More on Public Intoxication
On Saturday, groups of men were once again drinking in Municipal Lot 7. We did not want to call the police, in part because of the Muhlenberg situation. By day's end, one person had passed out on the curb that is the favorite gathering spot. Another man could be seen staggering down the driveway toward Park Avenue.
When that person passed out right in the driveway, we had to call the police. A car started to pull in, then backed out when the driver saw the body blocking the road.
Soon the police and the Rescue Squad arrived to deal with the situation. Both men were placed in the ambulance. Most likely neither the Rescue Squad nor the hospital will receive any compensation for their services. Just as we all are becoming acutely aware of increases in fuel and food costs, we also know there is not enough health care to go around. Might there be some way to reduce this particular public health issue?
A woman who worked at Muhlenberg was observing the incident and recalled the numerous, almost daily calls to pick up one person who habitually drank himself into a stupor in the Park & Seventh neighborhood. He eventually died in a hit-and-run accident at Park & Seventh. The guy in the driveway is well-known to residents of Block 832 as having a similar problem and may also come to a bad end, but not before running up a large tab for emergency health care. There must be a better way to help both the individuals and the services burdened by their behavior.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 6:43 AM
5 Comments:
I had spoken to one of the men who frequent that area last fall. He said he had been in and of out reach programs,church sponsored programs and the like, but he said until he was "willing to give up the booze" no one could help him. After a long while of talking, he was very polite, well spoken and rational for his state of being, he continued to walk on down the street assuring ME not to worry. I often see him in the 7th St. area, wondering what can be done and yet somehow agreeing with him, that it's almost impossible and how very sad for all of us. Jo-Ann
The Plainfield Rescue Squad (PRS) rarely if ever receives any payment for transporting these Public Intoxications or PIs. The billing part of the care report for a PI isn't even filled out any more. It is a shame, for the same persons are being found intoxicated almost weekly and being transported by PRS time after time after time. PRS has better things to do than constantly be transporting these PIs
Maybe Carry Nation had a point after all.
What is done in Westfield and Cranford? Get them out of here and let's get them help. I guess that this will be Edison's problem now that Muhlenberg will not be able to take them in.
This was one of the highlights of each day when I worked for the Rescue Squad. It got so bad that before work I would drive by the liquor store in the morning on Front St and yell at these guys. Some of these drunks would call 911 just for a free meal at the hospital, true story. One big problem are the liquor stores opening up so early in the morning. The cost is cheaper to put these guys in a program than it is to transport these guys on a regular basis. It must suck now that there is no Muhlenberg. Solaris Health Care, You suck!!!!
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