Lets play fire truck chicken

[mattm04]

While driving down a two lane road I see a big red shiny fire truck with lights and sirens on approaching. Naturally I pull over along with most motorists.

I hear horns behind me and look in the mirror and see at least two cars, one a rice burner and the other a old lady in a Taurus pull out and pass all the cars pulled over. The fire truck driver is laying on the air horn and eventually has to pull to the right and stop to avoid the idiots hitting him.

I don't know what the law is regarding that, but it should be a huge ticket, suspended license and maybe community service or even a short stay in jail. And if someone has worse injuries as a result of the delay, you should get charged with that also.

[Dytchdoctir]

Welcome to my world.

This kind of bats**t craziness happens to me on a daily basis.

Some people seem to have developed a zone of ignorance that surrounds their douchemobiles like a cloud. They cannot or will not recognized anything outside their presence short of an oncoming train. I've seen many co-workers and innocent motorists injured by such dorks.

[bhskittykatt]

I remember when there was a wreck on the Interstate right next to the motel. I was watching the emergency vehicles trying to get through the snarled traffic. They got behind this lady in an SUV who simply would not pull over, despite laying on the horn! They ended up passing her on the shoulder!

Also, fun little fact: in America, you pull over to the right lane. In Canada, apparently, you pull over to the left lane. We learned this the hard way in Vancouver once, as we played Dances with Ambulances trying to figure out why we were the only ones pulling over to the right...

[TheSHAD0W]

It's called "failure to yield to an emergency vehicle", and yes, you can receive a citation for it.

[bhskittykatt]

It's called "failure to yield to an emergency vehicle", and yes, you can receive a citation for it.

Boss Man was speeding and got pulled over. He did two things wrong, however. (1) He pulled over on the lefthand side of the roadway and (2) He didn't notice the cop was trying to pull him over right away.

The price of the ticket? $175 for speeding, $840 for failure to yield, and $1400 for pulling over on the wrong side. $2415 total.

[Lachrymose]

Dances with Ambulances

And some more chars.

[Flying Grype]

Also, fun little fact: in America, you pull over to the right lane. In Canada, apparently, you pull over to the left lane.

I've been Canadian all my life and I've never seen anyone pull to the left for an emergency vehicle. People just do whatever's the easiest to get out of the way. Canadians drive on the right-hand side of the road, so they're usually in the right-hand lane already when they hear the sirens. It would not make sense to pull across to the left and end up facing oncoming traffic!

[Zellie Crescent]

Dances with Ambulances

Starring Kevin Costner.

[Fufu487]

Flying Grype, I was thinking the same thing. I was trying to think of what side I pull to and others aswell. Left side just didn't seem right.

[VComps]

I remember when there was a wreck on the Interstate right next to the motel. I was watching the emergency vehicles trying to get through the snarled traffic. They got behind this lady in an SUV who simply would not pull over, despite laying on the horn! They ended up passing her on the shoulder!

Also, fun little fact: in America, you pull over to the right lane. In Canada, apparently, you pull over to the left lane. We learned this the hard way in Vancouver once, as we played Dances with Ambulances trying to figure out why we were the only ones pulling over to the right...

...no, you're supposed to pull to the right. What probably happened is that the people in the left lane pulled to the left, so the ambulance went to the right, where they encountered you, the only one who did the correct thing.

[ADoyle90815]

I see that often as well, when I've pulled over to the right with others, only to see some still in the way of those vehicles. Once, I had the left arrow turn green just as a fire truck had its lights and siren on, so naturally, I waited for it to go first, and the idiot behind me honked. I'm sorry, but an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens on is more important than the fact that you're in a hurry, and I'm going to let them go first.

[bhskittykatt]

...no, you're supposed to pull to the right. What probably happened is that the people in the left lane pulled to the left, so the ambulance went to the right, where they encountered you, the only one who did the correct thing.

Really? Hmmm....not what my Canadian friend told me...will need to have another chat with her about this sometime.

[ApolloSZ]

I remember reading one Bill Byson wrote. He was coming up to an intersection where a Fire truck was LASGLH* and edging its way through. Naturall, he stopped to watch/let it through. Some idiot was laying on the horn behind him, then swung out and passed him while giving him the finger.

Can you guess what happened? Yep. He met the fire engine. I think the last comment was on the lines of "I drove past waving, and left the guy to explain how he missed a bright yellow** Firetruck"

* = Lights And Sirens, Go Like Hell.

** = Again, I think he said yellow.

[Erin]

Yellow fire engines???

That's just not natural. Fire engines should be red. Fire Engine Red. (sorry, I'm a fire engine aficionado. I also collect fire engine models)

[bhskittykatt]

Up here, the airport's fire dept. has yellow engines.