<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mal H:
I think I can speak for the GenDis mods and hope they don't mind when I say:
FUD - go for it![/quote]My last two business trips (see "Attempted Kidnapping / Child Abduction" and "Ever been mistaken for a criminal & had a LEO point a gun at you") were rather intersting to say the least. Well, this will make it three out of three.
A little bit of background first ... I never had my tonsils removed and as a result I find myself susceptible to strep throat usually a couple of times a year. If I catch it early and treat it with penicillin, there are usually no complications. Otherwise, I end up coming down with a cold, flu, tonsillitis, etc. With a baby in the house, I try to avoid this so that I don't pass any germs on to her. Once when she was less than a year old, she caught my strep throat and almost had to be hospitalized.
I had to fly out to our data centers in Arizona & California on a business trip. During my flight to Arizona, my throat starting feeling a little scratchy (I guess the germs on the plane in such an enclosed space) and the following morning it was worse and I knew that I had strep throat and I was starting to come down with a cold as well. When I arrived in California, it was mid-afternoon and after contacting my insurance provider, I found a walk-in clinic that wasn't too far away and accepted my insurance.
I went there, filled out the new patient form and waited to be seen by the doctor. I was starting to feel a little sleepy/groggy from all of the over-the-counter medicine that I bought at the airport. I really didn't need to be seen by a doctor -- I just needed a perscription for some penicillin (the sooner I started taking it, the sooner I would not be contagious when I got home thus providing a better chance that the little one wouldn't catch whatever I had) but I knew that they wouldn't give me one without first examining me.
So I sat down in the waiting room and after about half an hour I was brought into one of the examining rooms where I patiently waited to be seen. After reading all of the magazines in the room, I realized that I had been waiting for over an hour and decided to poke my head out to see what was holding things up.
When I opened the door, I noticed that everything was dark -- it wasn't actually dark because the sun was still out but all of the lights were off and the placed was CLOSED with nobody else inside except me!
A slight panic started to set in as I tried the front door and realized that it was locked. Looking at the windows, I noticed that they were wired along with the back emergency exit. I thought about going out that way but was concerned about setting off some alarms and/or being caught on film/video tape as I tried to leave.
So I decided to call the clinic on my cell phone and sure enough the phone started to ring and the answering machine went on after several rings. The message said that they were closed and that if this was a true medical emergency, to press one otherwise to stay on the line and leave a message. It really wasn't a medical emergency, so I started to leave a message but as soon as I started speaking, I heard the message being recorded there in the office and I realized that this wasn't going to be of any good so I called up again and pressed '1' for a "medical emergency".
I was then given further instructions with pager numbers, etc. I called the pager number twice. Once to leave a voice message and the second time with my cell number. A few minutes later, a woman called back and she seemed a little confused. I might not have been clear because I was clogged, groggy & had difficulty in speaking because my throat hurt so bad and in a rush to make sure that I said everything before the darn thing cut me off.
I explained to her that I was in the examining room waiting to be seen by a doctor and I told her that while I didn't mind waiting, I really had to get back and couldn't stay there all night (pun intended). Initially she thought that this was a crank call but I started walking around the office descibing everything there in great detail even talking about the personal photos that were hanging up from a company picnic/camp-out, etc.
That finally convinced her that I was actually inside the building and she said that she would be there shortly. After about 20 minutes, a police car pulls up and two LEOs walk up to the door to see if it is open. I see them and they see me. I smile and wave at them but they don't smile or wave back.
About 10 to 15 minutes later a woman with the keys shows up and opens the door. They walk in and the LEOs grab me and start searching me. I was never man-handled by LEOs before and this was a rather unpleasant feeling. They later apologize but said that it was necessary for everyone safety to ensure that I wasn't armed.
While all of this is going on, the woman (who recognized me from being there earlier) is checking some papers and realizes that I was never actually seen by the doctor -- thus confirming my story that I was locked in.
The LEOs then ask the woman if she wants to press charges and she says no and they tell me that I'm free to go. I mention to the woman that I need a perscription for penicillin and she tells me that one can not be provided until I am examined by a doctor. I reply that I've been waiting in the examining room for the past couple of hours and when is this docotor going to get here. She replies that they are closed and that I would have to come back tomorrow. I reply back that I'm flying back to the east coast tomorrow and she then says that there isn't anything she can do.
Before anyone offers any criticism on my actions, please bear in mind that I had taken some over-the-counter cold medicine and my thinking process wasn't as clear as it could/should have been.
Now, for the reason for this thread ... when the LEOs asked the woman if she wanted to press charges -- press charges for WHAT? They are the ones who unlawfully detained me against my will by accidently locking me in. Isn't that some form of kidnapping? Shouldn't the LEOs have asked ME if I wanted to press charges?
FUD
Share what you know & learn what you don't
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited September 13, 2000).]
I think I can speak for the GenDis mods and hope they don't mind when I say:
FUD - go for it![/quote]My last two business trips (see "Attempted Kidnapping / Child Abduction" and "Ever been mistaken for a criminal & had a LEO point a gun at you") were rather intersting to say the least. Well, this will make it three out of three.
A little bit of background first ... I never had my tonsils removed and as a result I find myself susceptible to strep throat usually a couple of times a year. If I catch it early and treat it with penicillin, there are usually no complications. Otherwise, I end up coming down with a cold, flu, tonsillitis, etc. With a baby in the house, I try to avoid this so that I don't pass any germs on to her. Once when she was less than a year old, she caught my strep throat and almost had to be hospitalized.
I had to fly out to our data centers in Arizona & California on a business trip. During my flight to Arizona, my throat starting feeling a little scratchy (I guess the germs on the plane in such an enclosed space) and the following morning it was worse and I knew that I had strep throat and I was starting to come down with a cold as well. When I arrived in California, it was mid-afternoon and after contacting my insurance provider, I found a walk-in clinic that wasn't too far away and accepted my insurance.
I went there, filled out the new patient form and waited to be seen by the doctor. I was starting to feel a little sleepy/groggy from all of the over-the-counter medicine that I bought at the airport. I really didn't need to be seen by a doctor -- I just needed a perscription for some penicillin (the sooner I started taking it, the sooner I would not be contagious when I got home thus providing a better chance that the little one wouldn't catch whatever I had) but I knew that they wouldn't give me one without first examining me.
So I sat down in the waiting room and after about half an hour I was brought into one of the examining rooms where I patiently waited to be seen. After reading all of the magazines in the room, I realized that I had been waiting for over an hour and decided to poke my head out to see what was holding things up.
When I opened the door, I noticed that everything was dark -- it wasn't actually dark because the sun was still out but all of the lights were off and the placed was CLOSED with nobody else inside except me!
A slight panic started to set in as I tried the front door and realized that it was locked. Looking at the windows, I noticed that they were wired along with the back emergency exit. I thought about going out that way but was concerned about setting off some alarms and/or being caught on film/video tape as I tried to leave.
So I decided to call the clinic on my cell phone and sure enough the phone started to ring and the answering machine went on after several rings. The message said that they were closed and that if this was a true medical emergency, to press one otherwise to stay on the line and leave a message. It really wasn't a medical emergency, so I started to leave a message but as soon as I started speaking, I heard the message being recorded there in the office and I realized that this wasn't going to be of any good so I called up again and pressed '1' for a "medical emergency".
I was then given further instructions with pager numbers, etc. I called the pager number twice. Once to leave a voice message and the second time with my cell number. A few minutes later, a woman called back and she seemed a little confused. I might not have been clear because I was clogged, groggy & had difficulty in speaking because my throat hurt so bad and in a rush to make sure that I said everything before the darn thing cut me off.
I explained to her that I was in the examining room waiting to be seen by a doctor and I told her that while I didn't mind waiting, I really had to get back and couldn't stay there all night (pun intended). Initially she thought that this was a crank call but I started walking around the office descibing everything there in great detail even talking about the personal photos that were hanging up from a company picnic/camp-out, etc.
That finally convinced her that I was actually inside the building and she said that she would be there shortly. After about 20 minutes, a police car pulls up and two LEOs walk up to the door to see if it is open. I see them and they see me. I smile and wave at them but they don't smile or wave back.
About 10 to 15 minutes later a woman with the keys shows up and opens the door. They walk in and the LEOs grab me and start searching me. I was never man-handled by LEOs before and this was a rather unpleasant feeling. They later apologize but said that it was necessary for everyone safety to ensure that I wasn't armed.
While all of this is going on, the woman (who recognized me from being there earlier) is checking some papers and realizes that I was never actually seen by the doctor -- thus confirming my story that I was locked in.
The LEOs then ask the woman if she wants to press charges and she says no and they tell me that I'm free to go. I mention to the woman that I need a perscription for penicillin and she tells me that one can not be provided until I am examined by a doctor. I reply that I've been waiting in the examining room for the past couple of hours and when is this docotor going to get here. She replies that they are closed and that I would have to come back tomorrow. I reply back that I'm flying back to the east coast tomorrow and she then says that there isn't anything she can do.
Before anyone offers any criticism on my actions, please bear in mind that I had taken some over-the-counter cold medicine and my thinking process wasn't as clear as it could/should have been.
Now, for the reason for this thread ... when the LEOs asked the woman if she wanted to press charges -- press charges for WHAT? They are the ones who unlawfully detained me against my will by accidently locking me in. Isn't that some form of kidnapping? Shouldn't the LEOs have asked ME if I wanted to press charges?
FUD
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited September 13, 2000).]
