Easy mistake

By helper - 01/12/2009 06:15 - Costa Rica

Today, while dining at a restaurant I heard a women choking. I immediately ran to her, wrapped my arms around her and started giving her abdominal thrusts. She freed herself and slapped me. Turns out she wasn't choking, she was just laughing. FML
I agree, your life sucks 16 668
You deserved it 34 821
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Top comments

artsavage13 0

Former lifeguard here: When you suspect someone is choking, you always identify yourself and ask if they need help first. If they need help, they will point at their throat and nod 'yes'. Grabbing someone from behind without warning may actually cause them to choke. YDI.

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brfan1337 22

If she was really choking, you wouldn't hear anything.

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Comments

jonny2x4 0

No good deed goes unpunished. TWO Costa Rica FML's? WTF???

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MoobyTheCow 2

You're lucky you didn't get sued. Don't try to do first aid if you have no clue what you're doing.

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Anteezy 7

I call fake 2 FMLs in a row from the same place in Costa Rica and one is coincidentally a man and the other a woman. People like you ruin fml ***** bag.

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B_218 0

Wow.. imo its people like you who ruin fml. im sick of reading comments "ZOMG same place FAKEE" or "somthing like that is close to anouther fml... must be fake!" ever thought that maybe two people in Costa Ricka had a bad day and put it on fml?

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ScaryyMary 14

How is one being a man and the other a woman coincidental???

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originalusername_fml 0

and that, my friend, is why the first step to the Heimlich maneuver is to ASK THEM IF THEY NEED HELP :l

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Emperor_Jim 0

Let that be a lesson to you: never help anyone. EVER.

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lives_ppl 0

If you've ever learned about emergency response, you should know that the rule is to, first and foremost, identify yourself and ask if the person is choking or requires assistance. If you haven't learned about emergency response, you should not even be attempting something like that maneuver. It could be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

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onyxindigo 0

I don't understand why everyone is assuming that everyone knows and easily remembers CPR.. Is it like compulsory in America ? In Australia basically no one knows First Aid unless they do a specific course that is pretty expensive, and I definitely don't remember what I learnt at school. I think this dude was just trying to help, he didn't know any better.

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NoteMyGrin 0

From what I can tell, every American student learns basic emergency health procedures in middle school and CPR and the Heimlich in high school. My clearest memory of 9th grade health was having to ask the mannequin, "Are you choking?! Do you need help?!" which is the first thing you do before attempting the Heimlich. I can understand the OP was trying to help, but omigoodness he was wrong.

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letitbe56 0

What NoteMyGrin said. Moreover, if he's never been trained, he shouldn't be doing the Heimlich anyway. There are some vital organs around there you could damage by doing it wrong.

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pieisyourdrug 0

"A woman", not "A women". Women is plural. Seriously, is it so hard?

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expen_dable 0

...it's the Badass High School Grammar Queen of the Day! Correcting grammar in unnecessary situations (like on Fmylife.com) in between Homeroom and Precalc! Staying inside all day looking for insignificant grammar mistakes while other kids his age have healthy and fulfilling lives!

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T1MBO 0

If the victim is concious and choking, most likely they will be coughing trying to dislodge the object. If the event that the object blocks the airway, many victims grab at their own neck. If you identify yourself and the victim is unable to respond, you have implied consent. Under Good Samaritan laws you cannot have charges pressed against you. If you are the only trained person availible, you have a duty to respond. In this circumstance the woman was problably luaghing to hard to reply, and her hand was placed over her chest due to the heavy exhaling. She CANNOT press charges, and you did nothing wrong. Next time you see a person choking, walk past the and say: "My bad, I thought you were luaghing."

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divingdiva820 0

Yes she can press charges, it's assault unless you have PERMISSION if they're conscious... and under the Good Samaritan law you can still get sued, but as long as you acted under the law and your personal standard of care, you will most likely be cleared of the charges. You can only act to the standard of your certification, for example, I'm an EMT-B, under the law i'm allowed to do certain things for patients, however I'm not allowed to do things a paramedic could do and a person who's only CPR certified can't do things that I can.

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