Two influencers have been branded "ridiculous" and "brainless ghouls" after their impromptu photoshoot blocked the path of an ambulance while paramedics treated a patient. The incident occurred in West Hollywood, California, with video footage appearing to show a man and woman taking snaps before being ushered away by another member of the public to allow the patient to board the vehicle.
Reddit video shows influencers posing on stretcher
The clip, which appeared on Reddit, was captioned: "Influencers take photos in ambulance attending to a patient on a gurney." The poster added sarcastically: "Not everyone can be at Milan Fashion Week. Someone's gotta influence in West Hollywood." The male influencer could be seen posing on a stretcher in the back of the ambulance while smoking a cigarette as his friend took photos.
Paramedics could then be seen wheeling the patient into shot before the influencers seemingly took offence at the prospect of having to step aside.
Online backlash and safety concerns
The video prompted other Reddit users to describe the pair as "ghouls with cameras and zero self-awareness", while others highlighted the health and safety risk of the man's cigarette being in close proximity to the ambulance's highly-flammable compressed oxygen cylinders.
"My God, people are ridiculous," one person slammed. While a second fumed: "The nerve of her! I couldn't believe that the guy had to physically move her back just to allow the patient to be wheeled up to the ambulance."
A third Reddit user exclaimed: "Social media has convinced Gen Z and newer that they actually have some sort of right to stick phone cameras wherever they like." Whilst a fourth recalled a similar scenario, writing: "Had an ambulance come for me two weeks ago and the first thing all of the kids in the neighbourhood did was shove their phones in the door to record me. Life is absolute Hell."
A fifth declared: "Nothing captures influencer culture quite like needing to be physically shooed away before realising an ambulance isn't a photo booth."
Legal context in the US and UK
Back in 2020, US Congressman Clay Higgins introduced the Emergency Services Access Act, which makes blocking an ambulance from accessing a hospital or rendering emergency medical treatment a federal crime.
"Violators would face up to 5 years in prison, fines, or both," his website states. "If death results, violators would face imprisonment terms comparable to a first or second-degree murder charge." The bill came in direct response to anti-police demonstrators who intentionally blocked hospital entrances after an assassination attempt on two Los Angeles sheriff's deputies.
In the UK, meanwhile, The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 is a UK Act of Parliament that makes it a specific criminal offence to obstruct or hinder emergency workers (or anyone assisting them) while they are responding to emergency situations. It was enacted on 8 November 2006 and brought into force on 20 February 2007. The legislation was introduced via a Private Member's Bill to close legal gaps and protect first responders.
