How would you handle this? Ignorant people?

[-Midget-]

Sorry for the length of this post...I believe it to be the longest I've wrote here thus far.

You all give excelent advice, so I've come to get some. Today I went to school to get my books, and when I came out, I was walked to the bus stop to wait for the bus back to my house. While I was waiting, I saw a man fall down, and someone near him asked if he was OK, which he said he was. He, who I am going to call Man 1, then came to the bus shelter and sit down. The bus then came, and he, this other man, who I am going to call Man 2, and I got on. A few stops later, a woman in a wheel gets on. To give her room to get into the wheelchair spot, the Man 1, who appears to be prone to falling, stands up and moves back. He is now standing nex to to an elderly gentlement in the seat next to me. While he is standing, he takes another fall and lands on the old man, who gets really mad, and shoves him, very rudely.

Man 1 goes to return to return to his seat, but first decides to say something to the elderly man. He said something to the effect of him not being empathetic to people with disabilities. The old man says something, which I didn't quite hear. At this point, Man 2 pipes up, and says "I didn't know drunk was a disability." Then Man 1 explains he is not drunk, but having problems with his meidication. At this point, things get quite interesting, and Man 2 tells Man 1 we just passed the hospital, and he should get off and go there if he is having problems. On a side note, it was the hospital my stepmom works at! w00t Man 1 says he is on his way to the doctor, and Man 2 then says that he has AIDS and goes to any hospital he wants. At this point Man 1 tells Man 2 not to touch him, which I thought was an ignorant statement. Don't people know you can't get AIDS from someone touching you? I wanted to say something, but there was major tension in the air, and I wasn't quite sure even what to say. Other than you can't get AIDS from someone touching you.

Then Man 1 gets up to look for his cigrettes, and goes near Man 2. As he is looking around, he scoots over Man 2's bag, which he is rudely told not to touch, as it is not his. He apologizes and returns to his seat, next to the lady in the wheelchair. Man 1, for some reason, reaches towards this woman, and Man 1 says for him not to touch her, or he will break his arm. At this point, the bus driver tells them to chill, and the rest of the ride home is uneventful.

How would you, as nurse, future nurse, decent person, whatever, have dealt with these people? I felt like telling them all to grow up. But I was just totally stunned, and left speechless by the whole situation. I kept watching this guy who fell, wondering if he was going to fall again, or pass out.

Anyone have similiar stoies, and your response to it?

I know it's really hard for you all to make a judgement about what possible could have been wrong with this man...but what kind of medications, and what kind of problems would cause such symptoms?

Advise me, so I am better prepared for such situations in the future. If you read this all, you deserve a free coffee beverage of your choice.

[NurseCard, ADN]

My biggest concern in the whole situation probably would have been the guy who kept falling. That would have been very worrisome for me, although I don't really know what I would have done to maybe prevent him from hurting himself at that point. I guess if it were the middle of the day and I had time, I might have offered to get off the bus and accompany him to his appointment. OR, a smarter thing might have been to ask the guy who his doctor's appointment was with, and try to locate a cell phone and a number to call the doctor's office, advise them that they have a very unsteady man coming to see them on his own, and find out if perhaps someone could meet him at the bus stop with a wheelchair?

The rest of the stuff, the bickering and all of the immaturaty, would honestly have been no concern to me at that time. I mean yeah, the one guy needs education on how AIDS is spread, but a lot of people do.

As for the medicine, I suppose a lot of different meds could cause someone to be unsteady. Blood pressure meds, pain meds, antidepressants, anti anxiety meds... vast possibility.

[weetziebat]

Well, there could be numerous medications that could make someone prone to falling. And as all the guys concerned seem a bit prickly, think I would have done exactly what you did - nothing. That is the bus driver's unenviable job.

What could you have possible said that would have changed things? I feel sorry for the guy who kept falling, and the remark about him being drunk was quite uncalled for. I feel bad for the elderly gentleman who got sat on, and can kind of understand him giving the other guy a shove. It probably came as quite a surprise and one doesn't always think things through at times like that. The other guy sounds like someone I wouldn't want to mess with.

Yeah, advice from a NYC bred woman is to just sit there quietly, look at your lap, say nothing and get off at your stop. BTW, I'd like a white chocolate mocha.

[-Midget-]

I was quite concerned about the guy, so I got up and offered him my seat. When he wouldn't sit down, I stood next to him the whole time, so I'd be able to assist him to the ground if he fell again. Plus I had visions of a brawl breaking out, and I was getting antsy, so I wanted to be able to move out of the way and off the bus if anything happened. The thought of calling someone came to mind, and I pulled me phone, either inticipating a fight--which would have made me call the cops, or this man to take another fall, at which point I'd of called an ambluance. My granda is on Phenobarbital and Dilantin, and when the dose isn't quite right, he is prone to blacking out...and then coming to, disoriented. So, that was my first thought about this man, given my limited experience. Having that thought in my head, made me watch this guy very closely. But when I offered him a seat, he said he was OK, and got off shortly after.