Saturday, August 11, 2007

Milk of Human Kindness

Guys, don't judge the rest of my colleagues by the crazy things I do.

As a whole, most doctors are kind, sweet, innocent creatures of God who follow the vaunted code Hippocrates laid down in some sunny Greek orchard a millenia ago. Gentle peaceable folk who wouldn't dream of wielding a bloody machete to spread murder and mayhem in the general populace ( like I wish I did ), much less hurt a fly. Folks like Gungho Ginny.

Folk obviously judged to be easy prey for swindlers.

Devious hunk
Hey man I've got a get-rich-quick scheme that's abso-fucking-lutely guaranteed to work...

Seriously. Some guys take doctors for mindless dupes. Since we're all judged to be cut from the same charitable do-gooder cloth, seems like we'd all be easy targets for sly telemarketeers eager to siphon off our meagre earnings. Multi-level marketing agents. Wannabe conmen patients turn mercenaries.

And now evidently, even simple schemers by the five-foot-way.

I know we're all supposed to have the milk of human kindness ( milk of amnesia for anaesthetists :P ) running in our veins - but at the same time, we do have bits of grey matter up there, you know.

Schemer : Doc. Doc.
Paul : Yes?
Schemer : Doctor, can you spare a dime? I need money to pay for my motorcycle oil.
Paul : WTF.
Schemer : Really, doctor. My mother's sick, I can't afford money for my baby's milk and I...

Perhaps I've turned into a contemptuous misanthrope. Unfortunately this isn't the first time I've been treated to such a pitiful sob story. Wouldn't surprise me if he'd also claimed to have ten wailing malnourished kids, a handicapped missus and three choleric cats in a leaky tenement shack with zero basic amenities.

God, how did I get to be so cynical!

But to my way of thinking, a perfectly able adult male with serviceable limbs shouldn't be desperate enough that he has to accost any white coats that walk by. Get to work dammit!

...***...


Another post from work! Yeah, I'm being worked to the bone this past week. Still earning barely enough to support myself though - how to donate to charity when I'm sorely in need of some at the moment? Sounds like Charming Calvin's been getting the same dog's treatment over there ( but for infinitely more pay ) in Beijing.

11 comments:

Brian said...

wow. working to the bone in the hospital and still finding time to upload a story. gosh. you are committed.

the oldest trick in the book. i think everyone would've had at least one experience like that. i did.

nyonyapenang said...

schemers....seen one too many already. like you said, they have good limbs but then they chose the easier way out...go look for 'Milk of Human Kindness'.

Melvin Mah said...

these people just don't realize that we aren't much better than them.....

Medie007 said...

never mind, u're not the only one. if i were you, i'd be looking at the pitiful guy with sorry eyes and say i don't have money. i need a sugar daddy. ahahahahahaha

no seriously, doctors just don't get paid enough. we should protest more! hahaha

Will said...

Hmmmm, you need a little support, eh? Well, since you probably don't want to go dancing in private rooms wearing nothing but lab coat and g-string while uncles shove money into your...pocket (or who knows, maybe you do), how about if I offer to take you to dinner/lunch/breakfast (depending on your schedule) if I should make it to KL at some point?

Sue said...

He has a lot of nerve coming to you like that! Able bodied - go out and get a job like every other slob on the planet! Yet I hear that beggars make good money tax free. At least here in the US. It just burns my grits. Now there is a classic American phrase for you...

快活神仙 said...

sound so pathetic...doctor always the glamorous job in my mind!! but now seem like Glamour, as a commodity, is in short supply these days. In a financially squeezed and time-pressed world, who is able to disappear for afternoons to down martinis in a hotel bar? Or, throw your hands up and say: "To hell with all this! I'm going to Prada!"? Or write off the rest of your week by going on a coke-fuelled bender?

Maximus Leo said...

Ai yo what is this? Spare some thought lah :-) Just give him RM 2 and that will convince him not to bother you or better still - send him to the mortuary! :-)

Ryan said...

I've been asked for money a few times at train station! Sickening!

Jaded Jeremy said...

This actually reminds me of an incident many years ago. Paul, do you remember an old lady approached us outside a shopping mall and said, "Gimme money". Remember what you said?

You said, "Why don't you give me money instead?". Haha. It stunned her for a while before moving on to other people.

savante said...

Try my best, brian :)
Working now as well.

Precisely, nyonya. Go look for work dammit!

Sometimes we could be worse, m5lvin.

The situation's improving slowly tho, ah bong.

Don't mind the gstring dance if I had the body but lunch is fine by me, will :)

Burns my grits. Must remember that line, sue.

Hardly glamorous, wilson :) After being splashed with gunk and gore once or twice, it quickly loses any hint of glamour.

Seriously, max>? You would give?

I know! they are everywhere, ryan.

GASp. I was monstrous even then, jeremy.

Paul