 1, 2012)

If the story is accurate and no details were left out, what were the employees thinking?!


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## shfd739 (Dec 1, 2012)

Wow. In kinda speechless on this one. 

If the medics are in the store it's pretty obvious it's official business. 

My partner and I agree if this ever happened to us our reactions won't be nice.


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## STXmedic (Dec 1, 2012)

Not nice? I would have likely went ape :censored::censored::censored::censored: on them! I dare you to touch my ambulance while I'm on a call


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## shfd739 (Dec 1, 2012)

PoeticInjustice said:


> Not nice? I would have likely went ape :censored::censored::censored::censored: on them! I dare you to touch my ambulance while I'm on a call



Well yeah that's our definition of not nice lol. 

I'm the king of under statements. 

Our reaction would get us on the nightly news and probably a few extra free vacation days. I'd love to hear that stores reasoning for the boot.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 1, 2012)

shfd739 said:


> Our reaction would get us on the nightly news and probably a few extra free vacation days. I'd love to hear that stores reasoning for the boot.



Agreed.

I would have gotten the Police involved real quickly. That's interfering with Emergency Services at it's finest. 

"Cool you want to boot my ambulance while I'm attending to one of your customers? That's fine. I hope you like being unemployed dumbass."


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## VFlutter (Dec 1, 2012)

Well obviously they should have bought a Redbull or pack of gum while attending to the patient and this would have never happened


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 1, 2012)

I would have the store owner arrested for tampering with a city vehicle and obstruction.

It isn't legal to just decide you are going to boot someones vehicle. Pretty sure you have to be an enforcing agency...


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## shfd739 (Dec 1, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> I would have the store owner arrested for tampering with a city vehicle and obstruction.
> 
> It isn't legal to just decide you are going to boot someones vehicle. Pretty sure you have to be an enforcing agency...



If its like it is here parking lots are private and the business/property manager/owner are free to enforce their own parking rules and sign agreements with boot or wrecker services to take care of vehicles that violate their rules. Signs have to be posted and its quite the cash cow for the wreckers/booters. I have no doubt there are kickbacks to the property folks. Perfectly legal and shady as heck.


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## STXmedic (Dec 1, 2012)

ChaseZ33 said:


> Well obviously they should have bought a Redbull or pack of gum while attending to the patient and this would have never happened



I probably would have done that, actually... I have a terrible caffeine addiction...


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## MMiz (Dec 1, 2012)

shfd739 said:


> If its like it is here parking lots are private and the business/property manager/owner are free to enforce their own parking rules and sign agreements with boot or wrecker services to take care of vehicles that violate their rules. Signs have to be posted and its quite the cash cow for the wreckers/booters. I have no doubt there are kickbacks to the property folks. Perfectly legal and shady as heck.


That doesn't make it right, legal, or ethical.  When the news team called the towing company the convenience store answered the phone.

I see it now.  Customer has chest pain in your store, you call 911, public ambulance arrives, you boot ambulance... profit.

If it was a police car the booter would have been charged with a litany of crimes.


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 1, 2012)

shfd739 said:


> If its like it is here parking lots are private and the business/property manager/owner are free to enforce their own parking rules and sign agreements with boot or wrecker services to take care of vehicles that violate their rules. Signs have to be posted and its quite the cash cow for the wreckers/booters. I have no doubt there are kickbacks to the property folks. Perfectly legal and shady as heck.



It may be legal on some areas for a private vehicle. But I HIGHLY doubt it being legal to boot an emergency vehicle actively involved in an incident.

You mean to tell me I can park my police RMP in your 7/11 parking lot when we came to arrest a shoplifter and you can boot it? Good luck.


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## shfd739 (Dec 1, 2012)

MMiz said:


> That doesn't make it right, legal, or ethical.  When the news team called the towing company the convenience store answered the phone.
> 
> I see it now.  Customer has chest pain in your store, you call 911, public ambulance arrives, you boot ambulance... profit.
> 
> If it was a police car the booter would have been charged with a litany of crimes.



Oh I absolutely agree. This is a crappy thing for the store to have done and opening themselves to all kinds of negative outcomes and liability. 

I was answering as to why a non-enforcement entity was booting vehicles.


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## MMiz (Dec 1, 2012)

shfd739, gotcha!


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 1, 2012)

I just read this story on another EMS website. Let me be clear: if I was an LEO in this area I would immediately arrest the employees responsible for this. Hopefully the DA would charge them with disorderly conduct, obstructing LE/EMS services, interfering with the operations of LE/EMS, etc. This is unspeakably and mind-bogglingly insane. I am very glad this got on the news.


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## Amberlamps916 (Dec 1, 2012)

If I wanted to recall all the times my Ambulance was involved in some sort of dispute with an overzealous Parking Enforcement employee in LA county, it would be a huge book. Seriously, I remember there was an incident where we were bringing a fully backboarded patient out of a SNF and a parking enforcement guy gave my partner the ticket and walked away. Some people.


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## CANDawg (Dec 1, 2012)

shfd739 said:


> If its like it is here parking lots are private and the business/property manager/owner are free to enforce their own parking rules and sign agreements with boot or wrecker services to take care of vehicles that violate their rules. Signs have to be posted and its quite the cash cow for the wreckers/booters. I have no doubt there are kickbacks to the property folks. Perfectly legal and shady as heck.



Agreed. Here booting is a police only activity, and pretty rare at that. If someone's parked on your property against your wishes, you need a parking officer or cop before you can call the tow truck.


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 1, 2012)

OfficerEvenEMT said:


> I just read this story on another EMS website. Let me be clear: if I was an LEO in this area I would immediately arrest the employees responsible for this. Hopefully the DA would charge them with disorderly conduct, obstructing LE/EMS services, interfering with the operations of LE/EMS, etc. This is unspeakably and mind-bogglingly insane. I am very glad this got on the news.



Thank you!

Id also be suing for all damages caused to the vehicle.


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## ffemt8978 (Dec 1, 2012)

NYMedic828 said:


> Thank you!
> 
> Id also be suing for all damages caused to the vehicle.



Not to mention the patient suing for delayed transport...it could become a very expensive toy for the store.


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## CANDawg (Dec 1, 2012)

ffemt8978 said:


> Not to mention the patient suing for delayed transport...it could become a very expensive toy for the store.



Not to mention manslaughter charges if the patient had died due to the delay.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 2, 2012)

dbo789 said:


> Not to mention manslaughter charges if the patient had died due to the delay.



There may be criminal negligence involved. Manslaughter comes in two varieties- voluntary and involuntary. It's more than likely they could be charged with voluntary as they were negligent and reckless in their actions. Hopefully this patient will not die.


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## Clare (Dec 2, 2012)

That is crazy.  

I feel sorry for the towie, especially if this happens to the Clareamedic duo at the wrong time  ....


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## CANDawg (Dec 4, 2012)

UPDATE: http://www.ems1.com/safety/articles/1376615-Man-who-booted-ambulance-fired-cited


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## Jon (Dec 4, 2012)

Apparently "boot guy" doesn't speak English?

What the heck?


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## STXmedic (Dec 4, 2012)

How do you not realize you booted an ambulance? I don't care what language you speak, ambulances are fairly universal. You'd think the pretty, flashy lights would've been a hint, too.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 4, 2012)

> issued a citation by New Orleans police for simple criminal damage



That's all? Has anyone called ICE? If he doesn't speak any English then I doubt he's legally here.


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## Aidey (Dec 4, 2012)

That's a HUGE assumption.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 4, 2012)

Aidey said:


> That's a HUGE assumption.



How many legal immigrants do you know who speak no English and work at a quick stop? ICE doesn't award green cards or visas for that sort of work.


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## STXmedic (Dec 4, 2012)

OfficerEvenEMT said:


> How many legal immigrants do you know who speak no English and work at a quick stop? ICE doesn't award green cards or visas for that sort of work.



Come visit south Texas.


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## Clare (Dec 4, 2012)

LOL! For certain New Zealand visas I believe an acceptable standard of English is a requirement, I think its for skilled migrant or something, certainly not for all or it would make the little booklet on the ambulance with basic questions in foreign languages obsolete and jobs much easier!


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## lightsandsirens5 (Dec 5, 2012)

OfficerEvenEMT said:


> How many legal immigrants do you know who speak no English and work at a quick stop? ICE doesn't award green cards or visas for that sort of work.



So, just because one speaks no English automatically means they must be an illegal alien? Say WHAT? Can you explain your thought process please? 



PoeticInjustice said:


> Come visit south Texas.



I was just about to say.........


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## Amberlamps916 (Dec 5, 2012)

I second that.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 5, 2012)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> So, just because one speaks no English automatically means they must be an illegal alien? Say WHAT? Can you explain your thought process please?



I already did but I'll restate it. It's incredibly unlikely that ICE would issue a work-visa to anyone who 1) is not skilled and 2) speaks no English. This type of employee working at quick marts is very common and ICE is well aware of their status. They are generally very peaceful people who are just trying to provide for their families and make for a better life, thus ICE is reluctant to round them up. It is possible that this citation will trigger deportation hearings for this gentleman.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 5, 2012)

PoeticInjustice said:


> How do you not realize you booted an ambulance? I don't care what language you speak, ambulances are fairly universal. You'd think the pretty, flashy lights would've been a hint, too.



X a million. 

Ambulance is spelled very similar in most languages. 

I have more thoughts but I'm going to withhold sharing them because I know they'd wind me up with points or a vacation.


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## DrParasite (Dec 5, 2012)

*update*

Man who booted ambulance issued citation, fired

The man who booted the ambulance was a Quicky’s convenience store employee and New Orleans Police cited him for simple criminal damage to property for putting the boot on the ambulance.

Eyewitness News saw workers continuing to boot cars in their parking lot Monday morning. A worker at Quicky's convenience store said the employee, identified in a police report as Ahmed Sidi Aleywa, who booted a working ambulance Friday has been fired.

“The guy that did this, he came from another country. He didn't even know what an ambulance looked like. He's been fired,” said Ali Colone, a man identified as a worker at Quicky’s. The owners declined to comment, but Colone said the owners are sorry it happened.


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## socalmedic (Dec 5, 2012)

OfficerEvenEMT said:


> I already did but I'll restate it. It's incredibly unlikely that ICE would issue a work-visa to anyone who 1) is not skilled and 2) speaks no English. This type of employee working at quick marts is very common and ICE is well aware of their status. They are generally very peaceful people who are just trying to provide for their families and make for a better life, thus ICE is reluctant to round them up. It is possible that this citation will trigger deportation hearings for this gentleman.



not that I don't agree with you, however in my area it is just as common to find young adults who are us Citizens but grew up in a household that spoke only Spanish, Khmer, or Vietnamese. we have public schools here who teach mainly in Spanish and you can take college classes designed to be primarily Spanish and a few South East Asian languages.

we have all had bad jobs before, but maybe he is working at a convenience store because he lacks the mental capacity to do anything more. This may explain why he booted an ambulance.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 6, 2012)

socalmedic said:


> not that I don't agree with you, however in my area it is just as common to find young adults who are us Citizens but grew up in a household that spoke only Spanish, Khmer, or Vietnamese. we have public schools here who teach mainly in Spanish and you can take college classes designed to be primarily Spanish and a few South East Asian languages.
> 
> we have all had bad jobs before, but maybe he is working at a convenience store because he lacks the mental capacity to do anything more. This may explain why he booted an ambulance.



But they still speak English (however poorly) and know what ambulances are.


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## OfficerEvenEMT (Dec 6, 2012)

> Quicky's parking lot is private property. The city Code says private companies are allowed to boot, but they must be licensed with the city, they can only charge a maximum of $90 to remove the boot. Quicky's signs say they're charging at least $115.



These folks are rogue. I would also cite the owner of the mart for disorderly conduct for booting and charging above and beyond what the law allows.


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## PotatoMedic (Dec 10, 2012)

A little update for you all.  Sounds like he was staying longer than his visa allowed.

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Man-accused-of-booting-ambulance-arrested-182254361.html


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## Farmer2DO (Dec 11, 2012)

After reading that, I think the owner of the store is more responsible than ever.  

If the guy was here on a tourist visa, he can't have had a SS#.  So how was he on the payroll?  How was he paying taxes? (Hint:  I'll bet he wasn't.  He was probably under the table.)  Did he make sure the guy could legally work in the country?  

The owner sounds like just as much of a scum bag trying to cut corners.  He should have felony charges against him, for interfering with an emergency, damaging public property, and employing this guy.  Jail time sounds appropriate for me.

My family owns a small business that employs immigrants.  LEGAL immigrants.  With SS numbers.  That pay taxes.  And have health insurance that isn't provided by the government.

So should everyone else.


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## WuLabsWuTecH (Dec 14, 2012)

Wow!  This is impressive.  In our area, the towing companies won't even tow an ambulance unless one of us is present for fear of getting stopped by cops and not being able to prove immediately that they are lawfully towing it because they can be arrested on the spot.  Our chief found this out when we had a transmission issue with one of our rigs and we left it at the hospital for the towing company to get to in a few hours.  He got a call back when they got there saying that if an EMT wasn't with him in the flatbed, he would refuse to touch the rig.


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## 9D4 (Dec 16, 2012)

Related story that I thought some would find interesting:
http://www.ems1.com/safety/articles/1381393-Woman-steals-ambulance-while-medics-on-call

Some people... :huh:


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## Tigger (Dec 16, 2012)

blittle said:


> Related story that I thought some would find interesting:
> http://www.ems1.com/safety/articles/1381393-Woman-steals-ambulance-while-medics-on-call
> 
> Some people... :huh:



Sadly far more common than you would expect. A good reminder to always make sure you lock you truck, especially if it's left running, though there's still plenty of people who wouldn't think twice about smashing a window and driving off.


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## millcreekemt (Dec 18, 2012)

I cannot believe that someone would actually have the will power to even touch an ambulance especially when its emergency lights were on. And to add the medics were IN THERE BUSINESS!!!! They called 911 to help this man and then when 911 arrives they put a boot on the vehicle????? Really???? Kind of ridiculous. What would have they have thought if the patient would have died because his care was delayed because come idiot decided he was going to put a boot on an emergency vehicle??? Just sayin'. Some people really need to get there heads out of there butts!!!!!!!!!! If I was on that ambulance I wouldn't have been so nice about it thats for sure!!!! He would have seen a side of me he wouldn't have wanted to see because he was risking a person's life all because he thought it was necessary to put a boot on an ambulance!!!!
Sorry to rant but this really sorta got to me!


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## ShannahQuilts (Dec 18, 2012)

socalmedic said:


> we have all had bad jobs before, but maybe he is working at a convenience store because he lacks the mental capacity to do anything more. This may explain why he booted an ambulance.



If he is of diminished capacity, why is he being allowed to apply boots to cars?  If I had a guy with diminished capacity working for me, I'd let him stock shelves, mop, stuff like that, but no cash handling and definitely no detaining people (by booting their cars).


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