Cabdriver abandons dialysis patient, 81, after argument

Charles Brucks, 81, said he was abandoned by a Yellow Cab driver at this spot along State Road 50 in east Orange County after Brucks used a curse word to complain about service.

[meatwad]

Cabbie on crack.

[Island Time]

It was stated that he was a WW 2 Vet.Anyone around that age is a WW2 vet,as anyone that was alive was drafted.

[Basket]

Disabled elderly seniors are often belligerant, cranky and unreasonable. That's why so many of them end up alone or miserable. It doesn't, however, excuse the cabbie's conduct. Someday he'll be old and sick too and I hope he remembers, when he is dependent on the kindness of others, this incident. What goes around, comes around.

[Bad Service]

What do you expect from Mears, they just want to rent the car out, they don't care about the customers. This is the reason why we need to stop the taxi monopoly in this town.

[NoWay]

I hope a decent advocate sues Mears. Their attitude is worse than the driver's.

[Rush]

It was so hot and miserable out there that he couldn't wait to contact the newspaper to go back out in the sun for a photo opportunity.

[who]

what a punk of a cab driver and shame on mears. This driver should be fired regardless of what the old man said to provoke him.

[slipnot]

When old folks are in a nursing home they can cuss the staff, physically hit them and be as violent as they want to be.The staff can't do anything about it. Management will fire the staff and blame the staff for the elderly persons behavior. Then they go out into society and try it and this is what happens to them.They are like juvenile delinquents with "super rights". A lot of this is going to happen as the boomers age.

[shame shame]

shame on the driver and shame shame shame on the elderly man. You always WAIT to criticize the waitress after you get the food, the nurse after you are discharged and in the case of the taxi driver...after you arrive home!

[KUDOS TAXI DRIVER]

This is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of the irrational customer care expectation. I've worked on cust care for many years and we are TIRED of being tread upon.

[Who shot first]

Both wrong. But in the words of Rambo, "they drew first blood, not me!" The old guys drops the F Bomb. What do you think happens next? Have a nice day?

[Anne Bustin]

No one, no matter their age or health, has the right to be verbally abusive to any service provider.Or vice versa. They both obviously forgot the Golden Rule. I hope they remember it the next time they are in this situation. So stop blasting the driver, the old man was at fault too.

[PR guy]

Why didn't the old guy just call Mears to complain instead of the sentinel? Now he looks like a mean old man at best who like to cuss and a racist at worse. The cabbie who couldn't even tell his side of the story to the reporter looks insenstive and the Sentinel gets a sensational story. Losers: Cabbie and Vet. Winner: Sentinel Next time don't let the Sentinel use you b/c they want your story, take your photo, interview you in your home...but then are obligated to show balance by stating in print you used the N Word and dropped curse words. Too bad is all could have been avoided and neither the vet or cab driver would have their reputations tarnished in the Slantinel.

[Tomlando]

As someone who has driven taxis for several years and has picked up many dialysis patients, I can confirm the changes in attitude of the patients after treatment. But, come on, a little sympathy and compassion goes a long way. I don't see how Mears transportation can be blamed for the abusive actions the cab driver. He only had to take him a mile away. Maybe the driver would have acted differently if it was a longer fare and he made more money.

[maxfield]

slipnot wrote:

When old folks are in a nursing home they can cuss the staff, physically hit them and be as violent as they want to be.The staff can't do anything about it. Management will fire the staff and blame the staff for the elderly persons behavior. Then they go out into society and try it and this is what happens to them.They are like juvenile delinquents with "super rights". A lot of this is going to happen as the boomers age.

Yeah you are right. I am personally sick and tired of patients using the f bomb and other abusive language with me because they know I can't say anything back. I have been hit and scratched. They are a nasty group. Glad that the coot was able to recuperate to have his picture taken for the paper. Maybe his family can have it framed and put on his casket at the service.

[rubygoober]

maxfield wrote:

<quoted text>Yeah you are right. I am personally sick and tired of patients using the f bomb and other abusive language with me because they know I can't say anything back. I have been hit and scratched. They are a nasty group. Glad that the coot was able to recuperate to have his picture taken for the paper. Maybe his family can have it framed and put on his casket at the service.

Perhaps you should find another line of work...
Doesn't sound like you are cut out for working with the elderly.
If you can't take the heat then get out of the kitchen.

[just me]

I can't believe that there are so many ugly people out there. Nobody has stopped to think that this man was sick and just had dialysis. He probably felt terrible. I bet you mean people are just chipper and sweet when you feel that bad...right? I beleive that this was elderly abuse and it sounds like many of you are also culprits of this CRIME.

[WILSON FROM GA]

Tomlando wrote:

As someone who has driven taxis for several years and has picked up many dialysis patients, I can confirm the changes in attitude of the patients after treatment. But, come on, a little sympathy and compassion goes a long way. I don't see how Mears transportation can be blamed for the abusive actions the cab driver. He only had to take him a mile away. Maybe the driver would have acted differently if it was a longer fare and he made more money.

You are obviously a grown-up, and a humane person. I am horrified at the lack of compassion shown by some posters. If they live to 81, I expect they will be talking out of the other side of their mouths. Age can place some terrible burdens on a person - physical and psychological.
Havingto wait an hour and a half for a cab after dialysis would be very hard on an elderly man. I think his cranky spirit got him through being dumped on the roadside out of reach of his walker.
The cabbie's reaction was waaaay out of proportion to the offense.(And yes, I do know how aggravating some elderly people can be.)

[Chester DeGrasse]

Kick the hateful old coot to the curb - wrong, but oh so tempting.

[John Merritt]

You would think that a person with the maladies he has, might be a little nicer to people; especially when he is so dependent on services being provided. No one should have to take abuse of any kind. I speak from experience because I used to be like the kindly gentleman. Enough said. Be nice, if you want to be treated nicely.