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Comment by noncoml | Hacker News Reader

Xenophobia is a bitch. A few years ago I experienced an atrial fibrillation while exercising, so I called an ambulance, as I didn't know what was happening to me and thought that that was the end.

Once in the ambulance the paramedic started asking me where I am from and if I came in on one of "those visas".

I was afraid I was about to die, and this fucker was being xenophobic.

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Hey that’s awful, I’m sorry you experienced that.

Thank you. Not everyone is like this however. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing, friendly and compassionate were the staff at the hospital(Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara). They definitely made up for the awful ride there.

I wasn't there, but this sounds more like cluelessness than anything else. I could imagine making small talk like this to keep someone's mind off of their pain or anxieties. Did it really seem like the gal or guy was hating on you?

I get asked where I am from all the time, because of my strange accent. However I've never before been asked about what visa I came in on.

The way he talked about the Visas, gave me the impression of someone who has been conditioned to believe that "those Visas" are evil.

Or maybe I completely misread it, and he was just trying to make conversation as you said, to calm me down. But choosing the Visa subject seemed quite odd. Usually when I mention my home country people chose a subject like history, mythology, holidays or current affairs.

So again, I wasn't there. I will say, having grown up in the sticks, I love hearing the accents of foreign people and sometimes ask them about theirs. I know they might take it wrong, but it's hard to resist doing so.

And indeed, when I see someone in pain or anxiety, I'm often tempted to just make small talk on any subject I can think of, to distract them. I usually don't, to avoid offense. But I think they'd suffer less if I did, no matter how stupid my words.

I never get offended when I am asked. Why would I? It’s natural curiosity IMHO. And actually makes small talk easier as it’s a subject I know and can chat about :)

But I don’t know, if I told you I was from Greece, would my visa be the first think that would pop into your mind for small talk?

Speaking just for myself, I often end up saying rather stupid things when thinking on my feet.

On the other hand, yeah, the could simply have been a jackass. Greeks, though? Who doesn't love the Greeks? The Turks, I guess, but in America, I think they are well-regarded.

:) thank you

this is a textbook example of when someone should lose their job on the spot

Because somebody's feelings were hurt? That's a useless argument to make against a professional who's basically effective at his job and very useful to society. The US is useless at civil rights these days precisely because it's all between "my feels" and straight out looting. Conditioned knee jerking all over the place.

I agree with you. Unless it can be proven that he provided sub-par care because I was a foreigner, which I am pretty sure that he didn't, then there is absolutely no case for losing his job, or even be warned.

It's good to talk about our feelings and try to be considered to each other, but we should put facts and reason above feelings, which are not objective, otherwise we are doomed as society.

Having said that, if I would see my employee talk to a customer like this, I would definitely ask them to be more professional and discreet. Either here, in US, or back in my home country, where I think xenophobia is worse.

Companies only care about feelings because of profit, not because they actually care about the social issues. Hurting customer feelings = potential loss of customer = loss of profit.

> Unless it can be proven that he provided sub-par care because I was a foreigner,

If the patient has an adverse outcome and it comes out that a question like this was asked, you can bet someone will try to convince a jury that that was the case. You think the ambulance company wants to waste months or years in litigation?

At best, the paramedic was a moron asking a pointless question in an emergency situation. And alienating the patient, potentially worsening their condition. As an employer, I'd put them on a PIP immediately.

At worst they've opened up the company to a multi-million dollar suit.

It seems in this story the only person who had their feelings potentially get in the way of the job is the paramedic, no? There's no reason for them to be asking such questions while doing their job.

no. because the paramedics were asking stupid questions not related to their job that had the potential to aggravate the patient’s condition.

So when you're in an ambulance having a medical emergency, you'd be OK with being asked a question like that? And having to worry about whether the answer might affect the quality of care you receive?

Not everything about "my feels" is without consequence. Try and be a human being. Have some empathy.

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