I prefer not to rant or rave but this needs our immediate attention. My wife was recently invovled in a accident. I took her to a neighborhood hospital that takes quite a few traumas and is great with repairing people that has had their flesh tourn by all types of weapons and accidents. I can grade them by giving them a B for what they have done for the people of my community. The only thing is, if you're not brought in by ambulance, kiss that rating good-bye!

My wife was nearly dragged by a #52 bus on her way home from work one day, so I escorted her to the hospital. I helped her get registered and the wait ensued. I arrived there at 5:15 pm then came 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,1,2 then 3 am came. The seats were filled and the people were standing around waiting to be called. I should have known by another patients complaint that she has been there for 5 hours. It should have been a precursor of things to come. As I sat I thought "maybe I should go home and get her a pillow to make her more comfortable". When I got back of course, no one was called. I then noticed the seats were filled with some that were practically homeless and the seats covered with trash, bodily fluids etc. I then grabbed my wifes wheel chair as she squirmed and whinced with tears at her throbing swollen ankle and wrist with her skinned up knees and move her closer to the door that the nurse comes to call the next patient into. The tv was blaring the history channel, but you could barely make clarity of the images due to the connection and it was very loud. I thought I could get some shut eye. Well, my lower extremities were going numb, people were starting to curse the hospital, the sounds of the metal detectors rang on and on and the stinch of the sickness drove me to near dizziness. I still waited. I needed a better chair so I noticed 5 empty chairs in front of registration. I asked the receptionist if I could use one for a little while because I am sure that they will be calling her to the back soon. He said "no, there are chairs still available so stay where you are". I then said, "sir, I am hurting, I've been up nearly 24 hours and waiting in this emergeny room for 11 hours". He said "you better not touch that chair"! I sat in it anyway. He jumps up and says " watch what I do if you don't get up". I sat. He then came around the window and stated that he will move me himself and "check" me. I in disbelief said "Check me"? He balled up his fist and I stood up and moved my wife away and I said "are you going to check me"? Not like I wasn't checked at the metal detector, I am assuming he meant yank me, pull me up from the chair or possibly hit me. He then saw that I wasn't affraid and called security over. I requested a supervisor of security and explained my delima but to no avail, they made me get up. Guess what? Everywhere I went I was told I couldn't be. I was then threatened to be ARRESTED for "requesting a comfortable chair"! In disbelief my wife said " there were people sitting in them before you came on the shift", and the security officer said " I'm not talking to you". Now my buttons were being pushed at a very bad time, yet I maintained my decorum and kept moving till they didn't say where I couldn't be, but I wasn't going to be told I couldn't stand. While they chuckled and smirked, I thought about how easy it is to disarm a citizen, make them wait a very long time for treatment then threaten you with jail time if you don't stay in place, don't move and shut up. Is this HOSPITABLE? Is this HOSPITALITY? I think not. Maybe had I not been in such control and had nothing else to care about, if it had been my mother waiting to be seen, and that person had been exhibiting such bravado, I would be on the news for punching through two people as I was trained to do. Some people surely should maintain a professional demeanor at all times and have compassion because you never know whom you may be telling you're going to "check". My wife was then called into the back, she then had to wait another couple of hours before being discharged as I went to my car to get some shut eye, also where I felt my car offered more HOSPITALITY! This to can happen to you at the University of you know who!