"Tricks" of the trade

[HERBIE1]

Ruff alluded to this in another string, so I thought I would continue on that theme. What dirty tricks have you played on coworkers? The K-Y on the door handles is a good one, turning on all the lights and siren- especially in an enclosed garage or ER bay, baby powder on the visor, so when they pull it down they end up looking like a ghost, pour some baby powder in the vents outside so when they start the apparatus, they get a talc shower.

One partner loved his remote fart machine. He'd set it up under his female partner's seat and control it from the back. It was especially embarassing on nonemergency transports when a family member thought the driver had some serious GI issues, and the driver thought the family member had chili with extra beans for lunch.

One day he set up his machine at a favorite ER we frequented in an area where nurses and docs do their charting- away from patients. We watched from a safe distance and I honestly cannot recall ever laughing so hard in all my life. Docs looking at nurses, nurses looking at docs, residents and students pretending they didn't hear anything, unit clerks blaming everyone else...We finally busted ourselves when we were caught literally doubled over guffawing, with tears running down our faces.

One of my favorite pranks- Years ago we had a department inspector who's sole job seemed to be checking door handles to ensure your apparatus was locked. Obviously a good policy, but when someone got in trouble because after delivery of a cardiac arrest(a save, no less), they forgot to lock one of the ambulance doors. It was an enclosed ER bay, fairly secure, but yes, technically still wrong. Well, as the inspector was gleefully checking the doors of the apparatus, someone noticed the doors of the inspector's car were open, key in the ignition, and the engine running. One guy- who became one of my personal heroes thanks to this- jumped in the inspector's car and drove it 3 blocks away. He turned it off, locked it up, and returned to the ER bay with the keys. The inspector was FRANTIC and they let him sweat for about a half hour until someone "found" the car for him. That was the last time the door checker bothered anyone.

Childish? Sure.

Unprofessional? Maybe.

Hysterical? You bet, and great for morale.

\\So-is anyone else a kid at heart?

Just thought of another favorite. In the busy summer months, we used to carry those large 100CC Toomey irrigation syringes like guns. We'd fill them with water and when we pulled up on a crew and they opened their windows, they'd get a bath. Harmless, but also hysterical.

Sadly, those pranks were old school and I have not engaged in them for years but they sure bring back fond memories.

[tskstorm]

Ruff alluded to this in another string, so I thought I would continue on that theme. What dirty tricks have you played on coworkers? The K-Y on the door handles is a good one, turning on all the lights and siren- especially in an enclosed garage or ER bay, baby powder on the visor, so when they pull it down they end up looking like a ghost, pour some baby powder in the vents outside so when they start the apparatus, they get a talc shower.

One partner loved his remote fart machine. He'd set it up under his female partner's seat and control it from the back. It was especially embarassing on nonemergency transports when a family member thought the driver had some serious GI issues, and the driver thought the family member had chili with extra beans for lunch.

One day he set up his machine at a favorite ER we frequented in an area where nurses and docs do their charting- away from patients. We watched from a safe distance and I honestly cannot recall ever laughing so hard in all my life. Docs looking at nurses, nurses looking at docs, residents and students pretending they didn't hear anything, unit clerks blaming everyone else...We finally busted ourselves when we were caught literally doubled over guffawing, with tears running down our faces.

One of my favorite pranks- Years ago we had a department inspector who's sole job seemed to be checking door handles to ensure your apparatus was locked. Obviously a good policy, but when someone got in trouble because after delivery of a cardiac arrest(a save, no less), they forgot to lock one of the ambulance doors. It was an enclosed ER bay, fairly secure, but yes, technically still wrong. Well, as the inspector was gleefully checking the doors of the apparatus, someone noticed the doors of the inspector's car were open, key in the ignition, and the engine running. One guy- who became one of my personal heroes thanks to this- jumped in the inspector's car and drove it 3 blocks away. He turned it off, locked it up, and returned to the ER bay with the keys. The inspector was FRANTIC and they let him sweat for about a half hour until someone "found" the car for him. That was the last time the door checker bothered anyone.

Childish? Sure.

Unprofessional? Maybe.

Hysterical? You bet, and great for morale.

\\So-is anyone else a kid at heart?

Just thought of another favorite. In the busy summer months, we used to carry those large 100CC Toomey irrigation syringes like guns. We'd fill them with water and when we pulled up on a crew and they opened their windows, they'd get a bath. Harmless, but also hysterical.

Sadly, those pranks were old school and I have not engaged in them for years but they sure bring back fond memories.

All I will admit is I have partaken in many, but will admit no more too many coworkers on here

Things like this happen all too often haha

[P_Instructor]

Harmless, but also hysterical........fond memories.

Don't do it in/on the streets....do it in the station. Fondly remember the time my partner and I strung about 30 feet of IV tubing through the rafters into the other crews sleeping quarters. This of course was connected in one of our rooms with self (by us) pressurized saline in 150cc syringe. We did 'Y' the connection so both of the others would benefit from a shower. But......prior to the dousing, we had to remove some of the slats from their beds, so when they came in and crawed into their respective beds, COLLAPSE, and the cursing began. Hilarious. We waited until they settled down (after fixing their beds), started the Z's, and then started the shower (of course we strategically placed the tips of the tubing just through the ceiling so they could not see it, and it was positioned right over the beds). Oh yeah.....a whole lot more verbage.......

[JTpaintball70]

If you can find some old surgical tubing, stretching it out between the two front doors to the unit. And not just KY but I saw a medic do the door handles bit with Lido Jelly

[HERBIE1]

All I will admit is I have partaken in many, but will admit no more too many coworkers on here

Things like this happen all too often haha

Good one- I like that!

[tskstorm]

Good one- I like that!

Thanks

[Chief1C]

Gives a new meaning to "hanging stretcher".

[Dragoon]

All I will admit is I have partaken in many, but will admit no more too many coworkers on here

Things like this happen all too often haha

Before I saw who posted this, I had only seen some of the top of the picture and I thought the inside of that bus looked familiar. You would have gotten extra points for inverting the stretcher with the equipment strapped to it. Though that is right up there with silly stringing the cab of certain crew in the "Boogie Down" some time ago.

[Lone Star]

baby powder on the visor, so when they pull it down they end up looking like a ghost, pour some baby powder in the vents outside so when they start the apparatus, they get a talc shower.

The biggest 'problem' with the baby powder in the vents is that you may not 'get' only the crew.

I got 'pranked' by another crew with that very same trick.....except we were taking a respiratory distress patient to the ER. Needless to say, while we were both impersonating "Casper the friendly ghost", our patient didn't find the joke funny at all...

[HERBIE1]

The biggest 'problem' with the baby powder in the vents is that you may not 'get' only the crew.

I got 'pranked' by another crew with that very same trick.....except we were taking a respiratory distress patient to the ER. Needless to say, while we were both impersonating "Casper the friendly ghost", our patient didn't find the joke funny at all...

Agreed.

Always did it while the rigs were at hospitals, after they delivered their patients. Never interfered with patients or family members who may be riding with. I may be a smart ass, but I'm not ignorant.