A pleasant craze is sweeping the nation after a number of kind notes were left on ambulances attending emergencies – including one left with a tenner for coffee.
After a spate of rude notes left on the emergency vehicles, moaning about paramedics blocking drives while saving lives, a number of people across the country have left positive messages for the heroes.
Community first responder Carol Lewis from South East Coast Ambulance Service saw one note pinned to the window of the vehicle after responding to an emergency call.
The note read: “You’re blocking our drive. No worries, buy a coffee when you can.”
Ambulance Technician Gary Turley, an ambulance crew member at the scene, said: “The note was a really nice surprise, very generous and much appreciated.
“I’d like to thank whoever it was that left it. It was really appreciated.
“It had been a challenging shift and to find this halfway through was lovely.”
The tongue-in-cheek note left in Faversham, Kent, seems to mock nasty notes left on ambulances by aggrieved members of the public when life-saving paramedics block their drives.
It comes after another heartwarming note was found on an ambulance in Camberley, Surrey, last Monday, signed by a ‘friendly citizen.’
It read: “Just wanted to say a massive thank you for being out at all hours of the day and night and being true heroes.
“I can’t begin to imagine how hard your job must be so have some breakfast on me.
“Once again, thank you so much.”
The kind gesture has been branded a ‘brilliant internet sensation’ after support for the nice notes surged on Facebook commending paramedics as ‘local heroes.’
Bill Bayley said: “The kindness of people never surprises me.
“What does surprise me is that the money was still there when they got to their ambulance.”
Richard Walsh said: “Love it – that’s how to get your message home and give these local heroes a treat.”
A third note was found by paramedics more than 160 miles away in Flint, North Wales, who were pleasantly surprised to find a note and a fiver when they returned to their vehicle after dealing with an emergency.
It read: “Thank you for blocking my driveway to save a life. Refreshments on me.”
Ambulance crew member, Aimee Louise, responded to the gesture on Facebook.
She said: “Returning to the ambulance after a call to find this heartwarming message tucked under the wiper.
“Absolutely made our day. Such a heartwarming gesture. Thank you so much kind stranger.”
The pleasant craze is in stark contrast to several high profile cases around the UK of people leaving foul and abusive notes on paramedics’ vehicles who stopped to attend emergencies.
Last month East Midlands Ambulance Service released a photograph of an angry note left on their emergency vehicle which was parked blocking a driveway in the early hours of the morning.
The note read: “You blocked my driveway. I waited 45 minutes for you to move.
“Please have some consideration where you park the ambulance. This is not the first time.”
Lee Brentnall, service manager, said such notes were upsetting his crews.
In May, 38-year-old Motin Miah was charged with a public order offence after an angry note was left on an ambulance threatening it would be ‘smashed’ while paramedics from the London Ambulance Service attended to a patient suffering a heart attack in Tower Hamlets, east London.
The note read in capital letters: “Warning this is a private parking space next time it will be smashed.”
ENDS
