That sort of abusive behavior is not rare but it is also not that common. It has to be understood that attempts to charge, collect, register and subscribe are always more expensive than simply sucking up the occasional abuse as a matter of course. Enforcement, collection and exclusion cost time and money.

Far more common than indigents using EMTs as convenient taxis are the constant stream of asthma attacks, heart issues, allergy attacks, and collapse from people with chronic problems. These people are genuinely sick but they are unable to manage their disease because of a lack of insurance or resources for drugs, transport, care. Some can't or won't take their medication/s. Estimates are that a third of all the alcoholics are self-medicating for mental illness or chronic pain and that a good proportion of people with high blood pressure and other chronic diseases are rationing their medications. Cutting pills in half and/or frequency to try to get by on less.

Sometimes this has to do with the price of the medication but often it has to do with a lack of money to visit a doctor to get a refill. A lot of people can't swing the $20 for cab fare to a doctor's office, $80 for a visit, $80 for testing, and $100 for prescription/s.

Call the EMTs and you get a ride, a doctor sees you, you get a prescription, and they give you a two-week supply from samples. And often all the delays, humiliation, and abuse you can stand. Some people abuse the system but the system also abuses people.

And yes, people pay taxes. In terms of percentage of income poor people always pay more.

What strikes me about your account is the proximity of physicians and nurses to the scene.