What would you guess was going on in this situation?

A group of about 20 people were gathered outside a hospital one sunny afternoon/evening. In the group were men, women, children, and teenagers. They weren't too well dressed and some seemed ehem rather rednecky. They didn't seem to have any organisation and were just milling about, apparently aimlessly. Some were smoking! A couple of the children held a banner with some wording on it.

What would you have thought was going on? Would you have walked through the group? avoided them? gone over to ask what was happening?

I'm curious you see, to know what your reactions would be and if they would be any different if you lived in the UK or in Canada, or town or country.

I'll tell you why they were there later, once we have a few guesses.

There's such a crowd outside the hospital where my daughter works every welfare day. The patients unplug their ivs, buy street drugs and pump them straight in. This seems to involve a large and unlikely crowd of dealers and hangers-on.

Well if it was in Alberta (you did say rednecky) they would likely be protesting health care cutbacks.

I might have gone over and joined them.

Ontario, so we are talking rural dwellers. No banjo's were spotted but ZZ Top beards are very popular in this area. Soap doesn't always feature. Alcohol and other intoxicants do.

I think I would have observed from a distance to see what was written on the placards to see whether or not it would be safe to approach!

from the way its described in England you would think it was a demonstration about something - in Canada it was more than likely a welcome out of hospital for a new mum and baby

Do you really think so in light of the recent announcements regarding Alberta Health.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...ch-office.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...nt-letter.html

I think we are guilty of presuming its some kind of protest though - it may well not be!

Small town Ontario? Obviously the relatives of some minor league hockey player waiting to see if he'd emerge from the latest concussion unimpaired.

I am waiting for more guesses before I reveal the truth..


Are you excited?

I feel as excited as a real Marvin.

Were they homeless and the placards said "will work for food?"

I can't tell you that. I didnt see the banner immediately, so neither can you

Don't spill any WD40

This is an interesting sociological/anthropological thingy. Isn't it.

I'd second a welcoming committee of some type. Maybe someone had used their hunting rifle to protect their house from marauding banjo thieves, were accidentally shot by police in ensuing fracas, and now they are getting out of hospital?

Here in the Bible Belt of Canada I would have expected it to be either an anti abortion rally/ right to life or like Steve P says something to do with health cutbacks?????

I would have gone round them rather than through them to get in.

Mrs M x