You have a choice.

I turned up in Casualty Department of the CTC Infirmary the other night, the group of track-suited & baseball capped smokers outside almost outweighed the track-suited & baseball capped throng of not currently smokers inside the waiting area. All there waiting for treatment for their seemingly endless list of non-urgent and non-life threatening aches & pains whilst depriving the real injuries of the time and medical consideration they should naturally deserve.

The large amount of discarded fast food cartons was a close second to the large amount of fast food cartons strewn across the car park next to the MacDonalds & KFC where the modified vehicle user group meet for their nightly mess up the environment and not give a toss meetings. I can only think they think it creates jobs for the council workmen, how considerate.

Back in the examination area the shouting of abuse, threats and general antisocial delinquancy was still underway cocooned  behind the closed and secure door of the triage-examination area. Somehow not really taking place in the minds of some of the seated masses. The crash, bang, wallop of trolleys and their associated medical equipment being evenly distributed across the floor accompanied by the reassuring sound of a 12 stone resident of the Brittania Estate being subdued under almost 40 stones of hospital security guard muscle and flab which sent the reassuring message that the choice of treatment from either the NHS or the CTC Constabulary was an honest and open invitation not to abuse NHS staff. Exactly as it says on the tin, by way of the posters adorning every wall in the place. Clearly this only applies to the decent and law abiding members of the population.

The early brave taunts, threats and intimidation of the nursing staff, the true and genuine helpers in this case, faded rather heroically into pleas of self preservation and cowardly damage limitation. I have not seen two such large men move so swiftly and with such peace-keeping intent. No sky-blue berets in sight here as this was clearly not merely a policing action, this was a zero-tolerance-no-nonsense approach to a real and regular menace. 

Even the girlfriend of the (not-so-brave-when-the-chips-are-down-and-the-odds-are-not-in-your-favour)  warrior changed her plea from ‘don’t touch him’ to ‘don’t hurt him’. 

The few sensible and real  customers amongst the throng exuded a sense of, hurt him as much as you can because he is a real little shite and he thoroughly deserves every ounce of pain, as they secretly and inwardly cherished and applauded every ounce of the security sandwich and the only goose-neck I have seen other than in training or by someone with the tactical defense nous of Bruce Lee……………….

Of course, some people will not need to consider the message in all the posters because they feel they are above all that reasonable behaviour and do not have to comply with the normal behaviour protocols and will, as a result of their ignorance and lack of consideration, continue to threaten, insult and intimidate the Casualty Department staff.  

They have a choice, because the posters say so. I can only imagine that some cannot read the words and fail to understand the message.