"And frankly the biggest blame goes to the man in the first place"
Have you been around many diabetics when their sugar levels are moving to the extremes?
Just curious.
Actually, yes, once. Not an experience that I'd care to repeat frankly, as it can get rather scary.
However, in this case I was referring to the fact that if we assume that what the family was telling the truth that he was newly diagnosed with the disease, I blame him for boarding a long distance train without taking the proper steps to manage his care. He boarded that train with no medicine, no medical ID bracelet, no doctor's note, or anything else to help identify his true problem or treat it.
I don't blame him for running away in the midst of a diabetic fit, if again that is what indeed happened. And I'm not suggesting that it isn't true. I simply don't know for sure one way or the other. I've never seen anything beyond the family’s claims that he was newly diagnosed.
Alan, A close relative suffers (and it is truly something you suffer with) type 1 (the auto immune disease) and I could see him doing something like what has been reported. I would think that he (the pax)should have been treated as someone who "lacked capacity" (contractual term) to make ANY decisions. An example of someone lacking capacity would be a minor entering a contract. An insane person probably lacks capacity.
Just so readers know, some people are considered "brittle" diabetics. Things in that field are changing fast but their blood sugar can go in either direction at the drop of a hat. As my relative explained, "I felt it, walked 10 feet and dropped." He's been diagnosed for about 30 years. He does wear id.
We would also have to consider whether Amtrak was suffering any delays and whether he had access to food. If he made it known that he needed something and met up with an obstinate employee that could have contributed to the problem. You're right, we know little about the situation.
IIRC since it was a year or so ago, that train was largely on time and there were no food issues, beyond perhaps his own making.
As for what to do, Amtrak personel aren't trained to deal with medical situations in general. I believe that they may have CPR training, and perhaps some very basic first aid, but beyond that the standard is to call for help and then stop the train at the nearest point to that help. Even if the nearest point is the middle of a grade crossing on a road in the middle of no where. The crew then turns over control of the individual to the appropriate authorities.
This is what the conductor was attempting to do. He had radioed for the police to remove this person. Doesn't much matter if it's a true drunk or someone suffering from low blood sugar, which is making him appear drunk. The train stops, the conductor opens the door, and the man bolts from the train right in front of the responding officer.
Why is the conductor getting all the blame, and I'm not directing this at you specifically guest? I'm directing this at the news, the family, and anyone else. The officer was right there, he saw the man run off too and did nothing! Why is he not getting some of the blame?
It's not like the conductor has handcuffs, which in the case of a diabetic suffering from insulin shock would then been considered cruel and unusual punishment if he had handcuffs and had used them. The conductor followed procedures. He had an unruly passenger for whatever reason. He made arrangements to have the person removed from the train, he stops the train at the appointed place, and before he can officially complete the transfer of the individual, the person in question runs away from both the conductor and the officer. Why is it his fault that the man was lost in the woods for three days? And if he was suffering from low blood sugar, how did he survive for three days without any food or treatment? Most diabetics would have lapsed into a coma and died by that point in time.
