Right, if you can wait until the next day and call your regular doctor you'll get it handled better. Your regular doctor might treat you or give you a referral to the hospital. But that's not always possible if the emergency is serious enough.
It also depends on the hospital. If you are in a big city with an under staffed and over worked ER, it's not going to be the most pleasant experience. ER's are closing all over the country, too, so that's not helping matters either.
But if you are near a good hospital that is not in a heavy urban area, or is just plain very well run, then things get a lot better. You didn't go to Cook County did you?
My Mom had a heart attack in a parking lot a few years ago, and her friend drove her to the nearest hospital. It was a good one, and within a very short time they had her in the OR undergoing a multiple bypass. Saved her life, and now she's just as active as she ever was. It really depends on what you have in your area.