Doing Something for Someone's Own Good

[TheStatutoryApe]

Have you ever done something to/for a person for their own good? Something that you may have preferred not to have done?

For those of you, such as parents, who have likely done so many times is there any instance that stands out more than others?

The instance that brings the question to mind: Tonight at work I found a young guy drunk and puking his brains out in the parking lot. After several contradictory answers I finally decided he does not live here. I asked if he could call someone to get him and he said he'd try to call someone on his watch but wasn't sure if that would work. He got up and wandered through the place. Tried to take a nap on someones patio. He eventually went across the street and laid down in some bushes.

I thought maybe he could just sleep it off there but decided it would be better for his own safety if I called the police to come get him. It probably sucks to wake up in the drunk tank but I'm assuming it would suck more to choke to death on your own vomit under some bushes.

 

[DanP]

Have you ever done something to/for a person for their own good? Something that you may have preferred not to have done?

For those of you, such as parents, who have likely done so many times is there any instance that stands out more than others?

The instance that brings the question to mind: Tonight at work I found a young guy drunk and puking his brains out in the parking lot. After several contradictory answers I finally decided he does not live here. I asked if he could call someone to get him and he said he'd try to call someone on his watch but wasn't sure if that would work. He got up and wandered through the place. Tried to take a nap on someones patio. He eventually went across the street and laid down in some bushes.

I thought maybe he could just sleep it off there but decided it would be better for his own safety if I called the police to come get him. It probably sucks to wake up in the drunk tank but I'm assuming it would suck more to choke to death on your own vomit under some bushes.

Yes, but I would never ever get involved the law enforcement authorities. Medical services if required.

 

[lisab]

Yes, but I would never ever get involved the law enforcement authorities. Medical services if required.

Call an ambulance for a drunk? They'd likely tell you to call the proper authorities (police); medical facilities aren't drunk tanks.

Yes you definitely did the right thing, Ape. Being that drunk presents a number of issues, not only choking on his vomit but getting robbed and/or assaulted.

 

[DanP]

Call an ambulance for a drunk? They'd likely tell you to call the proper authorities (police); medical facilities aren't drunk tanks.

You seem to have missed the conditional "if required". Anyway, I don't give a damn if who I call will call the police. Its their business what they do . Suffice to say I won't care to involve law enforcement.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Yes, but I would never ever get involved the law enforcement authorities. Medical services if required.

Here calling an ambulance would mean calling "911" which necessarily means calling the police. I could also, theoretically, be held liable for not calling the police if anything were to happen. All he would have to do is say that he was at the property I work and I ran him off and left him passed out in some bushes.

I actually have a friend who is an alcoholic and who has done this sort of thing himself. I'm glad that he has never wound up arrested (to my knowledge) but I also worry about what could happen to him when he blacks out and wakes up at a bus stop somewhere.

 

[SonyAD]

I've interned someone in the mental ward years ago. All options were exhausted so this became an option.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I've interned someone in the mental ward years ago. All options were exhausted so this became an option.

I was actually looking into the possibility of having my above mention friend hospitalized. Hearing stories about him being an idiot were one thing but when I watched him going through these things with my own eyes I could hardly stand it. He is only 31 and may well die from this soon if he does not change his habits. I e-mailed the head of the Student Health center at his uni and he told me that there was not really anything we could do.

 

[ibnsos]

I've called 911 for the same sort of circumstances a couple times before. If they are that drunk I feel obligated to get the police/medics involved. If I were to not call it in and they died from alcohol poisoning I'd feel horrible. So actually, I did it as much for myself as them.