And enjoy a super hot, but breezy and gorgeous day.
The way there:
--Parked my car at a station with free parking. Yes! So convenient.
--Pay stations were down. Ok, free ride! Thank you!
--Get off at Five Points to catch a bus to Turner Field. Men are prophesying on the street corner in protest of what happened in Charleston. People start arguing. I decide to take the train a few more stops and hop on the shuttle to go directly to Turner Field. Um. Ok. Adventures!
The way back:
--Get back on the shuttle. The driver did not know how to get to MARTA, so after about 20-minutes of driving in circles, another passenger hopped up front and directed the driver to the station.
--Get on the train. There are a million bikes on the train because tonight was Atlanta's 3rd Annual Moon Ride! Yes, it's already on the calendar for next year.
Pay Attention Here:
There's a man standing in the doorway that leads to the connection between the trains. He falls. A lady asks him if he's ok. He nods and mumbles. We leave the station. The man crashes to the ground, and the lady asks him again, louder now, if he's ok. She can't get a response, so they call on the emergency phone for help. Everyone is worried that the man might be diabetic or could have had some kind of seizure. The train stops at the next station. It was probably 35-minutes from the time of the call to the time the police and paramedics showed up.
EXCuse ME? MARTA, is this acceptable to you? *I'm forwarding them a link to this post.* There are no instructions about medical emergencies on the train, I did not see a first aid kit, and I have no idea about the possibility of an AED. If that man had been having a heart attack, he would have died. Is there a reason why the captain cannot do an "all call" and ask if there's a doctor aboard?
We disboarded after the paramedics rolled their gurney toward the man, who was now propped against a concrete pillar outside the train. Just drunk? Homeless?
I got on another train, got propositioned, missed my stop, backtracked, and ended up at my car about 2-hours after I boarded the shuttle from Turner Field. Forget the time issue, what about the health responsibility issue? Do you know that airplanes over a certain size are required to have one defibrilator and one enhanced medical kit? The AsMA suggests a more elaborate kit, but its not required.
Stories of medical emergencies on Amtrak
The Virginia Railway Express's Explanation (including mention of a defib on each train)
I can't find info about MARTA's emergency plan anywhere, and apparently, these medical emergencies aren't that uncommon.
Looks like I'll be driving next time.
shhhhMARTA, I tried. Atlanta really needs you, but you need a reputation overhaul.
Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
SOURCE:
http://www.acep.org/Clinical---Practice-Management/Be-Prepared-for-In-Flight-Medical-Emergencies/
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