Why do paramedics treat bodies in bodybags disrespectfully?

Question

I mean it. I just saw them bag a person, and they treated her like a slab of meat. They told me to go out, I told them it'd better because I wouldn't know what I'd do to them if I saw something more. The policeman told me he'll pretend he didn't hear what I said and to go get a coffee with his colleague.

Fireguy17 · Accepted Answer

Bodies even in a body bag are not that easy to move.
If you have 4 people or more it is easier, and we'll say more graceful.
Picture someone that is 200 plus.
Most MEs are under staffed so you might get 2 people.
So each person has to lift at least 100lbs of " dead" weight, no pun intended.
But it is way more difficult than lifting 100lbs at the gym.
There simply is no structural rigidity in a person that has passed unless they are in rigors, then you have to try and get them into the body bag depending on what position they are in.
Are they in an odd position, like between a bed and a wall, between the toilet and bathtub, or die on the toilet and are bent in half?
Our department tries very hard to treat the deceased with dignity and grace, but it isn't always easy.
We never want the family around when we have to take care of their loved one, that is not the last memory you want to have of them.
Drowning victims we always try to place in the body bag before we remove them from the water, and if necessary move them to a secluded location before we get them into the boat.
It is not an easy thing to do gracefully.
Does every organization try to move the deceased carefully, no.
I look at it as they were my loved one and how would I like them treated.
Hope that helps.

GreatBigCircles · Accepted Answer

When you handle dead bodies all the time, I imagine you quickly become desensitized to it. Would you be able to emotionally handle a job transporting the bodies of the recently departed without losing the fear and awe of death? Especially when your dealing with. 200 pound bodies, and there’s several more that day, and you gotta go fast before rigor mortis sets in, traffic is awful, your worried the next one will have obnoxious onlookers and your mildly hungry and your boss has been harping on you that your not doing things fast enough… Modern work life has a way of killing the sentimentality of things. Human bodies are not an exception.

Cherokee1940 · Accepted Answer

My husband was NOT dead, he fell and was unable to get up on his own. May have had a stroke because he speech was slurred. When they took him out of the bedroom zipping the body bag it scared the daylights out of me. I asked it he was dead and they said "NO." So why the body bag, They have never done that to me, only put a sheet over me if it's sprinkling outside. It was not raining.

dustybiker · Accepted Answer

I would have spoke up also. Only loudly said “Have some respect!” Of something they would have a hard time reacting to but still shine a light on their behavior.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

If I had witnessed that, I would be angry, too!

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Usually the body of a dead person will be treated respectfully and will be taken care of...
A person who has no respect, no morals and no values will treat an alive or dead person with disrespect
Some people who are close to us were dead from decades ago but we still pray and pay respect to them when we visit their graves...

jshm2 · Answer

Because those bodies aren't going to complain in a court of law about how they were treated.  It's not that deep, fam.

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

Its heavy as fuck, and quite literally a piece of meat.

KrakenAttackin · Answer

A corpse is heavy as fuck and cumbersome. They are not being disrespectful, it's just difficult to move a corpse.

FilmGuy93 · Answer

When you're around that much carnage, dead bodies lose their impact on you.

OddBeMe · Answer

I became a paramedic for my necrophilia. So fck off.

In_Trance · Answer

Because to them it's a job. They hate parts of their job like everyone else

JamesRandiDebates · Answer

It's a coping mechanism for dealing with death daily.

Jouth · Answer

cause the bodies are dead, daniel they don't know

Smashingdoozy · Answer

Well it is a slab of meat...

LazerBean · Answer

Dead weight (literally) is hard to manage.

Agape93 · Answer

Even I'm generally not that bad. Damn

Jamie05rhs · Answer

What happened? Was there a shooting?

msc545 · Answer

The corpse doesn't care.

888theGreat · Answer

Because they ain't going to feel anything

Twalli · Answer

What did you expect them to do?

jimmy2 · Answer

They all do that no Soul in it now

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