They are only expensive if you get into them. If you only receive treatment at the scene, there is no charge. So call 911, get stabilized if possible, THEN call an Uber.
I do this thing where I pass out a lot and by year 2 of college all my friends were trained to not let me be taken in an ambulance anywhere. Fond memories of a pal arguing with a paramedic who insisted I needed a head CT after passing out near (and subsequently down) stairs.
Around here they’re much more likely to call a helicopter than a ground ambulance, partly because distance/inaccessibility but largely because profit. After Jan. 1, there will be no more balance billing for helos,* though - I wonder if there will be a sudden unavailability of medical helicopters.
*But they can still balance bill for ground ambulances because why protect people from the more common problem?
Uploading: 5ED5C9A0-B272-4FBE-BA7B-7CFC389470DC.jpeg… Uploading: F32773E4-E51B-4945-B8C2-37704312C397.jpeg… Uploading: A6A329F9-F9E6-4350-9C42-FE85CCCEBE5A.jpeg…
At our dumpster fire of a staff appreciation event (deets in my journal) my boss mentioned “merit increases” (last year we got no raise at all) and I said that I thought it was insulting to give us something that was less than inflation, so NOT EVEN a cost of living adjustment, and call it a “merit increase” like we were getting something special.
That’s an incredibly accurate photo of me and Ponder in December when Duckling finishes Daycare.
The others are also excellent.
Heyyyy that’s exactly what SirB’s last job did! Called it a “merit increase” and it was like 2%. Also after stopping the 401k match for over 6 months and then bragging they’d had their most profitable quarters ever 
capitalism is dandy.
I got a 1.3% raise the year I surpassed my fundraising goals by 400%. Fuck working.
Ahhhh, academia.
Nice to see the memes becoming self referencing now.
Oh yes - fully expecting this bullshit from my work. Things going great, sailed through covid on the back of everyone cutting back all spending and travel. Expecting ‘no pay rises in these trying times’.
I have a budget of 2% to spread across the people on my team. 2 are new to company, so I can pull from that (because we generally don’t give anything to people in their first year), and 1 person is probably leaving my team, so she’s negotiating new salary with the team she’ll go to, so I have a tad more. But it still isn’t the 4.4% inflation.
I’m told we’re doing real salary adjustments in Jan. 
I got a 1.5% raise this year after getting all 5/5 exceeds expectations on my annual review. I was told this raise was a “big deal” and I should be very grateful because I was one of the few who earned such a great raise 
I’ve never gotten a cost of living increase at all. Got merit raises in the 2% range twice. And those were competitive, no more than 10% of people could get them. Only way to get a raise is to be promoted. And now I’m maxed out on promotions.
Academia gives and gives.
BJ getting it done with the memes as usual. My morning coffee and checking out of this thread was extra enjoyable, thank you.
I never want to hear Goop in the context of sex again.
