This is a typical house on my street. Small, a bit rundown but still well able for it, hey it looks like this is a nice quiet neighbourhood doesn’t it? No, no, no. A few weeks ago a group of us were sitting on the veranda of an evening drinking, smoking and chatting. My good friend and neighbour Bazza decided, just before midnight, to walk downtown, yes I live on this charming, quiet street but still close enough to downtown to walk if one were so inclined. I know you’re all thinking, dude, it just couldn’t get any better than a cool neighbourhood, close to downtown, and a veranda to share with excellent people. Yes well…
About fifteen minutes after Bazza left we saw him come back round the building with his head down and his hand to his face. What the …..? As he neared he took his hand away and we saw the blood pouring out of his mouth as he told us I’ve been shot, call the police. Turns out he was walking down our street and had got a few blocks down when a car drove by and he was shot in the face and the side. The shot in the face shattered his tooth and the bullet lodged in his lip. Fortunately the shot to his side apparently hadn’t penetrated the skin.
The police arrived and told us that this is a regular occurrence in Austin, drive by shootings with high velocity BB guns. Before I go further I’ll tell y’all that Bazza is okay, except needing his tooth repaired, and the fool is still out walking late at night.
Here’s the real massacre. If we had called an ambulance, he definitely needed to get to a hospital; it would have cost him $500 to $600 for the trip. He went to the emergency room the next day and had the bullet removed from his lip, a stitch or two to close the wound, and an x-ray to ensure the bullet in his side had not penetrated the skin and was not traveling to his lungs on its way to kill him. That came in at about $600. A few days later he went to the dentist and after x-rays and a consultation totaling a little over $100, was told that to get his tooth fixed properly, i.e. pulled and replaced, it would cost $4,000. Total massacre damage control, approx $5,300.
Bazza, like so many of us does not have medical or dental insurance, even though he works two jobs. When the police came that night we were asking them about the nearest medical facility that was open and discussing the probable cost. They were a bit helpful as to hospital location but that was pretty much it, until I said I can’t believe that Bazza as a victim of a crime has to pay for his medical costs himself. Then and only then did they mention that there was a Victim’s Assistance fund, with no guarantee of help, and give Bazza the proper application forms.
The moral of this vignette? Don’t get shot unless you’re either rich or have full medical coverage, you’ll probably be fucked (without a kiss) as well as being shot.
P.S. Actually my neighbourhood, all things considered, is very safe.
About fifteen minutes after Bazza left we saw him come back round the building with his head down and his hand to his face. What the …..? As he neared he took his hand away and we saw the blood pouring out of his mouth as he told us I’ve been shot, call the police. Turns out he was walking down our street and had got a few blocks down when a car drove by and he was shot in the face and the side. The shot in the face shattered his tooth and the bullet lodged in his lip. Fortunately the shot to his side apparently hadn’t penetrated the skin.
The police arrived and told us that this is a regular occurrence in Austin, drive by shootings with high velocity BB guns. Before I go further I’ll tell y’all that Bazza is okay, except needing his tooth repaired, and the fool is still out walking late at night.
Here’s the real massacre. If we had called an ambulance, he definitely needed to get to a hospital; it would have cost him $500 to $600 for the trip. He went to the emergency room the next day and had the bullet removed from his lip, a stitch or two to close the wound, and an x-ray to ensure the bullet in his side had not penetrated the skin and was not traveling to his lungs on its way to kill him. That came in at about $600. A few days later he went to the dentist and after x-rays and a consultation totaling a little over $100, was told that to get his tooth fixed properly, i.e. pulled and replaced, it would cost $4,000. Total massacre damage control, approx $5,300.
Bazza, like so many of us does not have medical or dental insurance, even though he works two jobs. When the police came that night we were asking them about the nearest medical facility that was open and discussing the probable cost. They were a bit helpful as to hospital location but that was pretty much it, until I said I can’t believe that Bazza as a victim of a crime has to pay for his medical costs himself. Then and only then did they mention that there was a Victim’s Assistance fund, with no guarantee of help, and give Bazza the proper application forms.
The moral of this vignette? Don’t get shot unless you’re either rich or have full medical coverage, you’ll probably be fucked (without a kiss) as well as being shot.
P.S. Actually my neighbourhood, all things considered, is very safe.
