I get choked up seeing cars move for an ambulance, anybody else?!

[Sprinklesandsprinkles]

Every time this happens to me I wonder if I am the only one!

Basically as the title says, when an ambulance is moving through traffic with their blue lights and I see people pulling to the side for them, I feel a big wave of emotion. For a few seconds I feel choked up like I'm about to burst into tears!

I very rarely cry and don't have anxiety so it's nothing like that. My only guess is that I feel emotional that the drivers are all pulling together to help the person who's in need of the ambulance.

I'd love to hear whether or not I'm alone! I'd feel stupid asking people in real life.

No, never. It's the law, people are required to do it. Plus they'd be complete and utter fuckwits if they didn't.

I do, however, give a thought to the patient, who is having a terrible, terrible day.

I feel the same when i see a mass reaction to an event. Such as people rushing to help push a car out of the traffic or when bystanders organise themselves following an accident . And every time im in the audience and theres a well deserved standing ovation. I feel so silly tearing up as if Im part if the production .

@PopThatBench so very sorry about your mum.

This makes me emotional too. Makes you realise the goodness that is in most people.

My old dog used to howl along with ambulance sirens and it always makes me think of her.

There was a huge accident near us and seeing all the emergency vehicles tearing towards it and the air ambulance landing was overwhelming. The skill, bravery and compassion of emergency workers is incredible.

Yes, I get what you mean OP.

Not so much 'choke up', it's more like a feel a glow of pride that everybody around me is pulling together for the benefit of another. Almost a sense or communion.

Goodness, what kind of Autobahn do you frequent where that happens as a precaution? I‘ve never experienced it happening without concrete need. For one thing, in most cases the hard shoulder is kept free for emergencies so ambulances can whizz down there much quicker than a narrow makeshift Rettungsgasse. Only in the few instances where the hard shoulder is in use as a lane (generally contraflow from roadworks) would any action be necessary. And often then I would expect a roadsign at the start of the contraflow warning of the need to keep space free if needs be.
But it’s true that letting first responders through by creating space is thoroughly drilled into German learner drivers from the start - Germany has a Good Samaritan law so presumably any driver who refused to take evasive action could technically be prosecuted. Never seen it happen though - the moment you hear a siren you look around to see if it’s approaching you from the rear, and check if there’s anything you need to do to create that Rettungsgasse. It’s like an auto-response. German drivers may think it’s their god-given right to do 180 in the fast lane, but they‘re also hugely disciplined about it, and also about pivoting quickly into ‘rescue mode’.

So is this still not taught to British learner drivers? Leaving people to intuit what they need to do sounds unwise.

Me too! I thought it was just me! I can feel my eyes start leaking as I watch a mass of traffic which had previously been unable to move just collectively realise that someone is in trouble and they need help. Gets me every time.

Yes, same for me OP. I’m glad to see others like us on this thread. I’ve always been like this but it’s especially acute since I had to call an ambulance for my tiny baby daughter who had an undiagnosed condition & was struggling to breathe (now 12 & perfectly fine.)

My mother’s partner was an EMT for decades & has many tales to tell about trying to get an ambulance on an emergency call through city traffic. One memorable time was when he was trying to get a critically ill baby to hospital & a woman flatly refused to budge. He was calling to her from the cab window asking her to move as all the other drivers had & she got out of her vehicle to remonstrate with him - astoundingly, drivers do abandon their cars to go & shout at paramedics trying to save seriously ill people. Whilst she was out a host of other drivers briefly abandoned their cars & physically shunted hers out of the way. She was left screaming & shouting as he sped off.

He always said in decades of saving lives he’s only come across a few absolute idiots. Most people do everything they can to help.

Yes. Or happy news stories.
I read about some school kids who 3d printed an arm for their friend as a surprise because he was sad he couldn't play baseball. I wasnt crying but I couldn't read the story outloud because my voice was all emotional.
I feel stupid so Im glad it's not just me.

Yes it fills me with pride in our community tbh!! Especially when I seen a Yt video showing how different countries respond and some of them just refused to move.

This.

I remember the utter morons who didn’t move in rush hour London traffic for us. My 1 year old died the next day. I doubt the extra minutes would have made a difference, but even so, the selfishness of some people gets me.

We live on the route to the local crematorium. Driving slowly behind the hearse and mourners cars as a matter of respect, is second nature now. I am constantly astonished at the idiots who cannot wait a few minutes and have to overtake. I always feel upset for the mourners.

I live right by one too. I've never ever witnessed anyone overtake a hearse. I would be truly shocked to see that. What an awful thing to do.

With most people, yes I think they genuinely want to help the ambulance get to someone however I'm sure some are only moving because they legally have to and would be in trouble if they didn't. I used to think everyone would care about someone in trouble but I recall a phone call when I was a student working in the call centre of a major supermarket. It was dealing with grocery home deliveries. One woman called up rudely demanding to know where her shopping was. I called the phone of the driver only to for it to be answered( not be the driver himself as he was in no fit state to be answering) advising me that the ambulance services were there and the driver had had an accident and the van was basically in a ditch. I went back on hold to the woman, apologising and explaining that the driver had been in an accident and that we would sort something else out and get back to her. Well, this wasn't good enough. She started screaming at me that she had paid for a 7-8pm slot (or whatever it was) and that she wanted her shopping NOW. She said that she fully expected a gesture of goodwill voucher and her delivery charge refunded. This was without even once asking how the driver was. I was absolutely disgusted and sharply told her that an ambulance was in attendance due to the seriousness of the accident and that her shopping would wait. I really wasn't caring by this point. The fact that an ambulance was in attendance etc made not one jot to her. Sadly this wasn't the only time that I dealt with such selfish behaviour when drivers has been delayed due to accidents etc.

Yes, me too. It reminds me that some things are bigger and more important than our day to day issues.

I know what you mean OP. I always get choked up at sports day, watching the kids cheering and supporting each other. I think it's just a reminder that fundamentally most people are pretty decent.

I once witnessed a huge group of scouts returning off a ferry from a jamboree. Without planning or discussion, they formed instantly into a chain to get their huge pile of dumped luggage carefully loaded into the countless cars and minibuses that were waiting for them.

Just cheerful young people acting together, using logic and teamwork to get a job done.

I was fucking weeping.

I posted this this morning then forgot about it as I wasn't sure I'd get any responses! So great to hear it's not just me as I'd expected!!

I'm so sorry for everyone who it drags up sad and scary memories for. As well as hearses, it must be so sad when you know what it's like driving behind one. I liked hearing about the people stopping to bow their heads in the street.

I called an ambulance for my baby who was struggling to breathe (turned out it was croup) and after an hour of waiting terrified we drove them in ourselves. I got the choked up feeling before this happened, but now when I see them on blue lights I feel glad for the person who is actually getting an ambulance response.

The German system seems to smart and obvious I wish we'd introduce it here.

Wow that must have been such a strange feeling when you realised it was for her and you'd moved for it. I'm so sorry to hear you didn't make it

Ambulances with sirens/blue lights give me anxiety/PTSD, due to a traumatic experience.

Yes absolutely, love it when strangers help each other.

Yes! I remember saying nano it it to my husband once when we were in the car in heavy traffic and an ambulance came through and he thought I was bonkers!
There was an incident near my town this week where people came together to try and help a stranger and I found it so moving that all these people rushed to help.

Yes, I know what you mean. Everyone pulling together to help people they don't know.

Yes I do this too! I find it really emotional .

also get choked up watching little kids sprint their heart out on sports day.

I do. Apparently it's a 'thing'.