Check your damn mirrors!

[crazylegs]

Look, I get it that you're on a tight schedule, I get you've work to do. What you can also see, if you bothered to look in your mirrors are all those blue flashing lights. That shows I'm on my way to an emergency. For you to not pull over for over a mile, when you've ample opportunity to do so wnile every other road user beeping and flashing their headlights at you, shows you're a pillock.

I changed my tone of siren every 10 seconds, there's no way in hell you didn't hear that -unless you're on your phone...

Unfortunately I couldn't pass him on the road while he was travelling at 40. He was driving a 7.5t truck and my ambulance is essentially an adapted van, really can't describe it as 'high performance'

[Rebel1012]

What a prick, sirens and lights ain't just for fun. That time spent behind him could have been the difference between life and death.

[Kogarashi]

What an entitled jerk.

I had a situation just yesterday where I couldn't pull over, but I did what I could. I was approaching an intersection, in the left-hand lane (so near the center of the road) with cars on my right. I barely had time when I heard the sirens and spotted the lights, and had nowhere to pull over due to the cars next to me. So I just stopped. I figured at least I wouldn't be a moving obstacle that way, and I guess it worked just fine as the police car was able to go around us in the oncoming traffic lanes.

[crazylegs]

That time spent behind him could have been the difference between life and death.

Well, quite. I have more sympathy for big rigs (44t articulated lorries), especially with some of the hills around here. Most are sensible enough to pop into the plentiful bus stops to give me enough space to get round.

Kogarashi, stopping is good. Stopping makes it much easier for me to get around, thank you

[Lovecats]

I still remember the time I was in the left turn lane at an intersection and a sheriff's car came up behind with lights and siren on. We all had NO place to go. He just went around us and turned left and immediately his siren and lights went off. He turned into the police station. We joked that maybe he had to go potty.

[bunrotha]

We joked that maybe he had to go potty.

Round these parts, the stock joke for blue lights in the direction of the station is "Welp, looks like doughnut day in the canteen."

[BlaqueKatt]

I changed my tone of siren every 10 seconds, there's no way in hell you didn't hear that -unless you're on your phone...

I've recently noticed a disturbing number of drivers illegally wearing earbuds or noise cancelling headphones while driving

[notalwaysright]

I've recently noticed a disturbing number of drivers illegally wearing earbuds or noise cancelling headphones while driving

I see this all the time, but on bicyclists. Probably I should mention that I'm biased anyway because the idea of being in public and purposefully removing my ability to hear freaks me out. I barely wear headphones even when on the computer at school, because I hate the feeling of not hearing what's going on around me. So I already look at this with some amount of confusion, despite friends explaining to me why they always have headphones on. I explain to them that to me it's like walking around with my eyes shut because I don't like the scenery, but they say it's not the same thing *shrug*

I'm not 100% on the legality of wearing headphones on a bike, but I wouldn't do it. I can understand using them on a bus, since you aren't driving, and also are trapped listening to whatever crazy might be happening. But don't you want to hear a car coming up behind you on a bike?

[Kogarashi]

I'm pretty sure it's not allowed on bikes (at least in some states) for the same reason it's illegal when driving a car: you need to be able to hear the traffic sounds around you, including things like people honking to alert you of something you may have missed, sirens for emergency vehicles, etc. Plus there's the distraction factor.

But there also seem to be a lot of people unaware of the laws regarding headphones while operating vehicles. My husband was tentatively aware of the regulation regarding headphones and driving at best, and was completely unaware about headphones and bikes until someone mentioned it to him, and I generally consider my husband a good driver.

[eltf177]

I'm pretty sure it's not allowed on bikes (at least in some states) for the same reason it's illegal when driving a car...

This exactly - if the driver of a car can't wear them then a bicyclist (who is considered a vehicle, a fact they never let anyone forget) can't either. But I see them doing it all the time as they willfully blow through stop signs and red lights...

[wolfie]

This exactly - if the driver of a car can't wear them then a bicyclist (who is considered a vehicle, a fact they never let anyone forget) can't either. But I see them doing it all the time as they willfully blow through stop signs and red lights...

Like the cyclist I encountered in Brooklyn who tried to commit suicide. After all, what else do you call it when someone on a bicycle tries to run a red light - when an 18 wheeler is using the green on the cross street?

[dalesys]

I don't need to check my mirrors. I checked them last week and they were perfectly fine.

[wolfie]

Check Engine light came on, so I opened the hood and took a look. Yep, the engine was there.

[Aria]

I didn't know wearing headphones and driving was illegal... but I'm not surprised given that it's an idiotic thing to do. I thought it was just, you know, common sense. Oh wait, I forgot that's so rare it's now a super power...

[KatherineB]

Apparently what looks like headphones are actually part of some hands-free phone kits. Still stupid IMHO.