Chicago South and West Side Residents Call Rideshare, not Ambulances
South and West side residents take matters into their own hands. Some calling ride-shares or driving themselves to the hospital in life or death circumstances.
North Lawndale resident Marzette McGruder, 21, experienced a head injury in 2016 while playing basketball. McGruder explained, “I tried to dunk, but came down and bust my head on the concrete.” The injury exposed the “white meat.” After calling the ambulance, McGruder waited “about 10 minutes,” as blood continued to spill onto the concrete. “I was losing too much blood, so I decided to drive myself to the hospital,” said McGruder. “Waiting on them, I probably been dead,” McGruder concluded.
In 2019, McGruder got into a car crash. Instead of calling an ambulance, McGruder called a friend to drive him to the hospital because of his past experience with ambulance response time. "They [ambulance] take too long," McGruder said.
Today, McGruder is a safe passage worker in North Lawndale, helping residents commute safely, responding first to emergency situations, and a modeling community-based safety.
Marzette McGruder, 21, North Lawndale. Photo by Aja Beckham
During some emergency response circumstances, residents call rideshares because of lower costs. According to NBC 5, “Chicago ambulance fees range between $365 and $2,500.” In comparison, Uber expenses are typically $50 at most.
Another advantage of calling a rideshare is that the rider can choose the hospital of their choosing. In contrast, ambulances typically take patients to the nearest hospital, whether the patient would prefer that or not.
While in the Near West Side neighborhood, Amber Gates, 28, called an ambulance as she went into labor. Gates explained, “The ambulance insisted on taking me to Rush Hospital. I explained that my insurance doesn’t cover expenses at Rush, and I needed to go to the Birth Center at PCC. After the ambulance dropped me off at Rush, I called an Uber to PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC).”
The PCC is a a three-room clinic at West Suburban Medical Center that offers comprehensive maternal services for underserved women.
Gates recalls, “The Uber driver could tell I was in labor and didn’t hesitate to drive me." The Uber ride from Rush to PCC lasted 10 - 15 minutes.
Amber Gates, 28, after delivery at Birth Center at PCC. Photo courtesy of Ms. Gates
Sometimes rideshare drivers are conflicted on whether to drive passengers during emergency response situations. A concern reflected on uberpeople.net, an uber driver vents on May 12, 2019, “A passenger got in the car slowly, and I start the ride going to the Hospital Emergency Room. The passenger thinks they may have broken their leg but does not want an ambulance. Does anyone think I should have requested that she take an ambulance?” Another uber driver commented, “That's a gut call. I personally probably would have took her.”
When is an appropriate time to call an Uber or Lyft?
Uber issued a statement, “We're grateful our service has helped people get to where they're going when they need it the most. However, it's important to note that Uber is not a substitute for law enforcement or medical professionals. In the event of any medical emergency, we encourage people to call 911,” an Uber spokesperson said.
Lyft firmly stated, "As stated on our Safety page, Lyft should not be used as a substitute for emergency transportation. In any medical emergency, people should be calling 911."
Emergency Management & Communications has yet to comment about ambulance and rideshare use during emergency response situations.