Ambulance Tailgating - The Ultimate Act of Stupidity

[grandpa_spec_F6]

After what I just witnessed I am going to petition the Gov to introduce mandatory "Respecting the Road" awareness classes for anyone renewing their license.

The following is what I can only describe as the height of stupidity, to set the scene: Brisbane - 5:50pm - Bruce Highway heading North - Raining cats and dogs - Gridlock

I see in my side mirror lights flashing, and about a minute later the Ambulance nears me. I do as everyone else and pull over to the shoulder of the road, Ambo flys by through the middle of all the cars, TAILGAITED, NOT JUST FOLLOWED, I'M TALKING LESS THAN A METER AWAY FROM THE AMBULANCE BUMBPER by this MORON OF BIBLICAL PORPORTIONS.

What is wrong with people... plain and simple... first Ambulance officers being abused by car thieves here in Brisbane, now people nearly causing an accident while they are en-route to potentially save someone's life??

This is by far the dumbest things I've ever witnessed on the road, a very wet, dangerous road at that.

For those wondering about make / model, it was one of the usual suspects, it's not about what they were driving, it's the attitude.


/rant...

[SPArKy_Dave]

Maybe it was their significant other in the back of the ambo,
and both vehicles were heading to the hospital?

[No.6]

Ambulance officers usually tell family not to follow the ambulance due to safety hazards, so they usually tell them what hospital the patient will be taken to.

[Jim Goose]

Irrespective if it thier other half or not... its illegal, stop and dangerous.

They probably thinking they would get a free "pass" through the traffic more like.

A few yrs ago a fireman (who i knew from a pervious job) was telling me on some of the idiots on the road one day when a little girl had been hit by a car and was laying on the ground where she fell. The Ambulance was on its way and the fire truck had got there first.

One muppet couldnt wait and was trying to sneak past the truck and the girl who was just a few meters from the kerb. Having seen this idiot trying to sneak through (there was barely enough room to get past the girl and the kerb) the firies got up and stopped him.

The guy was adament that he could get through and when they told him no, he went off and started to abuse them for blocking the road!

3 big burly firemen and one idiot in a ute..... seriously people how hard is it to TURN AROUND and go another way? I woulda put an axe through his head.


The problem is that there is no IQ test to get a licence and sadly too many morons get them with no clue on how to behave or even drive responsibly.

One of the most irritatting things i see everyday, numerous times a day, is people turning left from the right hand lane in multilane road (and vice versa). Its like, at the last second.. oh i have to turn left and then just cut across 2 lanes without even indicating.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by SPArKy_Dave

Maybe it was their significant other in the back of the ambo,
and both vehicles were heading to the hospital?

Unfortunatly there isn't a hospital heading in the direction they were going... this was a case of what you see is what you get.

[Mitch_]

While stupid yes. I really doubt that the government will even consider that. I know you spend enough time waiting in line to renew your licence ******** if I wanna do some stupid awareness class! It'd all be common sense anyway!

[jpd80]

Pity ambulances don't have 360 degree cameras recording traffic activity around them during an emergency dash,
I have witnessed similar brainless activities when idiots tailgate emergency vehicles through peak hour traffic,
that's about as selfish and inconsiderate as it gets..

[CustomG6ET]

i agree maybe make the fine for being caught doing this high so people go HOLY CRAP im not doing that again. You hit them in the hip pocket it tends to get though to the harder of learning

[MAGPIE]

I had some knob do this to me when I was driving the BRT to job a few years ago. It's hard enough looking out for traffic behaving normally without having to watch the mirrors to make sure the tailgater isn't going to use your rig as launch platform to heaven every time you haul up for a red light.

[bangm001]

When my uncle had his heart attack a number of years ago now, my aunty followed him in her private car in very much the same way all the way to the hospital. Im sure if you had a significant other you would do the same.

[NGN 351]

I am an ambulance paramedic and we put up with this type of moronic behaviour all the time. There is NEVER any reason for family to follow the ambulance when it is on a priority 1, the relatives in the car following are not the one suffering a life threatening emergency and many ambulances have the potential of being rammed by the car following if it has to break suddenly then no one wins as this ambulance is now non operational . Then you have to wait for a back up crew. What the family doesnt realise is the pt outcome WILL NOT change regardless of wether they get to the hospital at the same time as the ambulance or 10 minutes later. So stop putting our lives at risk if you are one of these people, remember that paramedics are mostly unrestrained in the back whilst attending the pt. You have to trust your crew mate driving without fear whilst this goes on and yes we are exempt from wearing a seat belt in the back!
End of rant also...

[saam]

You guys obviously havent been to europe

Its quite commone over there, stipid yes, but common non the less

[GULL]

stupid, smart and selfish take your pick

[robbyj]

reminds me of a mr bean episode where he tail gates the ambulance to the hospital, and parks behind the ambulance and rushes into the hospital, the ambo's cant get the back doors open because his little car is parked right there.

[BHDOGS]

bringing in a course for this it pointless as people should already know not to do this it shouldnt need to be pointed out

[Gaz]

Get his plates? I'm sure you could get the news to run a story about the idiot asking for other witnesses to call in and get the guy charged.. That'd be karma!

[Dave R]

I see it a lot, people tailgate emergency vehicles in order to cut through traffic as everyone else makes way. They leave absolutely no room so that nobody else can cut in front of them. It's moronic, but most people are moronic on the roads so it's not surprising.

[H.G]

well somebody had to teach these people how to drive..

[Reaper8]

Originally Posted by H.G

well somebody had to teach these people how to drive..

ya usally the bogans mate in the passenger seat eggin them on. peoples driving has gone to the dogs, i used to do some stupid stuff when i was younger but no where near as bad as what i see today and driving around at night for work you see a lot. its surprissing the road toll isnt higher than it is.

[LTDHO]

I think turning in front or stopped in front of an ambo is a little more serious then tailgaiting one.

[H.G]

each generations bottom feeders show a little less respect than the last.. its all a part of our American transformation.. reduce discipline and consequence. Im sure the generation before mine says the same about us. and so on and so on.

long hairs and skin heads ruined this game
remember the days when we all looked the same
that fella called ringo and his mates,thier to blame
but Im wasting me breath on you sonny...

[RepSpec]

"it's kind of like football isnt it?"
"what"
"get yourself a blocker and head for the end zone"

stupid behaviour even if it is a loved one in the back

[Dave3911]

In another life I spent about 7 to 8 years doing the volunteer firefighter thing in a busy suburban area. The stupid things drivers do is amazing.

On one particular day we attended a pretty significant house fire, two storey, flames through the roof. I was given the task of getting mains water supply into the main fire appliance attacking the fire, which I did, but the closest hydrant was on the opposite side of the road, meaning the hose was blocking the street. We were still waiting on the coppers, so I had to stand in the road turning back traffic until they got there.

Up comes a taxi driver, with passenger on board. Even though he'd watched 4 or 5 cars turn around he still approached right up to the hose, as if somehow I'd miraculously allow him through. I went up to his drivers window, he wound it down, I told him to back up and turn around. I turned my back to the taxi and I'd taken a few steps away and I hear the throttle increase violently on the firetruck I was supplying water to and watch the soft canvas fire hoses immediately suck flat. Yup, moron had tried to drive over and when yelled at by his passenger actually stopped on the hose. 4 Blokes inside the house, fighting the fire, instantly lost water supply (thankyfully reinstated only a few seconds later by the tank supply). To top it off, after Id given him a serious ear-bashing, the boss came up and instructed him to stay for the police. He drove off.

The taxi directorate took his license and the coppers slapped him with 5 or 6 charges relating to failure to follow direction and conduct endangering life... it took forever and he went to court and got a slap on the wrist....

[kyro_02]

i like a free pass through the traffic

*gets back in his burrow*

[castellan]

It was probably just a unmarked cop car they are every where in QLD.

[GS608]

Originally Posted by castellan

It was probably just a unmarked cop car they are every where in QLD.

If so they would be driving with lights too

[DJM83]

Any more personal insults and offenders will get a holiday, one already has a warning.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by NGN 351

remember that paramedics are mostly unrestrained in the back whilst attending the pt. You have to trust your crew mate driving without fear whilst this goes on and yes we are exempt from wearing a seat belt in the back!
End of rant also...

I work for a company which builds Ambulances and I've been in the back of one with no seat belt for testing purposes, we where doing maybe 50km/h looking for rattles and other issues in a new ambulance and when we went over some bumps you bounce around a lot in the back.

Imagine what its like at 100km/h+

[grandpa_spec_F6]

On reflection I see I've upset some people, I also know that the Gov would never agree to an "awareness" program, money needs to be spent elsewhere.

To clarify a few things, I used to work for Emergency Services here in QLD so I know what our crews have to put up with, which is why when I saw this I boiled under the collar a bit.

The ambulance was headed north, if they had a casualty they would have been heading south towards the hospital. I still stand by my statement that they were doing the wrong thing, driving less than one meter from the back of an ambulance in the wet through peak hour traffic isn't the safest thing to do regardless of the situation.

Apologies to anyone I offended, or who has had to deal with family in such a situation, this was not targeted toward them and I sympathise with anyone put in such a horrible situation.