Bomb Disposal Unit - Do You Move Over In Your Car For Emergency Services?
By ellie333
@ellie333 (21016)
May 4, 2008 3:23pm CST
Driving along on Friday I saw on the other side of the road up ahead blue flashing lights which initally looked like an amulance. I automatically slow and try to move to the nearside whichever direction they are coming from to allow room for them to get through whether in be fire, ambulance or police or any on call car but this turned out to be a bomb disposal unit vehicle. I was at first astounded and then angered by the fact that people seemd completely oblivious to its presence. It obviously need to get somewhere very quickly but no-one seemed to react in any way and the road was very narrow. A friend recently got out at a red light and told a woman who had overtaken all the cars that had pulled over for an ambulance and then blocked it that she hoped she realised those minutes could have cost a life. Do you pull over? Does this annoy you? Do you pnaic when you here a siren? Please share your thoughts on this. Ellie :D
3 people like this
14 responses
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
Thanks Jill, I really can't understand people like that woman every car had pulled over and she just overtook them all which then blocked the ambulance crazy eh! The Bomb disposal one I saw too myself and a few did pull in but others seemed totally oblivious to it and as it was such a narrow stretch of road they just couldn't get through. Ellie :D
@aquajules4 (583)
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5 May 08
It's a bit scary sometimes when you here the siren, if your in a tight space and no where to move to and peole in front don't move it's very hard. But i always move over, sometimes i think people don't hear the siren as they are playing their music too loud.
I can remember a scary situation, i was coming around a blind bend, as i came around the bend there on my side of the road was a fire engine, how we did not hit each other is a mystery, it was on a really narrow road aswell, also they did not put the siren on until after. I thinks it's when they go really fast it puts u un easy and not sure where to move to or what direction they are coming in.
I hate the drivers that try to follow the emergancy services after everyone has moved to one side.
1 person likes this
@aquajules4 (583)
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5 May 08
If it was a bomb disposal that went through it could cost more than one life if it is held up.
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@aquajules4 (583)
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5 May 08
you can never be too careful with bomb disposals these days, there is always someone bombing some country or another. These people that do set bombs are really sick, they must be to do it.
good topic
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@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
You are right when you say sometimes they have the music so loud they cannot hear the sirens but they still should be observing the road in their mirrors anyway and be able to see. Sometimes it is awkward to pull over straight away especially if others haven't but I always try to shift out of the way if safe to do so. Your experience on that lane must have been very frightening too, one of my friends was hit on a roundabout by a police car once, no fault of her own and extremely frightening. They should have the sirens on in that situation, especially a blind bend. I dislike people who do that too but there is always on that follows eh! I totally agree with you also on the fact that as it was a bomb disposal unit it could have been a vast number of lives if it was delayed. I am not aware of any incidents so lets hope it was a false alarm. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this. Ellie :D
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
6 May 08
I don't panic and I do move over. If I'm at an intersection with traffic lights though I tend to just stop. I find it's usually too congested to move, there's always some idiot who will try and beat the traffic and the emergency vehicle, it just seems easier to let the emergency vehicle pick the easiest way through any congestion.
1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
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11 May 08
I do not drive, but my hubby does, and he always pulls over for the sirens. I live in a town with some narrow roads, a bit too narrow for the volume of traffic really, there are some really huge lorries that go down the roads.
When I walk the kids to school and there is an ambulance or police car coming through it is always a bit risky as a pedestrian as all the traffic to get out of the way then all pull frantically onto the pavement, even the big lorries and so it can be quite dangerous!! I do not think that I have ever not seen anyone pull out of the way for emergency services.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
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11 May 08
Hi Gemini_rose, that is a good thing that you have never experienced anyone not pull over for the emergency services but I can imagine also how scary it must be being a pedestrian in these circumstances. I know they need to get through but they should still slow and adhere to speed limits etc and not force big lorries onto pavements like that for the safety of others too. Thank you for sharing you experiences on this. Ellie :D
@Ryanjw123 (46)
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5 May 08
my mums very stern about pulling over, when ever a ambulance/ police car, ext, is coming up behind she gets all weird and starts talking to herself about pulling over such as; "quik, quik, ah come on you b*sterd you could be killing someone holding this ambulance up" or just starts mumbling to herself about how people are killing inocent people just because they want to get to work, so as you can see my mum is very worried that people get killed because of hold ups in traffic, i hope no one here has held up an ambulance cause if my mum got her hands on them she'd proberly break their backs and show them what some people die of cause of themselves
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
5 May 08
Here in Montreal, if the siren goes off for ambulance, police whatever, you have to move to the side it is the law. I thought it was that way everywhere.
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@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
We are supposed to pull over and allow them through but it is not law and there will always be inconsiderate people who don't or have their music so loud that they are oblivious to them. This really annoys me. Lets hope they never need an emergency service and if they do that it doesn;t get held up eh! Ellie :D
@bunnylady01 (483)
• United States
5 May 08
I always pull over. Here it is the law. Not too mention it is proper road and driving ediquette. Someday it may be me that emergency vehicle is racing to get too...I want to make sure it gets there quickly. Do unto others.
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
Hi I am pleased to hear that you do and that it is law in your country. Lets hope that they never have to come to you but yes you would not like them to be delayed if that is the case. I commend my friend for having the guts to get and and tell the woman off who overtook everybody and then delayed the ambulance. Lets hope the woman thinks better next time eh! Thanks for sharing. Ellie :D
@AmbiePam (92738)
• United States
5 May 08
I always pull over. I am sometimes astounded that an ambulance can be right up behind a car, and that car doesn't get over to let them pass. I think perhaps that they have their radios up so loud they cannot hear the sirens. But that is no excuse. Many times I've had my radio up and I could not hear the sirens, however, I look in my review mirror often enough that I saw them coming. So no one really has an excuse. I can't imagine how much that frustrates the drivers of the ambulances and the police cars.
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
5 May 08
A) Yes,I'd pull over for Emergency Vehicles
B) I sure wouldn't want to tick off the Bomb Squad...!
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@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
Thanks ShepherdSpy. I am pleased to hear that you do pull over, I cannot understand ones that don't and no I definately wouldn't want to upset these guys either. Why are some people so inconsiderate. They may need an emergency service themselves one day and a few minutes can make such a difference. Ellie :D
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
5 May 08
When it is possible (depending on the road) I always give the right of way to any emergency vehicles and police. You are right, those few minutes that people don't think about could save a life. It annoys me to no end when people have plenty of room and will not move over, and those types of people are the same ones that would complain if an emergency vehicle didn't arrive to their emergency quickly. I have also been on the otherside of this issue, I have been in an emergency vehicle (firetruck) with lights and siren and been behind someone that would not move over and let us pass, and there was plenty of room on the shoulder for them to move over safely.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
You are so right these people that make no attempt to move out of the way are probably the ones that will complain the loudest if an emergency vehicle was delayed in getting to them. I am so pleased my friend had the guts an opportunity to say something to this woman who had overtaken all the moved over vehicles and then blocked the ambulance. i would also like to say that I admire anyone who works for any of these emergency services. They are all heroes in my book even if some of them see it as just doing their job. Thanks for sharing. Ellie :D
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
5 May 08
It is the law here in the state of Nebraska that you have to give right of way and pull over for emergency vechiles. If you don't you can get quite a hefty fine. Besided it should be just common courtesy to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle what if it is headed somewhere to pick up someone in your own family would that make a differernce? Those few seconds someone gets out of the way could save or cost a life I always pull over for emergency vehicles.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
My thoughts exactly! Whether is is law or not common curtesy says to move out of the way but some people just seem so selfish and don't and like you say it could be on the way to someone they know. Beats me why they don't move. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one. Ellie :D
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
5 May 08
I do pull over but, there are people, every time I see one, that don't and it ticks me off. I pulled over one day and the car behind me went zooming around me and passed me and the 5 cars that had pulled over ahead of me. Who the heck do they think they are? I wanted to find them, follow them to their stop, and ask them why they were so important that they couldn't stop for the 3 seconds while the emergency vehicle passed.
Another person kept going through an intersection while everyone else waited for the emergency vehicle.
You have to wonder if Karma will ever bite them in the butt for being so self-involved. You also have to wonder what they would think if it were someone they loved in the emergency vehicle or if they were waiting for the vehicle and people took precious seconds from their lives. Idiots!
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
Agree with 100% here on everything you said and in fact my friend experienced someone do the overtaking bit but did catch her at the next set of light s and got out and told her what for saying that her actions could have cost someone their life and to stop being so selfish. Well done my friend and well done you for wanting to do exactly the same. I don't wish harm on anyone but I do believ in Karma. Ellie :D
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
4 May 08
Hi Ellie..
yes everytime i see or hear i pull over..it is the Law and i think most people forget that..one lady forgot and Hit my daughter a couple of weeks ago and now she just told me they are going to total her car..Just got off the phone with her and she's so upset since they never give you enough that your car is worth..she just borrowed money from me for 2 new tires too.Oh well..gotta make the money here to help her..LOL
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
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5 May 08
Hi Rosekitty. I'm pleased to hear that you do and I am sorry to hear about your daughters car, as long as she is alright that is the main thing eh! I know what you mean about a car being written off you never get back what you should. She may get lucky you never know, lets hope so eh! Ellie :D
