Cops/Ambos/Fire people. Does this piss you off?

**Pancakes** · 24th October 2007, 13:38

I was driving to the city on the NW'ern yesterday and see some cop cars coming the other way up the 2 lane bit just after Lincoln Rd. All the cars have pulled into the left lane except one who, despite being beside a reasonable sized gap and having the cops behind them for some time just carries on driving at roughly 95k's. I'm certain they weren't trying to pull the 4WD over, just wanted past. I see this a bit, emergency services vehicles coming in the mirrors and so I normally indicate left/right, roll off the gas, no point braking and causing a traffic jam and your vehicle is more manueverable than if you stop and even if there is a siren close or the emergency vehicle is only a few cars back the person behind me will just overtake or stop in the way. People just don't seem to have thought this scenario through before getting behind the wheel. It must fuck you all right off!

What do you do? If I was held up I'd be livid and I wonder if you take their plate and get them done or what? I beleive in New York when Rudi Gulliani first got in they put camera's on the front of fire trucks and gave fines to the vehicle owners that held up the trucks. no shit about someone else driving or anything, just payup and if you weren't driving tuff.

Mmmmm, curious to hear your stories.

**UberRhys** · 24th October 2007, 14:07

Originally Posted by Pancakes

I beleive in New York when Rudi Gulliani first got in they put camera's on the front of fire trucks and gave fines to the vehicle owners that held up the trucks. no shit about someone else driving or anything, just payup and if you weren't driving tuff.

I agree with this line of thought - fine the idiots. I had a firey mate who used to drive and he gets really pissed off having to chuck the anchors on because a dickhead wouldn't get out of the way. Those fire trucks aren't the lightest of things to pull up, let alone motor off again. Just like a speed camera they should be fined and think, we too could have a "Cops" type program of footage taken from Emergency Service vehicles to shame them as well...

**nudemetalz** · 24th October 2007, 14:08

They should treat it like those youtubes you see in Iraq where the US Humvees beep and then push the cars out the way

. I guess when you have a .50 cal staring at you, makes you wanna get out the way....

**Pancakes** · 24th October 2007, 14:19

I used to work at Ruapehu and this guy pulled up in a bling'ed up Legnum. Was told he couldn't park cos the helicoter was coming to get someone. He was all "I'll only be a minute" and dashed off. One of the parking guys gets on the tractor, wraps a chain around one front wheel (automatic car remember, I assume in park, left running with the handbrake on) and drags it down a gravel bank! the fat tyres skipping and bouncing everywhere! The guy saw and ran over all shitty until a half dozen of the boys stepped up too. He was so pissed saying "you'll pay for it etc". He didn't get a cent.

**nudemetalz** · 24th October 2007, 14:23

Great story, Pancakes !!!

**MotoGirl** · 24th October 2007, 14:34

Reminds me of Piha Rescue on TV the other week where a car was parked somewhere the firetruck needed to go (you know, while a whole HILL was alight). If I remember correctly, they somehow managed to push it out of the way.

**JMemonic** · 24th October 2007, 14:35

Me I always think what if that were my relative, lover, or friend they were off to save, but some folks feel that they are the most important.

Where I work we have signs up in areas saying no parking emergency access and where do people park ... even the workers who's life the extra few minutes it takes to re route the vehicles could be saved.

**UberRhys** · 24th October 2007, 14:37

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

Reminds me of Piha Rescue on TV the other week where a car was parked somewhere the firetruck needed to go (you know, while a whole HILL was alight). If I remember correctly, they somehow managed to push it out of the way.

I think they "bounce" cars out of the way as to not damage them but I could be wrong.

**MotoGirl** · 24th October 2007, 14:39

Not wanting to hijack the thread or anything, but I'm curious if anyone has been in front of an emergency vehicle (on a bike) and tried to help push vehicles out of the way.

**devnull** · 24th October 2007, 14:45

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

Not wanting to hijack the thread or anything, but I'm curious if anyone has been in front of an emergency vehicle (on a bike) and tried to help push vehicles out of the way.

If they're blind to lights and deaf to sirens, I don't think a bike would make much difference.

I really used to like the ones that pulled left right in front of you when splitting lanes.. or even better, the ones that suddenly realise you're behind them and slam on the brakes in panic

**discotex** · 24th October 2007, 15:34

I recently pulled over on the bike to let an ambulance past. Having heard it a mile away I was sitting watching what the cars between me and it did in my mirrors so I didn't get rammed.

The skyline behind me pulled over as soon as it could.

The car behind it swerves around it crossing the white lines totally oblivious to the ambo meters behind it let alone oncomming traffic,

I'm pulled over about 10m from some traffic lights which are red and it happens that the cars pretty much back up to where I was. The nutty woman decided that she'd stop at the lights right next to me as I must be parked there for some weird reason.

*Bang bang* on the bonnet and she stops talking on her phone long enough to look at me all shocked while I pointed out the ambulance.

If it was me driving it'd drive me up the wall (no pun intended) if I was attending a serious callout.

**scumdog** · 24th October 2007, 16:20

Worse still is when you come up behind 4-5 cars and you have lights/siren going.

And the front 3-4 cars all move over - and the last car (the dick right on front of you) overtakes the cars that have moved over and carries on like nothing has happened

Oftne thought it would be best to drive down the wrong side of the road - all the oncoming cars seem to see you and pull to their left leaving a big gap while the bozo's on front seem not to notice (a) the lights etc behind them and (b) all the other oncoming cars moving over to their left for some reason.

**Renegade** · 24th October 2007, 16:21

fucks me off no-end, they should invent a ticket for it, how many times ive wanted tp lock the person up for obstruction just to teach the ignorant half wit a lesson.

at night i high beam people, everyone sees that in the mirror

**limbimtimwim** · 24th October 2007, 16:30

Was driving with a friend one day along a busy street in Wellington and an ambo came up behind us. He pulls over to let it past.. Then the crazy bugger tucks in behind the ambo and we start flying down Jervois quay behind it.

"Ambo wake" he says.

**Donor** · 24th October 2007, 17:48

Personally, I fucking HATE using my lights and sirens.

You get less respect than at normal road speeds, and people suffer Possum Syndrome - they see lights and freak out.

I've had nanas mount kerbs, people rear-end the car in front because they were glued to their rear-vision mirrors, and plenty of wankers who think that slip streaming behind an ambulance that may move over very quickly or need to brake rapidly is a very good idea.

I get a lot of people asking me what they should do... I tell them it's in the fucking road code, and if that they can't recall something as simple as that from the book, then they should hand their bloody licence in...