Leave the Cripple in the Street, this Meeting is more important!!!!

[TalkingDog]

Or: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished


I work in one of the larger cities in NC; a very blue city. I work in a center where several businesses and organizations are housed.

I was on my way to work yesterday and as I approached the intersection near the parking area, I noticed a man in a wheelchair, sitting in the street beside a van. Since he was just sitting there in the street I assumed his caregiver was in the van getting something and the guy in the wheelchair was waiting for them.

I turned the corner, parked my car about half a block away in the lot and unloaded a butt-load of stuff from my car, arranged it in my pack and set off toward the entry of the building.

The wheelchair guy is still sitting there in the street. I realized something was amiss. I walked toward him and as I reached the corner across from him I called out: “Are you okay? Do you need help?”

He said: “Yes, my battery died on my chair and now I can’t move. Could you help me?”

Knowing I couldn’t move that chair with him in it myself, I told him I’d be right back.

I hustled up to the building and went inside. The first room in that entry way is the common conference room, which is usually empty. Now there was a big meeting of one of the other organizations in the center. I put my pack and other items down and popped my head into the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” I said, “But there’s sort of an emergency outside.” I described the situation and said I needed two guys to come and help (in case we needed to get him out of the chair)

Several men stood, including the Head Guy. His second, we’ll call him Mr. A, said, “ I can call X (the maintenance guy who was somewhere in the building). The head guy said, “No, I’ll get it.” And Head Guy and another Fellow followed me to the corner.

Well, as it turned out, the chair was very heavy, but push-able by just one man. Watching the amount of effort the Fellow was putting into it, I realized I couldn’t have pushed it by myself.

The wheelchair guy told the Fellow where he needed to go to recharge his battery (a block away) and as we were all going in the same general direction, Mr. A came up to the Head Guy and said, “You need to get back to the meeting, it’s more important than this.”

I was taken aback and spoke plainly: “No meeting is more important than a human being.” And turned off to go back inside while they did, what ever it was they did. I was just flabbergasted at the mindset of that way of thinking.

When I got back inside, I popped my head back into the meeting, apologized for the disruption and said the Head Guy, the Fellow and Mr. A would be right back.

I went to work.

About an hour later, my boss called me into her office.

She said Mr. A had come to her and complained about my disruption of the meeting and said I had been disrespectful with my comment to him. He wanted an apology. And although she agreed with me, we have to work with this other organization occasionally, so I should make nice when I saw Mr. A next.

I saw him about an hour later in the lobby. I walked up to him and said, “If I was snippy back there, I’m sorry. It was an urgent situation.”

He said, “I know you thought you were doing the right thing. But next time, let me know when there is a situation and I will call the maintenance crew and they will take care of it.”

I agreed to try.

So as they say, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.




My favorite Future Famous Dead Artist: KarenParker

[Fridays Child]

1. Has Mr. A ever been visited by the...

...Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future? What a heartless bastard.

[Crankie Avalon]

2. If Mr. A ever needs help himself, like during a heart attack or choking...

...on something, just have him call the maintenance crew; they'll take care of it.

[Sydnie]

3. Thanks for stopping and offering help

and for getting him some assistance. It seems that the "head guy" sees things more clearly than "Mr. A." does. Perhaps he will have a "talk" with Mr. A. and show him that people matter, no matter who they are.

Good for you!

[rwork]

4. You did the right thing.

Maybe your boss will have to walk in the invalid's shoes some day.

[Strawman]

5. There is something seriously amiss in our society

In too many locales, it's the Mr. A's of the world that wield authority over the rest of us. We value Mr. A's ability to make money more than we value basic human decency. Red states, blue states, it doesn't matter.

[MorningGlow]

6. Good for you, TD

You did the right thing. Mr. A did the wrong thing. And hey, karma's a bitch, Mr. A! Too bad sometimes we don't get the chance to see karma whip around and smack somebody like him in the ass--we just have to trust that it will. But oh, it is sweet when we get to witness it...so I hope you do!

In any case... :yourock:

[ninkasi]

7. You did the right thing

Thank you for proving that for some people, there are things more important than meetings and schedules. You're one of the good guys!

[spartan61]

8. Thank you for your kindness to another human being.

Your post really confirms what I have been noticing all too frequently. I have been aware even more so these past few years that people just are not courteous or kind. I know this isn't anything new, but it just seems to be more obvious now. Notice whenever you go into a grocery store and have a cart load of stuff how some people will park their cart on a diagonal so you can't get down the aisle. They see you there waiting but keep on talking to a friend or looking for that can of beans and don't bother to make room for you. Is it because we have become so narcissistic or we weren't taught manners and compassion for others? I am so sick of this. You are such a good person for doing what you did and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[MeandYou123]

9. You did the right thing

You did the right thing for sure. I would have been more angry in that situation.

[newyawker99]

12. Hi MeandYou123!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[lectrobyte]

10. Sorry to hear that about your slice of NC. I usually find folks are

more generous and helpful here, especially on a one-on-one level. Anyway, Mr. A sounds like an "A" hole, and this is my general philosophy on meetings:

[lonestarnot]

11. You may be punished here and now, but there is a reward for you kindness

at a future date, I guarantee it.

[catmandu57]

13. From a fellow cripple, thank you TalkingDog

for having the compassion and feelings for the welfare of another human being, thank you, this won't go unrewarded, trust me.

[Lisa]

14. if I were Head Guy, I'd be upset that you'd been reprimanded

It's possible that Mr. A went behind his back to talk to your boss. If you do see the actual Head Guy (who clearly overrode Mr. A's suggestion, which may have annoyed him enough to want to get back at somebody) -- is there any way you could casually mention that "Mr. A seemed a bit put out afterwards, I hope he's feeling better now".

[TalkingDog]

15. If I had more than a nod and wave relationship with Head Guy, perhaps n/t

[shance]

16. Your boss should have apologized to you. Today, you were his teacher.

I'm sure your friend in the wheelchair more than appreciated your help.

No doubt its difficult enough to be disabled in a world which tries so hard to ignore and discount those who are hindered or incapacitated in some way, like your boss does. To people like him, people with a disability are expendable inconveniences, and to you they are a person in a rough spot needing some help.

You know, we are all just one car wreck away from our friend in the wheelchair.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Bastahd!

Not you. You're an Angel. O8)