What's the done thing - ambulance blocking me in

[rightsofwomen]

Ambulance (no flashing lights) outside blocking me (and 5 neighbours) in.

Need to leave (non urgent) in 10 mins.
I can’t ask them to move, can I?

[schoolgaterebel]

I knew someone who lived down a narrow lane leading to a church. She was routinely blocked in by hearse & funeral cars, always filled with bereaved family members. She often missed appointments or was late.

They met with local funeral homes but there was nothing the drivers of the hearses and limousine chauffeurs could do as their lane was the only access and drop off point (they could not turn around so just lined up in the lane and waited).

On trying to get a vehicle moved one day to get her DD to an important hospital appointment she was confronted by a distraught and emotional widow, who was wailing and swearing at her (understandably completely focussed on her own sad day) it was awful for everyone involved.

They sold their house and moved eventually.

[Eryri1981]

Since have bigger ambulances and ones with tail lifts we have no choice but to block roads on a regular basis.

Lights flashing or not is irrelevant. If you leave the lights on you have to leave the engine running (run lock, so no keys in the ignition) or else risk draining the battery. In residential areas we would generally consider leaving the engine running and/ or the lights on ( the strobe lights are really intrusive) to be totally inconsiderate, and therefore we avoid doing it out of courtesy (particularly at night). Unless it would be dangerous otherwise.

Knocking on the door of ambulance or house, coming up to window of house (I just close the curtains in their face) or tooting horn will just piss us off and potentially distress patient and family.

We will generally park it better once patients had been assessed/ move off to a better spot to do further interventions if it is convenient and of no detriment to the patient.

I have no issue with being politely asked if I could move it when possible of I am out getting stuff from ambulance.

[JonSnowsWife]

Still feel embarrassed to this day that I beeped the ambulance.

Housework that's completely understandable. No need to feel embarassed about that.

[NerrSnerr]

I’m surprised how many people think it’s ok to knock on the door of someone with an ambulance crew inside? What if they’d fallen ill in the hallway? How undignified for the patient. Could be relatives watching the crew do CPR or comforting them after the death of a loved one. If I was late for work or an appointment I’d call and explain.

[HouseworkIsAPain]

This reminds me of the time an ambulance was blocking my cul de sac. I leaned to the right to see if I could squeeze past, hands on steering wheel. My arm accidentally leant on the horn, which was on the left and right of the steering wheel rather than in the middle. The paramedic did come out and move the ambulamce and I don’t think believe me when I said I beeped accidentally.

Still feel embarrassed to this day that I beeped the ambulance.

[rightsofwomen]

Film excellent.
Neighbour had chest pains, but all ok after check. A good outcome

[jacks11]

Is getting to work really that urgent that you have to ask a paramedic to stop delivering potentially life saving treatment to move their ambulance?

Don't be so ridiculous! That is clearly not what I meant. But for clarity, I would not ask the paramedics to stop delivering lifesaving- or any other- treatment to move the ambulance. I would, however, be prepared to go over with the intention of enquiring whether they would be able to move- obviously, if it was clear that something serious was happening or paramedics/family/friend said they couldn't move, that would be an end to it. As I said, ambulances are frequently delayed in non life-threatening situations- having to make full checks (even though clear patient is fine) or whilst waiting to be called back by another service such as GP. In those situations, you could be waiting a very long time for them to move and it would be perfectly safe for the ambulance to be moved.

[JonSnowsWife]

And obviously people who need emergency treatment themselves.

[JonSnowsWife]

I think people are a little ott about never daring to ask an ambulance if they could move

Not at all. Unless you're an on-call neurosurgeon or a paramedic yourself. It is rude and unnecessary and 90% of the time done out of pure entitlement.

[thewheelsonthebuz]

The flashing lights are to warn oncoming traffic to get out of the way

Nothing to do with the ‘seriousness’ or otherwise of a call out!

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

ukelelebanana

Yep, you’re right, they could be and that would change things. But for most jobs, it wouldn’t be life or death.

[ukelelebanana]

Is getting to work really that urgent that you have to ask a paramedic to stop delivering potentially life saving treatment to move their ambulance?

They could be a paramedic! Or any number of things where you can't just come in a bit later.

[JacquesHammer]

Absolutely ok, to ask if you have a real emergency not just an urgent appointment

I'm currently under hospital care following an accident. On the letters that give me my appointments it makes it VERY clear that if I miss an appointment or give less than 24 hours for cancellation then I am discharged.

So not an emergency as I don't require emergency treatment, but I do need to remain under the hospital care therefore it is urgent.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

but for something more serious such as to get to an important hospital appointment or to go to work, then I would ask

Is getting to work really that urgent that you have to ask a paramedic to stop delivering potentially life saving treatment to move their ambulance? I think I would ring my work and explain the situation and get in as soon as you can.

[ukelelebanana]

Yes, I know. Could you stop explaining how ambulances work to someone who has told you they have had many to their house?

I was talking specifically about one instance, not about all in general. I think that was obvious.

[SomethingNewToday]

I think people are a little ott about never daring to ask an ambulance if they could move

There's no harm in asking...if you knock a door once and there's no answer or they say it can't be moved then so be it.

I had this yesterday...I needed to urgently get my car out so knocked the door where the ambulance was and they came and moved it no problems.

[JonSnowsWife]

we clearly weren't haring off to hospital

Not 'haring off to the hospital' does not mean it is not an emergency. The reason they often take so long to move is because the patient is too ill to move in the first place.

[WeAllHaveWings]

But on the other side, we once had one that came out, by the time they got there things had calmed, they assessed, and that took quite a while. A neighbour knocked and asked politely if the ambulance could possibly move as they had their own emergency happening, and they absolutely needed to get past. They could tell the ambulance has been there for a while, we clearly weren't haring off to hospital. It wasn't an issue to move for them.

Absolutely ok, to ask if you have a real emergency not just an urgent appointment, or late for the cinema. When my neighbour was suffering his heart attack they were in there for well over 30 minutes, before blue lighting him off in the ambulance to Glasgow for immediate life saving procedures. Not sure exactly what they were doing during that time as I didn't ask the details, but I know he was terrified and a neighbour knocking on the door to ask the ambulance to move because they had somewhere to be would have been seriously inappropriate.

[Ellybellyboo]

It sounds very much like she is minimising their callout because the patient is elderly and falls a lot.

No, it was explaining that it happens regularly and that I would never normally ask. On this occasion, I had to be somewhere urgent (taking my daughter to have a colonoscopy) so had to ask

[ukelelebanana]

@ukelelebanana sometimes in an emergency they need to get the patient either more stable before they can move them, or are doing cpr for close to an hour+ so an ambulance being there for awhile isnt really an indication of emergency

If you read my post you can tell I am fully aware of the procedures and possibilities. In the example given however the person who asked for it to be moved was having an emergency while we, with the ambulance, were not.
Are you suggesting my neighbour should not have asked if it could be moved?

[jacks11]

I think it depends on how urgent it is- for a non-urgent thing I would wait, but for something more serious such as to get to an important hospital appointment or to go to work, then I would ask. Although I wouldn't get blocked in where I live (rural) but I wouldn't be able to get a bus or walk, and I wouldn't be able to get a taxi at short notice.

There are times when ambulance crews end up stuck with a patient waiting for something- e.g. a call back from the GP or out of hours GP- so they could feasibly be asked to move without endangering anybody. In a situation where you actually do need to go, I don't think it is unreasonable to (politely) enquire if it would be possible if the ambulance can move- as long as you accept (with good grace) if it can't/don't ask if it is patently obvious something serious is going on when you arrive on the doorstep.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Not the poster in question but I read it as she usually doesn't ask them to move but on this occasion she had to as she had somewhere urgent to be?

It is still unreasonable to ask an ambulance attending an emergency callout to move unless you have a true emergency situation yourself for example getting someone to A&E, urgent situations such as getting to a dentist appointment/work on time, picking a child up do not warrant interrupting emergency service personal while attending an emergency callout. It sounds very much like she is minimising their callout because the patient is elderly and falls a lot.

[confusedlittleone]

@ukelelebanana sometimes in an emergency they need to get the patient either more stable before they can move them, or are doing cpr for close to an hour+ so an ambulance being there for awhile isnt really an indication of emergency

[Ellybellyboo]

We get blocked in about once a fortnight. Normally I never ask.

On this occasion I had somewhere urgent to be so I had to ask (I was taking my daughter to have a colonoscopy)

[ukelelebanana]

Come on, lets be reasonable. I have had an urgent ambulance to my house several times, and it does block the road. It's not ok to ask them to move, generally.
But on the other side, we once had one that came out, by the time they got there things had calmed, they assessed, and that took quite a while. A neighbour knocked and asked politely if the ambulance could possibly move as they had their own emergency happening, and they absolutely needed to get past. They could tell the ambulance has been there for a while, we clearly weren't haring off to hospital. It wasn't an issue to move for them.

Let's all be reasonable, shall we?