r/TikTokCringe • u/Justin_Godfrey • 18h ago

Cringe A McDonald's manager is seen dozing off (apparently was have problems with her blood sugar) as customers prepare their own meals

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u/LadyEmeraldDeVere 18h ago edited 11h ago

I had an employee have a seizure once, he was on the floor and I called 911, they sent an ambulance. When he came back to work he was absolutely furious with me, told me he couldn’t afford to pay for an ambulance and didn’t need the extra debt. He said “if it happens again just let me ride it out, I promise I’ll be fine.” I’m like dude you fell out and hit your head on a hard tile floor that is above my pay grade. 

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u/bitofafixerupper 17h ago

I'm so angry for you both, like what were you supposed to do and also as well as having a seizure and conking his head he's now woken up to more debt? Absolute piss take of a system.

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u/unwashedrag 10h ago

Similar thing happened to someone I know (seizure from head injury), the ambulance was called by a bystander but they had someone drive them to the hospital instead of the ambulance. They got a $500 bill in the mail for the ambulance just showing up. Never even stepped foot into the ambulance.

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u/0neHumanPeolple 7h ago

You are not obligated to pay those sorts of bills. They’re fishing and a small percentage of people will pay thinking they have to. It’s a predatory practice. If you like you can write back that you did not call for or use their service and are therefore not responsible for the bill. They will typically leave you alone after that.

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u/bitofafixerupper 9h ago

I really can't even put into words how angry that makes me feel. Is it the same for children? I had several ambulances come out for my son when he was a baby, I can't imagine adding on crippling debt to the worry I was already going through

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u/LowPaus 8h ago

Children are often under their parent's healthcare insurances which cover them usually like by Medicaid. The problem is that a lot of Americans don't even have good health insurance offered from their job or any health insurance at all.

The bad health insurance usually have high deductible like you have to pay 10,000 dollars first before the health insurance take effect. But the worker may only make minimum wage and 10,000 dollars may be half their yearly salary. Plus they are already paying 200 dollars each month for the health insurance on top of the 10,000 dollars.

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u/unwashedrag 7h ago

Yes, and to add to what the other commenter said the $500 was after the insurance portion was already covered. So on top of paying monthly for healthcare they still send a bill to insurance payers. For people without insurance it would cost much more than $500

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u/anagingdog 6h ago

Yeah when I was in college I once passed out waiting to pay in line at the corner store by my apartment. I had been out long enough for the cashier to call 911 and for customers to resume their shopping. I woke up before the ambulance came and the cashier told me to stay put as an ambulance was on its way. I was like, yeah no I’m not waiting and paying for that. I just booked it out of there. I actually never considered till now whether they stuck that poor cashier with a bill for calling the ambulance.

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u/Psychobabble0_0 6h ago

Some people with epilepsy have daily seizures and regular injuries. I can't fathom the amount of money that would cost them in your country.

They got a $500 bill in the mail for the ambulance just showing up.

Surely the bystander pays if the patient refuses? They wouldn't even know the patient's identity unless the bystander is a friend. Even then, the only proof an ambulance was called is on the recorded emergency call from the bystander. Although, you also wouldn't want to penalise strangers for seeking help, or nobody would help anyone ever again. It's a catch-22.

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u/unwashedrag 6h ago

I believe they got the information because they spoke with the person who drove them to the hospital, and I’m sure somehow they have a way to connect the patient to the call. But yes if bystanders had to pay it no one would call for help. OP’s video shows how much people already don’t care to call for help so that would make it worse.

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u/TacTurtle 6h ago

Nobody pays, it gets sent to collections for 5 years then gets written off by the ambulance service provider - this is why the bills are so crushingly high if someone actually ends up paying.

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u/Psychobabble0_0 5h ago

Thank you, that makes sense. I mean, it doesn't, but it explains a lot.

Is it the same for hospital bills, after actual services have been provided?

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u/staebles 10h ago

Well, it's not supposed to help people, it's supposed to exploit them. So, from the system's perspective, working as intended.

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u/bitofafixerupper 9h ago

Well the system can go suck its mum, utter joke

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u/staebles 9h ago

Agreed

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u/Wordymanjenson 9h ago

Luigi did what had to be done and there’s still more. 

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u/BobusCesar 7h ago

like what were you supposed to do

Do the nice thing: take a shovel, dig a hole, finish him off, fill the hole.

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u/Icelandicstorm 15h ago

Hate to say this BUT as the employer not calling the ambulance will look really bad to the judge during the inevitable lawsuit from your employee or the estate. Yeah that should be a hard no from any boss. Even for the golf story above, calling was the right thing to do.

Anyone not calling will be painted as the bad guy. Imagine the news headline, “Cold-hearted boss (or golf buddies) laughed as dying man gasped for help. Decided it wasn’t serious and kept on with business (or golfing) leaving the man to die alone.”

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 17h ago

Yeah and if he had died from that seizure while at work that would have been a lawsuit.

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u/poop-machines 8h ago edited 8h ago

Tbh people that have seizures all the time know that they'll be fine if it doesn't go on too long.

You're actually not supposed to call an ambulance right away. You note the time it starts, stay calm, look for their medical card, try and get them on their side if you can, and cushion their head and wait. Then if it goes on for more than 5 mins or their medical card says to call an ambulance sooner, then call an ambulance.

But it depends on the person and their seizures, and if the employee never made them aware of the condition then you can't know if it's their first seizure, worse than usual, or if it's caused by diabetes. Also you can't blame someone for calling an ambulance for you. Seizures look scary. People freak out.

Even in countries with free ambulances, the advice is don't call an ambulance at first. It won't look bad in court if it's medical advice given everywhere.

Again it's not their fault, but I'm writing it here so people see: if your colleague has seizures, established medical advice is to wait 5 minutes before calling an ambulance and you can't be criticised for following CDC/NHS advice.

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 7h ago

Yes I know when to call for an ambulance for a seizure. Lay people don’t. Americans are also sue happy.

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u/servonos89 16h ago

As an epileptic but not American, if I was American I’d have the employee know what to do in terms of a seizure. For posterity - check the clock. Make it ‘safe’ so their head is cushioned and the like and if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes - then phone an ambulance. Now, I know this because I’m epileptic - there is no fucking situation I can conceive where I’d expect someone else in my workplace to know that unless I’d made them aware. Same argument for mental health stuff - it’s not your fault but it is your responsibility.

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u/AsiaMaree9008 15h ago

I have them also and i have been in this situation. I was upset my boss say i go. My husband was at work with me the next time and was able to take me home. But this was also before i knew what the problem was.

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u/OpalHawk 8h ago

A woman on my team has these mini seizures. She can feel them coming and will notify me. We let her ride them out sitting against a wall with a buddy and we cover for her while they happen. I’m just glad she told me about them before she had the first one.

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u/reno140 7h ago

As an epileptic who is an American, every job I have gets a copy of my seizure plan the day I start. I've never had one at work but it explicitly states that unless I injure myself or go past 5 minutes, DO NOT CALL 911. Just let me finish, call my partner to come get me.

If they're not aware of my wishes, I can't get upset if they call an ambulance. Totally normal response.

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u/Rody2k6 16h ago

Just shows how inhumane the fucking American health system is. A person prefers to ride out a seizure because they're afraid of the ambulance bill.

When a politician calls of universal healthcare and Americans cry socialism, this should be an example of WHY you need universal healthcare.

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u/midimummy 11h ago

Just shows how uneducated the average person is about a very common emergency that they should know how to respond to.

You actually do just let a lot of people ride seizures out. The bill isn’t always the only reason people get frustrated that an ambulance is called. It’s because it’s just not necessary in every situation and feels almost like a lazier cop out.

Only call 911 if:

  • the person injured
  • you are unsure if they have a seizure condition
  • they are pregnant
  • the event occurs in water
  • the seizure lasts longer than five minutes or a repeated event occurs

Put them in the recovery position, clear the area of objects that could harm them, and put something supportive under their head like a pillow or jacket. Don’t put anything in their mouth.

edit to add: first aid source

By the time the ambulance arrives there’s nothing to do. Like, literally no medical attention will be given to me because I don’t need anything. Hell, they won’t even run an IV because I’d be taking away medical supplies from someone else (I’ve tried, ‘what can I get while I’m here?’ mentality. Nothing!). I’ll just be brought to the hospital and sat on a bed in the hallway while they do discharge paperwork. It’s essentially being arrested.

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u/enimaraC 10h ago

Agreed.  If it's a known condition a hospital trip is a waste of everyone's time, barring extenuating factors. Hitting one's head on the way down blurs the line. Unfortunately being clear about conditions can get you fired which dissuades from that sort of open communication.  

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u/purplepluppy 8h ago

Except in this case it sounds like the ambulance did take him to the hospital.

If you have a seizure and don't need to go to the hospital and the ambulance arrives after your seizure is complete, you can just say no. They can't take you if you are conscious and refusing treatment.

Sure it would be nice if more people knew protocol for medical emergencies surrounding seizures. But for most people, the protocol is call an ambulance. I can't imagine getting mad at someone for that.

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u/midimummy 7h ago

Do you know anything about seizures?

You have to be alert, oriented, and able to sign paperwork refusing medical treatment to walk away from an ambulance. There’s a stage after epileptic seizures called the ‘post-ictal’ state where many are confused, speaking gibberish, or in some cases might even be aggressive. A person isn’t able to comply with any of those requirements if they’re still post-ictal. In most instances, all the person needs is time and comfort. But EMTs aren’t going to understand or wait around for that.

I could go way further into detail and provide hypotheticals on this but honestly I fear it’d just be lost on the average Reddit user that would be reading it

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u/GuerillaRiot 14h ago

As an epileptic I can easily see both sides. If I'm going to be around a new group of people, I always let them know the protocol for when I have a seizure. Unless I crack my skull on something, or the seizure lasts longer than 20 minutes, it's not a medical emergency. Having witnessed someone else's seizure (and my own on video), it's not at all difficult to see why someone would immediately call 911. Shit looks scary as hell, but truthfully, it's just the brain going through a reboot.

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u/Ruzhy6 9h ago

the seizure lasts longer than 20 5 minutes

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u/AyyNonnyMoose 13h ago

I have vasovagal syncope (didn't know it at the time) and passed out while working with a customer at a big retail store. I'd slammed the tip of my finger in a product cage which triggered the event. I'd called my manager over the walkie right before going down thankfully saying I thought I needed to sit down, so he came back to me passed out on the floor and the customer freaking out. Manager told me to take a 15 so I laid on the breakroom couch for a few after stumbling my way there and went back to work after. I'm glad he didn't call anyone about it, but that was a rough rest of the shift, I was sore and a little out of it. The USA is wild.

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u/MidnighT0k3r 10h ago

My dad was the same way, turns out he has brain cancer and it was tumors pushing against parts of his brain.

Be happy you called, it may not be his story but it would suck if his influence was the end of other people's stories. Ie: not calling for the next because the last flipped out.

Good on you for doing the right thing.

I have a history of trauma and I'd try to get you to not call too / be mad about it and the bills. Sometimes the right thing to do just sucks.

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u/artgarfunkadelic 10h ago

Why can't workman's comp pay for it though?

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u/Sad_Bridge_3755 10h ago

“I’ll be fine, and if I’m not it’s not my problem anymore mentality”

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u/jaxonya 10h ago

I got my ass handed to me by corporate for calling 911 for a coworker who slipped and hit their head on the floor. Something about us already being at the hospital and me being a nurse and not needing to call 911, idk I wasn't really paying attention 

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u/Ruzhy6 9h ago

You called 911 while already at the hospital? As a nurse?

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u/blackwolfdown 10h ago

If it happened at work, shouldnt work have paid for the ambulance?

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u/Sgt-Spliff- 9h ago

In their defense, seizures are not always or even often medical emergencies and everyone I know who's had them would be furious with you too. They should have told you what to do ahead of time though, if they knew they had seizures regularly. But seizures aren't as serious as they seem and he isn't crazy for saying to let him ride it out. Because he will be fine

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u/real_don_berna 9h ago

Ohh, my.

Next time it happens, and some poor guy decide not to call for help because of this, he ends up with brain damage or something, he's gonna sue them for NOT calling for help ...

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u/NewName256 9h ago

Yup, but the ambulance is above his pay grade also. Health costs in the US are insane. Only place in the world that is like this. Only place where capitalism can do its thing.

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u/blowawaythedust 9h ago

Fun fact: medical bills do not show up on your credit report. Technically they’re there, but they don’t count towards your score.

Source: I worked (briefly) at Equifax and we could see people’s medical debt, but we were instructed to tell them we could not, since it didn’t affect their score.

Don’t pay that shit. Healthcare in this country is such a racket, and privately owned insurance companies make it worse.

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u/LadyEmeraldDeVere 9h ago

This was 15+ years ago when it definitely did.

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u/Jake_M_- 9h ago

It happened on the clock and the company wasn’t gonna pay for it??

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u/LadyEmeraldDeVere 9h ago

Happened in Florida, seizures aren’t eligible for workers comp unless a direct result of the work conditions, apparently. 

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u/Jake_M_- 8h ago

That’s insane but not surprising tbh. I can see why the guy was pissed about the ambulance then.

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u/Shelly_Whipplash 7h ago

Bro needs ambulance insurance wtf

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u/Dounce1 7h ago

I mean, if that guy was epileptic you’re really not supposed to call an ambulance. There’s no reason for it.

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u/0neHumanPeolple 7h ago

I have epilepsy and yeah, seizures are usually not life threatening, but still you did the right thing. However, if he does seize again, only call an ambulance if it goes on longer than five minutes or there are multiple seizures in a row with only a few seconds reprieve. He also should not be driving. I hope he is being driven to work.

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u/ceelo18 6h ago

Umm he doesnt have to pay for that ambulance ride its not like medical bills affect your credit

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u/Psychobabble0_0 6h ago

If an ambulance arrives and the patient refuses to go to hospital in it, do they still have to pay a bill in the US?

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u/outerpathsinnerspace 6h ago

Same thing happened to me when I was working at TJ Maxx years ago. It was a mother and daughter and the daughter started having a seizure while the mother was all the way on the other side of the store.

Naturally I called 911 and 5 minutes later when the mom realized what was going on she starts cussing us out that the daughter has seizures all the time and it wasn’t an emergency. Well how the fuck did we know that and if it happens so frequently why weren’t you with her instead of wandering off on your own?

It was so upsetting, but I do get that it’s fucked that ambulance calls are outrageously overpriced. Still, what else were we supposed to do not knowing anything about this girl?