There is nothing worse thank living in harrow trying get to Milton Keynes which takes longer getting to the M1 than from the M1 to Milton Keynes. When you get it the way for an ambulance only to find that same ambulance just down the road guys from having a drink at the garage. Ask them what happened guy says it's the only chance he's going to have a cuppa. To me that's just wrong.
I was under the impression that emergency vehicles had their lights and sirens logged to prevent just such behaviour?
You do a demanding job where you have to deal with drunks, druggies, crazies, lonely old folk, mashed-up accident victims, people dying of heart attack or stroke, recently killed/dead people and their distressed relatives, and incidentally save a few lives every day, you get to complain. Until then, my care-o-meter reads zero. (Knocks dial) nope, still zero.
Mexico was waiting for your reply. Was in the force for seven years. Dealing with murders, rape, armed robbery, riots and every thing else that goes with it. Not once did I abuse things our dare to. Especially oak traffic everyone trying to get to work. You can say what you want it is not right. You can cry would so many times and someone will not get out the way someday. Trust me it's not the first time I have seen this.
That is commendable, but that's not quite the same thing. Paramedics are on the road all the time and their daily routine is highly unpredictable. Even if they put on the sirens just to squeeze in a cup of coffee, I'd happily get out of the way. It's one of those "Do you want to be right or happy" things. I think we all could do with being a bit tolerant with people trying to cope with a difficult and important job. Besides, I want my paramedic to be hydrated and rested.
Personally I don't think they should do it, and I'm sure most wouldn't, but you get 'bad eggs' in every group so it doesn't really surprise me, and it's difficult to find a suitable way to manage/stop it. Logging use of the sirens certainly seems sensible. Then again, it doesn't bother/affect me that much, I'm sure there are certainly worse abuses of power going on.
It's not just wrong, it's the kind of abuse that will lead to a loss in confidence from other road users. That in turn could lead to deadly delays. A very stupid thing to do which should be severely punished.
This story stinks, passed by an ambulance on the motorway & then was able to identify the same ambulance further down the motorway and even spoke to the driver for an explanation? I'm guessing everything after the bold is a road rage induced monday morning daydream rant.
Yeah well, I live in hope. Sorry Daily Mail readers, but I'm not going to join in the lynching of some paramedics because they possibly used the sirens on occasion to get themselves a cup of coffee. If a driver refuses to get out of the way of an ambulance because they may be racing for donuts rather than a heart attack in progress, then that driver is an asshole. I mean, cynicism costs lives, you know?
...and don't dismiss the idea that, when you managed to catch the ambulance at the service station and spoke to the driver (who does this? Seriously, unless you genuinely felt like you were put at risk by the ambulance, why would you approach the driver, bound to antagonise yourself, let it go) perhaps the driver spun you a line about needing a drink 'cos they know it winds people up. Ambulances must be getting stood own from jobs all the time.
For the record, I don't much care whether they're racing to get to an accident or a coffee shop, most of them are criminally underpaid and overworked, so if they need to do that sometimes, go for it. I was just under the impression that they were logged - I know St Johns first responders are (Or were, a year or two ago), figured it might be the same for them all.
I guess that's what you get when you live around from a police station and near you is a MacDonalds and express tescos. You see it daily. But do I hold ambulance drivers in high regard you I do, as some of you know my son nearly lost his life at the beginning of the year but the ambulance crew were brilliant. But did not say all ambulance crews abuse this. But when you see it more than once it begins to wind me up.
Then think of your son, be grateful and grant them their cup of coffee. Again, do you want to be right or happy?