Disturbing

[GopherM]

One thing I find disturbing about our new location is the lack of respect they show for emergency vehicles.

We were on our way home from shopping today and stopped at an intersection. The cross traffic had a green light. We were about two blocks from the hospital and an ambulance was headed in the opposite direction as us and was on the opposite side of the light. The lights were flashing and the siren and horns were all blaring. The cross traffic that could clearly see the ambulance continued crossing the intersection and making left turns in front of the ambulance completely blocking the intersection even when the ambulance was sitting directly at the light trying to cross.

 

[vraiblonde]

They are VIPs, donchaknow, and their time is SO valuable that your husband having a heart attack is just going to have to wait.

 

[luvmygdaughters]

One thing I find disturbing about our new location is the lack of respect they show for emergency vehicles.

We were on our way home from shopping today and stopped at an intersection. The cross traffic had a green light. We were about two blocks from the hospital and an ambulance was headed in the opposite direction as us and was on the opposite side of the light. The lights were flashing and the siren and horns were all blaring. The cross traffic that could clearly see the ambulance continued crossing the intersection and making left turns in front of the ambulance completely blocking the intersection even when the ambulance was sitting directly at the light trying to cross.

I see this quite a bit in Southern Maryland. Complete failure to yield to emergency vehicles.

 

[lucky_bee]

I see this quite a bit in Southern Maryland. Complete failure to yield to emergency vehicles.

I drive up and down Rt 5 quite a lot (south of GM) and I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over for an Emergency Vehicle - traveling the opposite direction, and the car behind me sort of attempts to pull over...not really...and then after the Emergency vehicle has passed us, pulls back out real fast and tries to pass me!

 

[luvmygdaughters]

I drive up and down Rt 5 quite a lot (south of GM) and I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over for an Emergency Vehicle - traveling the opposite direction, and the car behind me sort of attempts to pull over...not really...and then after the Emergency vehicle has passed us, pulls back out real fast and tries to pass me!

Yep, irritates the living daylights out of me. I always remember when my father had to be transported by ambulance on two occasions. I always pull over and yield right of way.

 

[my-thyme]

I drive up and down Rt 5 quite a lot (south of GM) and I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over for an Emergency Vehicle - traveling the opposite direction, and the car behind me sort of attempts to pull over...not really...and then after the Emergency vehicle has passed us, pulls back out real fast and tries to pass me!

Yup, this has happened to me more than once. Idiots.

 

[Tech]

This comes an active firefighter of 40 years and driver for 35.
To appropriately react to an emergency vehicle one must
1. Be aware that an EV is approaching and which direction. The sound proofing a radios of cars reduces the siren level reaching the ear. Have done informal tests, they get within 100 before hearing them. 235 in the park is terrible with trucks and trees on medians blocks view of vehicles.
There's more things that affect driver's reaction but these are the major two

 

[mitzi]

I drive up and down Rt 5 quite a lot (south of GM) and I can't tell you how many times I've pulled over for an Emergency Vehicle - traveling the opposite direction, and the car behind me sort of attempts to pull over...not really...and then after the Emergency vehicle has passed us, pulls back out real fast and tries to pass me!

That's happened to me too.

 

[StadEMS3]

I've been driving volunteer ambulance for +20yrs and the stuff we see just blows my mind- passing us while our lights & sirens on; tailgating us to get through traffic; completely stopping in travel lanes forcing us to slam the brakes and go around them on a multi-lane road; bird whipped at us because we hit the air horn when they won't move for us to get through; not letting us cross intersections; not yielding for us; been brake checked; trying to out run us so they don't have to pull over; even had a cup of soda thrown at us becuase we were trying to get through heavy rush hour traffic; It's nuts!