Q

Transient rider of the rails fell off the train, and the wheels rolled over him. First-arriving BLS engine company LT got a little flustered, thus the update: "Double decapitation below the knees" The guy's been retired about 10 years now, but the story lives on...

Greetings from the continuum.... That happened to a friend of mine here as well, and he was a bit stressed about it too. Turns out (as he only found out AFTER!) once you've answered sufficient questions correctly to be assured of passing all 5 sections, the system stops the test. So, it would seem, the further along the computer lets you go, the fewer questions you've gotten correct so far. Eliminates 'test score envy', because after all, 75 or 95 on a test, you still pass, you still get to call yourself 'paramedic', and I'm not at all sure test-taking skills correlate to paramedic skills on the street. Never taken the NR test. Not sure it even existed when I certified.

A bloke's wife goes missing while diving off the West Australian coast. He reports the event, searches fruitlessly, and spends a terrible night wondering what could have happened to her. Next morning there's a knock at the door and he is confronted by a couple of policemen, the old Sarge and a younger Constable. The Sarge says, "Mate, we have some news for you, unfortunately some really bad news, but, some good news, and maybe some more good news". "Well," says the bloke, "I guess I'd better have the bad news first?" The Sarge says, "I'm really sorry mate, but your wife is dead. Young Bill here found her lying at about five fathoms in a little cleft in the reef. He got a line around her and we pulled her up, but she was dead." The bloke is naturally pretty distressed to hear of this and has a bit of a turn. But after a few minutes he pulls himself together and asks what the good news is. The Sarge says, "Well when we got your wife up there were quite a few really good sized crays (lobster) and a swag of nice crabs attached to her, so we've brought you your share." He hands the bloke a sugar bag with a couple of nice crays and four or five crabs in it. "Geez thanks. They're bloody beauties. I guess it's an ill wind and all that... So what's the other possible good news?" "Well," the Sarge says, "if you fancy a quick trip, me and young Bill here get off duty at around 11 o'clock and we're gonna shoot over there and pull her up again."

Cheap insurance. Slight discomfort. Negligible inconvenience. I've seen too many otherwise survivable incidents where the lack of a helmet killed 'em. Long-term head injury care? Millions, perhaps. Concussion care? Thousands. Helmet? Priceless.