Tonight I had to take my 5 year old to the emergency room because he cut his finger and we couldn't stop the bleeding (it was really deep).

The point is when you see someone behind you honking the horn with the four ways flashing what do you do? Do you get out of the way or do you stay there and look stupid? I couldn't get any one to move so that I could go around them. One guy even stopped in the middle of the road!!!!!!!!!!

I always move over and let them by, they are obviously in a bigger hurry than I am no matter what their reson is.

I just wanted to know what you thoughts are. Am I being unreasonable or are these people just self centered jerks?

Thanks for letting me vent.

dj

 

Lots of people won't even pull over for an emergency vehicle with the siren blasting....

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Personally, I would get out of their way.
As suggested, you don't know what the nature of the problem is, (maybe they don't have any brakes?) so you should just move!

However, there are some people that are better than others, and they own the part of the road that they are on, so they don't have to move for anybody. These people also rode the "special" bus in grade school, and are not required to read or follow directions. They can often be seen driving chevys, pushing on doors that say "pull" and having a completely loaded grocery cart in the "ten items or less" lane.


Built Ford Tough Andthensometoo!

 

Maybe they were deaf and didn't hear you honking?

 

The other thing is the may also think you are just some ***hole who is tailgating and wants everybody to get out of his way. Like the idiots on the freeway that like to flash the highbeams trying to do 90 in a 65 zone. Lots of people won't put up with stuff like that and think you are just being a jerk and won't move. If they knew the situation they'd move, but they don't know. I'd get out of the way, but of course, that's just me. Hope your son is okay.

Gary
==============================
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Not to be crass, but I'm going to put a wedge in this 'everyone's-so-friendly-to-other-users' FTE post... If the problem is bad enough that traffic needs to be moved, ambulances are the only ones who should be doing it. Your action put both you and your five year old at greater risk, as well as everyone else out on the road. One incident on the way there by some motorist who misjudged or did not understand your intentions could have made your child's care wait all that much longer for the police, fire and ambulances to arrive on the scene.

Plus, studies have shown that even ambulances, who carefully manage through intersections against the lights, only generally save minimal time vs. ambulances with patients who did not run lights and sirens. Hard to believe, but true.

Holding such injuries as high above the patient's heart as they can, plus direct pressure, generally will allow patients with hand injuries to be driven sanely to the hospital if they have some religious aversion to ambulances. If a piece is cut off, control the bleeding (this does not mean you have to entirely stop it, just slow it as best you can), place the part on ice in a baggy and call an ALS ambulance since the patient will probably need immediate fluid replacement.

 

I always move out of the way. I that hope your son is o.k., and that everything turned out fine

 

I have to agree with what most of GammaDriver had said.
I don't believe a ambulance call should be done unless necessary. Then rides arn't cheap.
I don't get out of the way unless there is at least one forward facing red light.

 

We live about 4 miles from the hospital and we have found in the past that we can be at the hospital before the ambulance can be to the house.

My son is fine now they had a hard time stopping the bleeding but did finally get it stopped.

The main point of my post was to bring awareness to others that you do not want to judge what the other driver is thinking. You don't know what is going on in my head nor I in yours. As far as waiting for an ambulance we have had problems in the past getting the bleeding to stop. Which is one of the reasons we live as close to the hospital as we do.

The ambulance companies around here are private companies and as such tend not to be the fastest to respond. That is why we moved closer to the hospital, knowing that our son has this problem. By the way. we also have insurance that covers emergencies 100%

My post was writen in the heat of anger after getting him home. I just thinkall people need to get out of the way, Who cares if it is some jerk who wants to do 90 in a 65 I would rather have them in front of me than behind me.

Thanks all,

dj

 

>Not to be crass, but I'm going to put a wedge in this
>'everyone's-so-friendly-to-other-users' FTE post... If the
>problem is bad enough that traffic needs to be moved,
>ambulances are the only ones who should be doing it


Not in all cases. i was a locksmith for AAA a few years ago. sometimes we would get calls where, for whatever reason, a child would be locked in a vehicle. in cases where a child was locked in an older car, the cops with their "slimjims" could get into the car(btw..dont let a cop do that if you dont have to....too much damage, call a locksmith) and rescue the child. newer cars are COMPLEATLY DIFFERENT. i was once dispatched to a call where a 4yr old child was locked in a new(99 at the time)caddy with the keys in the ignition on a 102deg. day in SE Virginia. a locksmith is the ONLY person who could get into this car short of breaking the windows. i was going as fast as i could with an amber light-bar, my flashers and horn running and nobody on the highway i was on seemed to care.

The point is......IF YOU SEE A VEHICLE WITH ANYTHING FLASHING ON IT...BE ALERT! you have NO idea why why those things are flashing. vehicles are equipped with such devices to tell you something is wrong and alert you to thier presence.

As for you being "crass and putting a wedge in this everyones-so-friendly-to-others" fte post.......you dont know this guys situation. maybe he could get his child to a hospital faster than an ambulance, maybe he only lived a few miles from the hospital. not every injury needs a ride in an ambulance. also.......HE'S A FATHER! give the guy a break.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 01-May-02 AT 07:49 PM (EST)]I had to do this very same thing at least 5 times in my life.

Once to meet an Ambulance(co-ordinated by cellphone)on the highway since the collison I came upon was 30 miles from the nearest hospital.Cosidering I am licensed to drive an Emergency,everything went fine. The RCMP & EMS were quite impressed with the whole thing.

Two of the other times were in the last year when Michelle had her strokes.The day after the 1st one and sent home,I had her sent to the ER in an ambulance because of her Heart failure.The other time(Halloween Night)during urban rush hour(5:00pm),I had her to the Hospital emergency ward in 6 minutes in getting treatment. We live 4 miles from the hospital

I also inform the 911 operator what I'm doing and what vehicle I'm driving at the time.
I would do it over and over again " In a Heart Beat "


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See gamma...the guy proved my point! he DID live a few miles away from the hospital! you shouldnt be so quick to judge. to quote you from one of my posts(why do people lift 4x2's) " its all good bud"

 

I would almost feel corrected, but people with self-described 'emergencies' are often people who end up in crashes.

I did my time in EMS, and saw enough stuff. I'm not convinced many cases need rushed to the hospital in the manner the original poster did it, especially when it's a treatable injury and the hospital is 4 miles away. Out in the boonies? then that's a different story - in fact the story wouldn't have been posted due to the lack of traffic one would meet out in the boonies, but I digress.

I've participated in coordinated meets, too... and that's all good and well. But claiming it's OK, or everything went well, because of our certifications in driving emergency vehicles is a poor attitude or understanding to have. If you're not in an emergency vehicle then you are not certified to drive some way, nor are you any safer in that unmarked vehicle.

All I ask is that people consider emergencies from the point of the patient - and that's normally ONE patient. Chancing making more of them, and slowing treatment for all, is just not a good idea.

For another gripe - If your loved one gets taken away in an ambulance with lights and siren blazing, I don't care how bad they ar, do not try to follow the ambulance with your blinkers going. If you get in a wreck the ambulance has a legal duty to STOP, no matter who they have in it, and check all patients at the scene.

Lastly, icelander - from a person who cares and has been on enough scenes... I'm sorry, but that has to be the absolute poorest story I have EVER heard to justify putting additonal people in danger. Tow trucks and locksmiths don't have real lightbars for a reason... you just illustrated it. Called to the scene or not, the window should have been broken in that true emergency. Nearly all EMS, Fire and Police personal have the window punch to do it, too.

Alright, I'm done reading 'what if' stories. I'm still not of the opinion it was a good idea in the original case, and while I refrained from posting it before (and I almost did), the argument that "HE'S A FATHER!" tells me he should have known better. Heck, the guys was still obviously overly excited after the fact when he posted it, and that's not the kind of driver who should be in charge of driving any patient anywhere. But I wasn't there, and I'm sure the hand was about to come off and his child was passing out from the lack of blood. I'm glad you all feel for his situation - let me ASSURE you that I do too. But ... heck, you all know what I'm getting at (or maybe you don't... this General Forum gets a little weird).

whitebenz asked a very real question and I gave him a very real answer instead of treating the post, and this forum, like an online Hallmark greeting card. I know most of you aren't used to it, but live with it and move on. Also, I'll promise to not interupt your General forum again.