wheel

I was taking a narrow lane at 1610 hours on april 17
truck had numbers 3130 ???
When a back seat fireman with the door open told me to move over.
I never got his name, but am sending a letter to officials.

He stated I should not impeed traffic. That was his whole agruement. I managed to tell him there was not enough room on the road and there was no 3 foot buffer. He didn't care "You're impeeding traffic".

WOW
See in his mind he was right however I am not a motor vehicle. So I get yelled at a person who is suppose to save my life because he doesn't know the laws.

28-704. Minimum speed limits; requirement to turn off roadway

* A. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
* B. If the director or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the director or local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which a person shall not drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
* C. If a person is driving a vehicle at a speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place on a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe, and if five or more vehicles are formed in a line behind the vehicle, the person shall turn the vehicle off the roadway at the nearest place designated as a turnout by signs erected by the director or a local authority, or wherever sufficient area for a safe turnout exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed.

Bill Kapaun

Why don't you post the part about yielding to emergency vehicles?

Raiyn

If they were responding to an emergency you might have a point, aside from that they're just another truck and have no business bullying a cyclist.

wheel

Non-emergency
Which is why this is so wrong

cerewa

Hasn't mentioned bicycles yet. The 5 vehicles thing does look like it applies to bikes slowing traffic down though.

wheel

6 lane divided road sorry

bmclaughlin807

Yes, generally 'impeding traffic' doesn't apply if there's a lane to pass in. I'd definitely call in a complaint to the fire department.

pj7

How did you have this small discussion with the fireman if you were in front of them slowing them down? Did you move over and let them pass you and that is when he yelled it? Or did the truck pass you then slow/stop just so you guys could talk? Did it stop in the road or on the shoulder?

wheel

Sure I was on the 1st lane in the middle, there is 3 lanes on each side of the divided road.
The truck waited for me to pass then turns onto the road I am on no lights.
Then rides next to me in lane 2,
Guy in the back seat with open door that slides open so I can see his full body,
Starts to have conversation with me going 15mph. (Yells move over and the rest)
I slow down after I had told him about the 3 feet buffer and no room, so that he would go on and leave me alone

That help out?

Raiyn

You've got a legit gripe. Did you get the truck & station numbers? The firehouse would know who was in that seat at that time as well as driving, because NOTHING you described in that story is proper procedure or legal for them to do

pj7

Sounds like the firemen were the ones impeding traffic.
I'd definately take it up with their superiors since it is our (your) money paying for them to do such a thing.
Public officials/servants need to understand that they work for us and not the other way around.

pj7

Woah!
Haven't seen you on here in a year or so. You actually suggested to me to get my Giant Rainier... never been happier!
The Tampa Bay has a good run for the cup this year, but if they meet the Redwings in the finals you know that we'll be bringing the cup home right?

Raiyn

I was away, I'm back now
Glad I was able to help. Hopefully I didn't have to beat you up too badly in the process
I'm thinking not. If they both make it to the big dance that Cup is ours.

pj7

I see that

Nope, you just pointed out the obvious to me, thanks for that.

You guys had it last, now it's our turn! And then we'll steal that little St. Louis guy from you, he's too good of a player to be in Tampa!


We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Raiyn

No worries
You forgot about the "'Canes". Oh wait so did everyone else. If management even so much as thought about trading St. Louis (or Lecavalier for that matter there'd be a lynching at the Forum.
Whoops! Oh yeah! FIRETRUCKS SUCK!

dokie

all those guys are usually fat okley wearing retartds

Lucky07

If the truck was on it's way to call, then the fireman would be in the right. Since they were either coming back from a call or out getting groceries (yes, they do that) the guy had no reason to yell at you. Bikes are traffic. Period. But car (or truck) drivers rarely acknowledge that.

Some older man told me to 'ride on the sidewalk' the other day. Some people just don't know or don't care to know...

dobber

I suspect they're better at spelling though.

DataJunkie

dokie will be recanting that idiotic statement when his house is on fire.
I will raise his lovely statement with a different generalization.

Most of the firemen in the Denver metro area are normal guys in very good shape. I would assume they are also a reasonably intelligent lot. I've seen a few that would give SWAT team members a run for their money.

wheel

I just think it is a misunderstanding.
The law can be confusing or you can bend it your way.
I couldn't even argue with him since he thinks I am a motor vehicle per that law up there.
I just don't understand how he thinks I am to make a left turn with impeeding traffic.

I really think these people in general are great.
However these people should be the last people to yell at me.
Note this is the worse part of my commute I get honks, yelling, and now fireman.
Yes I could take a slow side road, which cuts only 8 blocks off, but way I want to get home.
Just thought to share cagers or jams don't just ride in private vehicles

ItsJustMe

Maybe where you live. My brother is a fireman/paramedic, and those guys spend a fair amount of their 24 hour shifts (when they aren't doing truck maintenance or paperwork) working out. My brother bike commutes 6 miles to the station in good weather. All the guys in his station that I've seen are in pretty good shape. They need to be able to lift and carry people in paramedic and rescue situations, and in the U.S. these days that means dead-lifts of 300 pound shapeless blobs. They're pretty buff actually.

And the firemen who are also paramedics (at least around here) have done something like 1000+ hours of medical training and a medical residency. Not really a ******. Even the regular firemen I've talked to have seemed pretty intelligent guys.

Watch the width of the brush you're painting with.

mostatebears

about 2 years ago there was a girl at the University of Missouri campus who was riding on the sidewalk, crossed against a red light and was hit by two cars.

She lost one of her legs and it was a bad scene all the way around.

Of course bike safety was all the rage in the local media for a while after that. Later that night I was watching the news and two stations posted "bike safety tips."

One of these tips was to always ride on the sidewalk.

I almost passed out from rage. After contacting the TV stations I discovered that those tips came from a fireman on the scene of the accident.

Firemen should stick to tips like "dont use candles" and less to traffic advice.

dbg

Sorry guys, If I'm holding up anyone for more than a block, I'm getting over -even if I have to stop briefly. And I don't care whether they are responding or not, I'm yielding to any emergency vehicle. I definitely want them available and happy.

pj7

Yeah, just what I want. My house to burn completely to the ground because some ******* fireman thought it necessary to harass a cyclist.
Thank you fire department.

scottyk

Bicycles were around before there were cars, and will be around long after cars.