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Common Uncourtesy
This is somewhat of a rant, but also a haven for other people to share their stories correlating to my post as well.
Granted, POVs where I live are NOT designated emergency vehicles, we are allowed to run blue lights as a courtesy light. Generally people will move out of the way for vehicles utilizing blue lights, but the other day something weird happened.
Responding to my station, blue lights activated, we have a street that runs perpendicular with our main road that runs down to the station about 250-300 feet. At this intersection people will usually yield and let me go by. However, this day, people kept on rolling. I'm not talking a few cars, I am talking about 45 seconds to about a minute of constant traffic not stopping. Even a local transit bus didn't stop. I was clearly visible as it was dark out, and I use LEDs since they're brighter and save energy.
The best part is that the people driving by not giving me the common courtesy were driving into a blatant red light about <100 feet behind me at the intersection. It's as if people were SO busy that they had to make it to that red light. It was so important, dire if you will, that they couldn't let me go by. People will generally even stop for people if it's a red light so they can turn through the intersection just to be nice. It just baffles me.
Anyway... Anyone else have any sort of problems like this?
Granted, POVs where I live are NOT designated emergency vehicles, we are allowed to run blue lights as a courtesy light. Generally people will move out of the way for vehicles utilizing blue lights, but the other day something weird happened.
Responding to my station, blue lights activated, we have a street that runs perpendicular with our main road that runs down to the station about 250-300 feet. At this intersection people will usually yield and let me go by. However, this day, people kept on rolling. I'm not talking a few cars, I am talking about 45 seconds to about a minute of constant traffic not stopping. Even a local transit bus didn't stop. I was clearly visible as it was dark out, and I use LEDs since they're brighter and save energy.
The best part is that the people driving by not giving me the common courtesy were driving into a blatant red light about <100 feet behind me at the intersection. It's as if people were SO busy that they had to make it to that red light. It was so important, dire if you will, that they couldn't let me go by. People will generally even stop for people if it's a red light so they can turn through the intersection just to be nice. It just baffles me.
Anyway... Anyone else have any sort of problems like this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steven on
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Relax. It happens. We were boggled by cars passing us (an engine running lights and sirens) down a highway towards a car fire at almost 70 miles per hour. Where ever they had to be, it was more important than what we were doing.
Drivers get that way. Bad day at work, running late to get home, who knows. They're driving with tunnel vision and it's wrong but there's nothing you can do about it except letting them pass and hoping they won't be the next call.
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Permalink Reply by Fire Critic on
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That is what I was going to say....
Nobody gives a crap about our big red truck with all the lights and sirens going so it doesn't surprise me that some people didn't stop for a car with one little blue light on it.
It is society. They are all in a hurry to get to point B. They don't give a crap about anything else.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew on
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This is true. It's personally happened to me, I've heard horror stories about it, and someone I work with has even stated that she purposely does this as well. However, if it were her house on fire, or her husband and/or children that needed help, then we couldn't be able to respond fast enough.
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The incident hindered my response by a minute or so which could make all of the difference. In this instance - no, I still made the rig (it was an EMS call). However, the "What If" factor plays a key role - the other drivers passing me didn't know that. For all they know it could have been a working structure fire or a cardiac arrest.
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Of course I always drive safely and utilize Due Regard. That's why I didn't just hop in front of the cars hoping that they would stop for me. It just irks me that people are either A.) THAT oblivious when operating a motor vehicle, or B.) That uncaring that they don't care for the well being of others in their own community.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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True, KGOD:
But, someday, somewhere; there's gonna be that ONE time...
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Permalink Reply by capt4021 on
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In our state the only ones allowed to run blue lights is Officers however in our state you can't break the law responding to the firehouse scene what have you. You must do the speed limit its a courtesy by the state that we can run 10mph over if its life threatening. No going through red lights I don't have that problem I live less then a quarter mile from the firehouse and the farthest was 3 miles. And our state law (that was just passed) says drivers must pull to the right for all emergency vehicles that being said only emergency vehicles for fire side anyway have special designated license plates that has the station number and the number of the truck. i.e. our first due engine is engine 3 its plate is 40-3 with the sticker on it that has the year and plate number on it. we've actually had some of our members arrested for running a blinking red light after doing a California stop, than not stopping for the cop till he got into town as it was late at night and no street lights on the toad till you get into town. So its really more of a common courtesy thing in which young drivers today do not have. Some due to the radio being at ear bleeding decibles or tint so dark cant see out or in it that sirens cannot be heard or lights seen.
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I don't know which money-wasting town you're from, but in my district we only send an ambulance and a first responder to EMS calls. Unless it's an Echo response, then we send additional manpower occasionally.
As for the general public knowing what's going on -- No, I don't think they have an idea in their mind as to what's going on. And either way, even if they do know, they should be moving since it could be an actual emergency at hand.
In my district we don't even run lights and sirens for calls like "someone stubbing their toe" (AKA Alpha ranked calls).
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Kali:
As our discussion forums book of etiquette grows, I think that everyone should agree that; from this day forward, the very FIRST question when a discussion like this pops up will be: "wait; are you a full fledged, certified/qualified firefighter?"
The "blue light" verbage should have been the giveaway.
NOW; I have to revise my theory on this. I believe that there is an attitude there that is: "Hmmm. Blue light flashing again. Ohhhh; it's just Andrew."
Although; there are still idiots who won't yield to EVs, I believe that they are more few and far between.
Art
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on
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We went to it a few years ago (Blair county)...I'm not a fan either.
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As you know, I am not a big fan of lighting up the POVs.
I am not a fan at all of taking them directly to the scene, with very, very few exceptions.
You're right; people have gotten "used" to the lights and sirens.
That might even have witnessed some "abuse".
It all adds up to apathy or at the very least; indifference.
You make compelling points, K.
It is hard to argue with any of it.
But, some here will not take the advice in the spirit in which it is given, as you well know.
TCSS.
Art
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