Emergency service hazards

I was cycling through the northern suburbs into Plymouth yesterday
evening. Time, a little after 7pm for a 7:30 rehearsal of
http://www.theatreroyal.com/showpage...d=1&theid=2578

The route takes me (more or less) past Derriford, the city
(and region's) biggest hospital. On that stretch of road I
hear an emergency vehicle coming up behing, siren wailing.
No problem; it was wailing far enough in advance to assess
the situation. An approaching ambulance with ample space to
pass; no need for me to do anything.

A minute or so later, another siren. This one was almost
upon me before it started up, so no time to assess the
situation. And I was at the point where my route goes
straight ahead onto a flyover, but a lot of traffic filters
off left into a slip road for a huge roundabout and the A38.
I moved left, putting me on and just over the dotted line
for the slip road as the ambulance comes past far too close
(unlike the first one). And, as I try to reclaim my route, a
4x4 which is tailgating the ambulance tries to wipe me out,
and another driver behind got confused requiring another
minor evasive action.

This leads me to several conclusions:

(1) While we should all allow emergency vehicles through,
they need to help. In this instance, the second
ambulance should have sounded its siren well in advance
of filtering left while overtaking. Don't these drivers
have training?
(2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
task. The ones used on both these ambulances were much
harder to locate than the sound of an old-fashioned
siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers and NHS
procurement managers need to use their braincells.
(3) Tailgating an emergency vehicle - even firmly within
the speed limit - is seriously dangerous. Motorists
should be educated, and that should be backed up with
prosecutions where appropriate.

--
Nick Kew

Nick Kew wrote:
>
> This leads me to several conclusions:
>
> (1) While we should all allow emergency vehicles through,
> they need to help. In this instance, the second
> ambulance should have sounded its siren well in
> advance of filtering left while overtaking. Don't
> these drivers have training?
> (2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
> task. The ones used on both these ambulances were
> much harder to locate than the sound of an old-
> fashioned siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers
> and NHS procurement managers need to use their
> braincells.
> (3) Tailgating an emergency vehicle - even firmly within
> the speed limit - is seriously dangerous. Motorists
> should be educated, and that should be backed up with
> prosecutions where appropriate.
>

I live on a busy main road with school and a big police
station. The speed at which some of them travel is
outrageous. They seem to think having the woo-woo's on is a
licence to drive like Bodie & Doyle. Ive also come round a
corner to find a police car on the wrong side of the road
overtaking and heading for me. They do kill quite a few
people and in some states in America they are no longer able
to do Starsky & Hutch impersonations for this very reason.

Fire engines IME seem to be better driven and ambulances.
Obviously it is more imperative that they get there.

Having said that they were experimenting a while ago with
the horns as the directionality apparently was improved by
adding white noise, I remember hearing a few but none in
recent memory. But I don't like it when they sneak up behind
you and let you have it with the sirens, usually causes a
wobble or two.

Some drivers seem to jump on the back of a fire
engine/ambulance and try and get 5 cars further up the
queue. I doubt you will easily educate them.

Bring back the nee-naw sirens I say! And liberally scatter
carboard boxes around the streets for them to drive into.

Nick Kew wrote:
>
> This leads me to several conclusions:
>
> (1) While we should all allow emergency vehicles through,
> they need to help. In this instance, the second
> ambulance should have sounded its siren well in
> advance of filtering left while overtaking. Don't
> these drivers have training?
> (2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
> task. The ones used on both these ambulances were
> much harder to locate than the sound of an old-
> fashioned siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers
> and NHS procurement managers need to use their
> braincells.
> (3) Tailgating an emergency vehicle - even firmly within
> the speed limit - is seriously dangerous. Motorists
> should be educated, and that should be backed up with
> prosecutions where appropriate.
>

I live on a busy main road with school and a big police
station. The speed at which some of them travel is
outrageous. They seem to think having the woo-woo's on is a
licence to drive like Bodie & Doyle. Ive also come round a
corner to find a police car on the wrong side of the road
overtaking and heading for me. They do kill quite a few
people and in some states in America they are no longer able
to do Starsky & Hutch impersonations for this very reason.

Fire engines IME seem to be better driven and ambulances.
Obviously it is more imperative that they get there.

Having said that they were experimenting a while ago with
the horns as the directionality apparently was improved by
adding white noise, I remember hearing a few but none in
recent memory. But I don't like it when they sneak up behind
you and let you have it with the sirens, usually causes a
wobble or two.

Some drivers seem to jump on the back of a fire
engine/ambulance and try and get 5 cars further up the
queue. I doubt you will easily educate them.

Bring back the nee-naw sirens I say! And liberally scatter
carboard boxes around the streets for them to drive into.

Vincent Wilcox wrote:

> Bring back the nee-naw sirens I say! And liberally scatter
> carboard boxes around the streets for them to drive into.

Jeremy Hardie did a priceless routine once about how fire
engines were getting more and more camp. Back in the Dark
Ages it was big brass bells, clang clang, plucky British
chaps saving lives; then it was "nee-naw, nee-naw, we're
putting the fire out!" (inna playground stylee) and nowadays
it's <julian_clary>"Wooooooo! Look at the fire on
that!"</julian_clary>

Made me laugh, anyway :-)

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!

Vincent Wilcox wrote:

> Bring back the nee-naw sirens I say! And liberally scatter
> carboard boxes around the streets for them to drive into.

Jeremy Hardie did a priceless routine once about how fire
engines were getting more and more camp. Back in the Dark
Ages it was big brass bells, clang clang, plucky British
chaps saving lives; then it was "nee-naw, nee-naw, we're
putting the fire out!" (inna playground stylee) and nowadays
it's <julian_clary>"Wooooooo! Look at the fire on
that!"</julian_clary>

Made me laugh, anyway :-)

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!

nick@hugin.webthing.com (Nick Kew)typed

> (2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
> task. The ones used on both these ambulances were
> much harder to locate than the sound of an old-
> fashioned siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers
> and NHS procurement managers need to use their
> braincells.

I agree. They are so bad that I mananged to fool someone our
'blue light' had arrived by mimicking one!

> (3) Tailgating an emergency vehicle - even firmly within
> the speed limit - is seriously dangerous. Motorists
> should be educated, and that should be backed up with
> prosecutions where appropriate.

Tailgating *any* vehicle is seriously dangerous...

--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.

"Nick Kew" <nick@hugin.webthing.com> wrote in message
news:iduun1-us7.ln1@webthing.com...

<snip>

>
> This leads me to several conclusions:
>
> (1) While we should all allow emergency vehicles through,
> they need to help. In this instance, the second
> ambulance should have sounded its siren well in
> advance of filtering left while overtaking. Don't
> these drivers have training?
>

Of course they have training - but they are human. Ideally
the emergency vehicles should have blues and two's on at all
times when on call, but residents would complain

> (2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
> task. The ones used on both these ambulances were
> much harder to locate than the sound of an old-
> fashioned siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers
> and NHS procurement managers need to use their
> braincells.

I agree. I think though that some newer sirens have a phase
where there make a wierd bleeping noise which is supposed to
be easier to locate. I'm not convinced though.

> (3) Tailgating an emergency vehicle - even firmly within
> the speed limit - is seriously dangerous. Motorists
> should be educated, and that should be backed up with
> prosecutions where appropriate.
>

I don't think education is needed - surely everyone knows
that tailgating the emergency services is stupid?

The driver in question did what (s)he did to do one thing -
jump the queue. This is selfish, and dangerous - worthy of
dangerous driving IMHO.

"Vincent Wilcox" <vw@f2s.com> wrote in message
news:c8ijt2$f0t$1@jura.cc.ic.ac.uk...

>
> I live on a busy main road with school and a big police
> station. The speed at which some of them travel is
> outrageous. They seem to think having the woo-woo's on is
> a licence to drive like Bodie & Doyle. Ive also come round
> a corner to find a police car on the wrong side of the
> road overtaking and heading for me. They do kill quite a
> few people and in some states in America they are no
> longer able to do Starsky & Hutch impersonations for this
> very reason.

If one is coming towards or behind me, I get off the
road altogether and wait on the pavement until it's all
gone away.

--
Simon M.

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>
> Jeremy Hardie did a priceless routine once about how fire
> engines were getting more and more camp. Back in the Dark
> Ages it was big brass bells, clang clang, plucky British
> chaps saving lives; then it was "nee-naw, nee-naw, we're
> putting the fire out!" (inna playground stylee) and
> nowadays it's <julian_clary>"Wooooooo! Look at the fire on
> that!"</julian_clary>
>
> Made me laugh, anyway :-)
>

Bill Bailey did a routine on one of his shows about european
sirens versus british ones which was entertaining.

On Thu, 20 May 2004 16:11:14 +0100 someone who may be
nick@hugin.webthing.com (Nick Kew) wrote this:-

>Don't these drivers have training?

Yes, but some of it is dangerous. For example the police
driving manual advises them to sound their horn when coming
up behind cyclists. Some of them are idiotic enough to do
this and perhaps know no better.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Nick Kew wrote:
> I was cycling through the northern suburbs into Plymouth
> yesterday evening. Time, a little after 7pm for a 7:30
> rehearsal of
> http://www.theatreroyal.com/showpage...d=1&theid=2578
>
> The route takes me (more or less) past Derriford, the city
> (and region's) biggest hospital. On that stretch of road I
> hear an emergency vehicle coming up behing, siren wailing.
> No problem; it was wailing far enough in advance to assess
> the situation. An approaching ambulance with ample space
> to pass; no need for me to do anything.
>
> A minute or so later, another siren. This one was almost
> upon me before it started up, so no time to assess the
> situation. And I was at the point where my route goes
> straight ahead onto a flyover, but a lot of traffic
> filters off left into a slip road for a huge roundabout
> and the A38.

I know that junction. It's not really designed for
cyclists in any direction; there's a little cycle path
under it (between the A38 and the flyover) which isn't
really too bad.

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
> nick@hugin.webthing.com (Nick Kew)typed
>
>> (2) Some modern sirens are wholly inappropriate to the
>> task. The ones used on both these ambulances were
>> much harder to locate than the sound of an old-
>> fashioned siren, or indeed a car horn. Manufacturers
>> and NHS procurement managers need to use their
>> braincells.
>
> I agree. They are so bad that I mananged to fool someone
> our 'blue light' had arrived by mimicking one!

I'll bet that lightened the mood of your emergency
situtation.

--
Mark.

Vincent Wilcox wrote:

> Fire engines IME seem to be better driven and ambulances.
> Obviously it is more imperative that they get there.

I did once see an ambulance T-bone an ancient Cavalier
outside Mile End station, the ambulance having gone
through a red light at about sixty. I should imagine that
took some explaining, that is, if there was anyone left
alive to do it.

> Some drivers seem to jump on the back of a fire
> engine/ambulance and try and get 5 cars further up the
> queue. I doubt you will easily educate them.

Seems to be SOP for motorcycle couriers, but then they are,
without exception, mad as badgers.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

In article <2h60n3F9b2siU4@uni-berlin.de>, Dave Larrington wrote:
>
>Seems to be SOP for motorcycle couriers, but then they are,
>without exception, mad as badgers.

Judging by a courier I used to know, if you can actually
support that claim it might be a strong argument for culling
of badgers.

In article <40ad0a57.0@entanet>,
Zog The Undeniable <hrothgar19@yahoo.com> writes:
>> point where my route goes straight ahead onto a flyover,
>> but a lot of traffic filters off left into a slip road
>> for a huge roundabout and the A38.
>
> I know that junction. It's not really designed for
> cyclists in any direction; there's a little cycle path
> under it (between the A38 and the flyover) which isn't
> really too bad.

But that's a lot slower than going straight across on the
A386. Especially (as I was doing) on the southwards/downhill
direction.

I use the underpass when I'm on foot. On the bike I
sometimes use it (and the old tavistock road) when coming
uphill, and I've tried it for getting onto the other city-
centre road (the one via Mutley Plain), but that's horribly
confusing.

No, I don't find that roundabout a problem, and the slip
roads are normally OK. OTOH a friend uses Torr Lane(sp?) to
avoid it when driving .... As for the flyover, on the uphill
direction we have a very ample cycle lane marked for us,
too, though the worst part is where it dumps you in traffic
merging (uphill) from the left.

BTW, did you hear about some motorcyclist killed there last
week? Apparently not some yoof, but a mature person, fwiw.

--
Nick Kew

Nick's manifesto: http://www.htmlhelp.com/~nick/