LoriRose

I just arrived home, and about 5 minutes ago as I was approaching a red light where I needed to make a left onto a one-way, where I take advantage of the crosswalk to make my turn (illegal? Maybe. Stupid? Not really), a friggin ambulance that has been right behind me for a couple blocks sounds its alarm just as I'm leaning into my turn and is headed right for me. If I stop it will hit me so in a moment of panic I continue on. Now as soon as I have crossed the street the alarm stops, and doesn't start again within the time I arrive home. The alarm scared the crap out of me, let me tell you. My suspicion is that it was done on purpose. If not, then still not fun!!!!!

jeichelberg87

If the ambulance driver activated his siren in a non-emergency situation, that driver should be reported immediately. Please follow up on this.

skye

I'll be honest with you. None of that made sense.

LoriRose

An ambulance sounded its alarms as it was approaching me from behind and scared the crap outta me. I had just started to turn left using the crosswalk - because it was a red light. It could have hit me as it drove through the red light.

genec

I was once riding along a quiet route in San Diego just cruising along where I thought I knew the streets... I had followed one long road only to discover it was the entrance to a cemetery... just as I whipped around in a U turn, I realized that a funeral procession had somehow come up behind me... I had "led" them right into the cemetery.

kickstart

The moral of the story?

Don't get complacent in familiar territory, and always keep ones guard up?

vol

Hmm, wonder which is worse, siren or sudden release of black smoke next to you (also by ambulances on my commute).

Moe Zhoost

Could have been on purpose, but I would think that most EMS are more professional than this. Sounds like a harrowing experience but still, I'd give the driver the benefit of the doubt and pardon him/her for the "switch fumble".

LoriRose

I wouldn't call it a switch fumble as the driver sped up and proceeded through the red light. Once passed the intersection the sirens were silenced. It very well may have been legit/necessary, but the manner in which it happened suggested to me that they wanted to get a kick out of scaring me because I think they were unable to pass me for a few blocks.

Chris516

I was thinking the same thing!!
Like an ambulance driver can flip a switch from 'I am just doing my job', to 'time to be a pain in the ***'.

Looigi

A pedestrian in a crosswalk has the right of way. A cyclist riding in a crosswalk does not. If you're turning left, it's usually best to be in a lane from which a left turn is usually made, rather than turn in front of traffic approaching from behind.

LoriRose

Right. I already acknowledged that what I was doing was not ideal. I have made this turn in front of STOPPED traffic hundreds of times and only about half a dozen of those times has a pedestrian also been using the crosswalk. I am not a reckless or careless cyclist, I obey the traffic laws the majority of the time. Getting over to the turning lane, however, has proven dangerous, and waiting at the red light to cross over the intersection and then waiting again to cross, or getting off and walking the bike frankly seems like overkill.

You're right though, the driver of the ambulance may not have expected me to turn and cross his/her path but as far as I'm concerned those who are trained to drive an emergency vehicle in downtown traffic in a city with a substantial amount of cyclists should not have been surprised by my maneuver, especially because my body language, i.e., scanning the intersection, should have tipped them off. Perhaps next time I will signal my intentions though I don't think it would have made a difference as it was one of those "it all happened so fast" scenarios.

Daniel4

When someone honks, I let it go. I say to myself "This is the business we've chosen." I never ask "Who honked?" because it had nothing to do with cycling.

GlennR

A number of weeks ago i was riding and heard a siren coming up behind, so I moved to the right to let the ambulance by. As soon as he passed I moved back so I would not be in the sand and debris. Suddenly a second ambulance almost hit me..... they didn't have their siren on.

About a 1 mile down the road I saw both of them on a side ride. A quick look and they were just standing around, so I made a turn and gave the second drive a piece of my mind. He said the first siren should of been enough. I gave him a few four letter words and told him if a cop was there I would file a complaint that he didn't have his siren on, almost hit me and ran a few stop signs.

I always get out of the way for emergency vehicles, but they should respect the public and not do unsafe things.

gregf83 

Signal your intention to ride illegally? Sorry your story doesn't make sense. You're obligated to abide by the same rules as vehicles and that means you don't get to switch from riding in lanes to riding on crosswalks when it suits you.

Next time learn to move over into the turn lane and wait your turn like everyone else.

Chris516

I don't, but do, let it go. The most I do is say 'WHAT!!!! and keep going.

LoriRose

Again, I have already acknowledged that how I made my turn might be illegal. I'm not sure why this makes my story senseless though. An emergency vehicle scared the crap outta me. Had I stopped at the light instead of turning it still would have scared the crap outta me. I suspect it was done intentionally, which is also illegal and jeopardizes my safety. Using the crosswalk, OTOH, is not putting anyone else in danger if there are no pedestrians. I am not a reckless nor ignorant cyclist as you imply. In five months of cycling I have never been honked at or yelled at once. If you expect cyclists to follow the traffics laws perfectly all the time then you live in fantasy world. Maybe this is the way it should be, but in practice we all make judgement calls about when to bend those rules, even you.

Astrozombie

Ehhhh when switching over to crosswalk always make sure nobody is around, it's on you. Once a firetruck gave me a siren i think, just for filtering up in heavy traffic (questionable i guess but i don't care).

Was it dark with no traffic already?

gregf83 

I don't obey all traffic laws all the time riding or driving. I also don't whine if someone honks if I'm doing something blatantly illegal. What you did, while technically 'safe' just pisses people off. It's similar to waiting with other cars at a red light and then just riding through the red when there were no other cars around. Maybe you just pissed off the ambulance driver.

I don't understand how you are wanting to hold the ambulance driver to a certain standard of conduct but you'll give yourself a pass on that same standard. Seems hypocritical no?

LoriRose

Lol, whine? My goodness. I was merely sharing a story about how an ambulance scared the crap out of me. And no, the siren was not in response to me making the turn, it was sounded AS I started the turn. No human can have a reaction time that fast. If he/she did sound the alarm on purpose it was absolutely not justified. Period. And quite frankly I can't believe you would defend such an action.

Also, I am very mindful of how I ride in traffic and am fully aware that it is in my best interests to not piss off motorists. However, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of motorists who are pissed off just by my(our) existence and I have no control over that. What I did and what the ambulance driver (allegedly) did are in two different categories of wrong. If you can't see that then there is no point for me to defend myself on this.

gregf83 

Apologize if I misread your posts. I thought you were complaining the ambulance driver hit his siren in response to something you did. If he turned his siren on to get through the intersection and you just happened to be there the I guess it's just a story. A police vehicle did the same thing to me last week when he had to make a u-turn. I stick my finger in my ear.

LoriRose

I was a little shaken when I wrote the OP. Maybe it wasn't clear that my main point was not to complain about the ambulance driver per se, but to say how an unexpected siren suddenly blasted right behind you is sure to throw you a bit off kilter - especially when you then realize the vehicle is headed right for you. Like a double whammy! I was setting up the scene so to speak when describing how it happened.

f4rrest

You probably scared the crap out of the ambulance driver too.

They thought you were stopping and didn't anticipate you'd turn, so they took the opportunity to blast through the intersection.

LoriRose

very likely, yes!

leicanthrope

They may well have been dispatched to a call, and then the call was cancelled shortly thereafter.