Brickbat: You Aren't From Around Here

Salsalabs

Kevin Maguire had driven to Mississauga, Canada, from his home in Brantford on business. That's where a car drove through a red light smashing into his SUV. Maguire was not injured, but his vehicle did sustain $20,000 in damage. Shortly afterward, he received a bill for $277.30 from the city of Mississauga for the fire truck it sent to the scene of the accident. Officials told Maguire that, since he isn't a resident and doesn't pay city taxes, he has to pay for any emergency services he received.

Comments

[Radioactive]

when paid in loonies and toonies, it's not so bad...sort of like rent in Monopoly

[Live Free or Diet]

Sounds like they privatized. So where's their competition?

[Fist of Etiquette]

He should have gotten a quote before calling the fire department.

[Doctor Whom]

So if he isn't a resident and doesn't vote in city elections, is he also exempt from city ordinances? It's funny how that doesn't work both ways.

[Matrix]

Well, if the accident was not his fault, the city should, instead, bill the person at fault.

[Floridian]

I agree. I would prefer fee for service over taxation. But the responsible party should be liable for the expense, not the victim.

[some guy]

But what if these emergency services were unsolicited by the two parties involved? It's like a homeless guy washing your windshield without consent and then demanding payment. They should bill whoever called 911 or no one at all.

[CZmacure]

I was involved in an accident in the US and was billed by the city for both the fire and ambulance services. The other driver was at fault, so I filed a claim (with the vehicle and medical costs) with his insurance and they took care of it.

[Matrix]

you'd be SOL if the bastard didn't have insurance, or did not have sufficient insurance.

[Bones]

Not necessarily. Most insured drivers pay a portion of their own insurance to cover losses due to other drivers being uninsured. So, his insurance would have likely paid it and then gone after the uninsured motorist. Maybe his rates would have gone up a little, so if that's what you meant by screwed, then sure, but not TOTALLY screwed.

[Rich]

Just wait until he gets the bill for the satellite coverage of the accident.

[PS]

Those drones don't monitor themselves, you know.

[Rich]

Repositioning ain't free, you know.

[creech]

So it would be justice if Brantford started pulling this on Mississauga drivers who got into accidents in their town. [Brantford has about 1/7th the number of residents as Mississauga, so it should make out quite well over the long haul.]

[Rich]

What's magic about the fact that Maguire was involved in an accident?

Mississauga should just bill out-of-towners entering the city for potential police/fire/ambulance coverage.

[Jerryskids]

Did the guy actually call emergency services and was he aware that he would be billed for services rendered? I'm pretty sure you can't force someone to pay for something they did not request in most any civilized country.

Back in the '70's the little town I grew up in privatized its' fire and rescue service because it lost its' state funding - you could pay a yearly 'insurance' fee to belong to the group or risk - in the event you needed fire or rescue services - being billed for their response to an emergency call. I thought that was a good way to operate.

[invisible furry hand]

I'm pretty sure you can't force someone to pay for something they did not request in most any civilized country.

Unless you're government, of course

[sarcasmic]

I'm pretty sure you can't force someone to pay for something they did not request in most any civilized country.

It's not uncommon for cops to take people to the hospital against their will to be stuck with a several thousand dollar bill.

[Rich]

You mean, after shooting those people?

[sarcasmic]

Like if someone's been drinking or on drugs, often a nice cop will saddle them with thousands of dollars worth of medical bills rather than take them to jail.

[califernian]

, since he isn't a resident and doesn't pay city taxes, he has to pay for any emergency services he received.

Oh you're almost there! You're so close. Just keep thinking for a few more minutes.