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.

Let's get this straight. You were out driving and another driver made an error and nearly caused an accident.

I'll alert Reuters.

Thanks TTWK you'll save me a phone call.

An ambulance nearly hit you ....... but it didn't.
Think you need to get over it!!!!

Lol - read the thread! I was quite shaken after it happened (as you are in a near miss situation), but am over it now..... just appreciating the different perspectives!

I've read the thread, I was commenting on your over reaction at the time and your over reaction of posting about it a day later.

Ok - thanks for clarifying.

You're welcome.

Would you have considered crossing the White line in anticipation though. I wouldn't have before this thread.

All I'm saying is that you've witnessed some poor driving. Now that you have some commentary about what might have occurred, what could you change.

Flashing your lights isn't ever going to help though, that isn't good driving on your part.

I can understand you got a shock but you flashed at an ambulance clearing responding to an emergency? Ummm. Not your finest hour that.

'Ambulance drive' eek unfortunately they got a 999 call and yes he did prob forget to check. However he is not an ambulance driver he is a professional either paramedic or technician.

I don't understand about not crossing the white line. The ambulance had stopped outside a shop - as far as I knew the driver could have been nipping in for some fags or something. Was I just meant to stop behind them and wait? As far as I am aware, apart from the flashing lights thing which was wrong but was a result of my feelings following a very near miss, I was driving carefully. I have been driving for 30 years and, apart from a serious accident 25 years ago which was completely not my fault, have not had a crash. I do consider myself a careful driver (the accident 25 years ago was horrific and completely changed my driving style). Apart from stopping behind him, which would have been ridiculous, what should I have done? I was going very slowly, but s/he started off like a bat out of hell. There was no way I could have taken any avoiding action.

Please stop calling him "the driver".

Why? I presume someone was driving.... although no idea whether it was he or she.

"The person who was driving"????

But it is an ambulance. The person driving is much much more than A Driver. Its like getting arsey at a Policeman driving and calling them a Driver. Or a Pilot.

What they do isnt driving. That is just an element of their job. A taxi driver is a driver. That is the sole/main purpose of their job. A paramedics purpose is to preserve life. They just happen to have to drive there first.

Lol - ok.... but at that point in time, they were driving. I don't define myself as a driver either, but I was the driver of the car. At that point in time.

A response car is driven by a paramedic. They are solo responders. 'Ambulance driver' is patronising and incorrect (as you stated it was a car, not an ambulance).

YABU - it's a emergency vehicle, responding to emergencies. You should give it plenty of room and expect it to do unexpected things. If he (or she) went off that suddenly he may well have been going to a cardiac arrest or a child (the only things I have seen paramedics really rush for). I realise it was a shock but emergency services personnel are human too and sometimes make errors.

You say that if you were a yard closer he would have hit you? But you weren't a yard closer so where's the problem?
And as for flashing an ambulance responding to an emergency, shit why don't you go the whole hog and report him for speeding too!
I bet he didn't give way at junctions either, and he probably ran a few red lights. The bastard.

Seriously? The person driving a response car is not "a driver". They have the skills to save lives!

If you or a loved one are taken seriously ill that "driver" might be first on scene and would do everything in their power to ensure you lived.

Maybe you are unaware and do actually think an "ambulance driver" just picks up ill people and carts them to hospital and we can forgive you for being ignorant.

A relative of mine is a paramedic. If you ask her how many lives she's saved she's very modest and says "oh only a few, we just try our best to resuscitate and keep them stable until we reach a and e". But, feel free to call her an "ambulance driver".

YANBU OP. Ignore sanctimonious idiots. The sun has gone to some people's heads.

Christ Almighty this went downhill, didn't it?

OP, what ^^ she said