To be very cross with this ambulance driver

[Silvercatowner]

Driving home from a work do yesterday, about 10.00 in the evening, I was following an ambulance - the big car type rather than the van type. It was pootling along, no sirens or anything. Just past a big junction, it pulled into the side and stopped. No signals or anything. I went to overtake and as I was just passing it, it put it's siren on and pulled away from the kerb at some speed. Had I been a yard iurther forward it would have hit me. I was quite shaken. i suspect the driver had completely failed to see me - it was really dangerous. I thought these drivers were supposed to be highly trained - this one evidently wasn't.

how dreadful

i hope you are okay now?

did you get any identifying details to report it?

I'm pretty sure if you report the location and time of the incident, the police or people in charge of this driver can find out who it was and have a talk or maybe even fine them.
YANBU - it sounds like very irresponsible and dangerous manoeuvre.

Alternatively, the driver got an emergency call and, unfortunately, as you were overtaking you were in his offside blind spot and he could not see you!

It being an ambulance, pulled over to the side makes it an extra hazard, imo. Just keep your eyes peeled and anticipate such things.

Or carry on being very cross indeed! Whatever!

That must have been a shock. Hope you're OK now.

Even a highly trained driver is at risk of plain old human error. I agree you were probably in his blind spot.

I understand why it has shaken you up but I'd have let it go by now.

They pulled over to take details of an emergency they had to attend. They then sped off to that emergency.

No one was hurt by them doing this, you got a bit of a fright!

OP, you don't say if you had a requirement to brake or swerve - if not, an ambulance pulling away at speed is hardly a "dangerous manoeuvre". Also, "cross"? If you're so easily shaken by such a non event, perhaps driving ain't for you?

Not "ambulance driver", "paramedic".

Sorry to be arsey but imagine having a job which involves you literally saving lives day to day and someone calls you an "ambulance driver". Totally minimises your skills and training.

Chances are they had a patient who needed stabilising at the roadside. Once stabilised enough to get moving again, blue lights and off. Ambulances don't always blue light everywhere, sometimes they're moving patients to different hospitals, or are transporting someone who suddenly deteriorates and it's an emergency.

They might not have seen you. Which is fair enough. It simply might have been a series of unfortunate events though- paramedics working on patient, gets into driving seat and checks mirrors, you just happen to be in a blind spot so they don't see you. They might have seen you and known they could get out without an accident, they are very experienced.

You're OK though. Frightening, but I wouldn't be angry.

I agree with Minus. Paramedics are under huge pressure. You don't even know why he stopped - but given that he had I'd have slowed right down too. I always slow right down in the vicinity of an ambulance precisely because they have to react instantly to changing situations either inside the ambulance or en route to a sick person.
I'm not sure you are ready for driving - you're clearly too highly strung. If we all had a complete breakdown every time another driver did something a bit thoughtless the world would grind to a halt.

Sorry to be arsey but imagine having a job which involves you literally saving lives day to day and someone calls you an "ambulance driver"

It was the driver of an ambulance. And your arseyness is forgiven.

Yes, I was more shocked than shaken, I guess, an accident narrowly averted is always a bit of a shock. When I drive I scan behind and in front and would know if someone was overtaking me. I'd expect someone driving an ambulance to have excellent driving skills, for some reason. I thought they had to take some sort of advanced skills thing to use the blue light.

Whoever is driving the ambulance is still a highly trained technician or paramedic who have passed an advanced driving course. Everyone is human and can have a moments lapse of concentration. Driving at high speed to a life or death situation avoiding drivers who cant or wont move for you isnt fun

They do.
(S)he made an error. It was unfortunate but human.
They are under pressure to drive among the dangerous, oblivious and stupid, safely and at speed while on a 14 hour shift many times without a meal break and in stressful situations.
A response car is a difficult shift as you will be sent to cat A calls asap alone to hold the fort until a truck can get there. You go anywhere in your patch from anywhere.This can be the difference between living and dying but mostly involves being sent pillar to post at the drop of a hat.
Are there some plonkers who don't appreciate their position as an advanced driver? One or two, much like anywhere.
Are most incredibly safe and are the sole reason some dozy turnip doesn't get shunted down the road because they have no idea what's going on around them? More often than not.
You were doing your job as a driver - being aware of things around you.
The paramedic made a mistake. It's likely they'll be upset to have done so. Report them if you have details so they are aware.
That doesn't make it any less our own responsibility as the driver of 2 tons of metal to be vigilant and aware of hazards around US, the assumption any car will never do anything unexpected because it is marked up is bizarre.

I've stopped being cross now.

"When I drive I scan behind and in front and would know if someone was overtaking me."

An ambulance would probably have a much bigger blind spot than your car though. Not saying that makes it right, but from this thread you've learned why ambulances can pull over without warning and then pull out again without blues on. What would you do differently next time?

I like how this thread worked out.

Errrm.... probably swear even more and hoot madly (I did flash my lights in a very cross way). Or, if it were a few seconds further on into the scenario, hope someone would help me with the crash scenario, which may possibly involve phoning for an ambulance.

Not considered allowing a bit more room then?

I'm often very cross with drivers. I presume they have passed a driving test even if appears they haven't. Then I swiftly move on and don't dwell on it.

I'm always wary of police/ambulances as you just never know when they'll get a call and rush off to, y'know save someone's lift.

There was no room, Inabeautifulplace. It was a busy urban road. And I fully get the saving someone's life thing, but had I been a metre further forward then the driver would have crashed into me - it was an extremely narrow miss as it was and I emergency stopped (in the middle of a busy road with traffic behind me...). No point in saving someone's life if one smashes another car in the process. The driving was shockingly poor and it just shook and surprised me. Thanks for the perspectives!

You flashed an ambulance on an emergency?

Yes.

But its fine - if s/he didn't notice me in the process of overtaking him then s/he's not likely to notice me flashing my lights at them....