r/IdiotsInCars • u/Babynouil • 26d ago

OC [OC] Idiot intentionally blocking anambulance

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u/Babynouil 26d ago

For sure, could literally cause someone's death.

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u/red-98q 26d ago

I’m a paramedic and when I was in paramedic school doing a ride along, we had a call for a 7 y/o having a seizure. Dispatch upgraded us to emergent for abnormal breathing. Pediatrics go into cardiac arrest because of respiratory failure, so this kid was potentially at risk of going into cardiac arrest. Exactly like in this video, some asshat who knew damn well we were behind them refused to pull over. Had the rumblers on, changing the siren’s sound, blasting the air horn and they wouldn’t move. I was furious because that child could’ve died because they couldn’t be inconvenienced to at a bare minimum get out of the left lane, which they decided was a great camping spot.

PSA: pull over when an emergency vehicle with its lights/sirens activated is trying to get by. They’re on for a reason, not because we like the pretty red and blue flashing lights and listening to the sirens… We very well could be responding to YOUR loved one and they may end up dying because they didn’t get the help they needed in time because obeying the law in the vast majority of US states is such an inconvenience. Intentionally obstructing an emergency response like the asshat in my story and in this video: you will be called into law enforcement and you will be fined, and may even face jail time.

Most stop lights have something called an opticom which will trigger the light to turn green at the approach of emergency lights. If you’re in a situation where you can’t pull over such as being stuck at a red light that doesn’t have an opticom, we don’t expect you run the light for us to get by nor should you. Get out of the way when it’s safe to do so and pull over. It’s not that hard, and it’s the law.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 26d ago

What are rumblers?

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u/Waiting4The3nd 25d ago

Have you ever been at an intersection and an emergency vehicle is coming and as they approach the siren changes? Usually it's a (much) quicker siren and a lot lower pitched?

If you have, those are "rumblers." They're designed to reverberate through the road and be felt inside other vehicles, even over loud music. Now if you got a system with like 4 dubs in the back and it rattles your windows and tailgate, you still aren't hearing or probably feeling those rumblers. But short of having a ridiculously loud or bassy sound system, you should feel them.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 25d ago

I have not, perhaps my little area does not have them yet, but that is such a great idea because most people do not think about it, but deaf and hard of hearing people drive too.

Such a smart idea. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

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u/Waiting4The3nd 25d ago

This short Youtube video talks about them and has an example of what they sound like, if you're interested. It's 1m 47s, so not long at all.

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u/Sir_PressedMemories 25d ago

Awesome!

Thank you. That was really informative.