[Ultra Al]

Out here in the heart of Texas on the way to nowhere we don't get much traffic so when in town Im extra careful because folks tend to ignore red lights, (yellow means speed up, red means speed up more) but I know that and anticipate it. What does scare me is critters. I've gotten to where I hate to ride after dark. This year is not so bad because we had good rain but in a dry year it is not uncommon to encounter 10 to 20 deer running across the road at night moving towards the rivers or lakes. BTW as far as Im concerned those deer whistles are useless. AL

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by mwelych

Nearly got killed last night by a cop. Coming into an intersection I heard a siren but didn't know where it was coming from also knew there was no way I could stop. As I continued on, a cop blew right past me in front of me. Missed me by inches. Found out by a cop who works with me he should have stopped. If we collided I would have been dead and he would have been in the wrong...

Wouldn't have made a bit of a difference if he was in the wrong......you'd have been dead! Just because he's a cop doesn't mean he's a better driver either, BTW. Glad your still here.

[Red Rider]

Twice as a firefighter engineer I got in wrecks because of the clueless - please give the red lights & sirens crowd a break. We're doing our best. Your hurry may be to the next beer or a warm and snuggly night. Ours' is to save someone's home or life, so a little slack is cool...........though those days are behind me now, as the body can't keep up with the will.

But I did love the fight!

A Chesapeake, Virginia cop ran through a stop on me, many years ago, on Battlefield Blvd. No lights or sirens. I rammed him with my bike, and crunched his fender tight to his right front tire. He jumped out, ready to rant at me, then thought it through and apologized - and that was enough for me. I could see his anxiety. I know it, from trying to save the same folks. When ya want to help your community and screw up, it is the hardest pain. So try to remember that, and cruise easy. May God please bless our service persons, whether military or state, or county, or city.

I get to be a safe, old drunk because others have answered the call. And you, too!

[ironhorse]

cop last year tryed to pass on the right with siren whalen p/u went to pull over cop is now 6 ft under his need to rush cost him his life driver of the p/u was in the right but one of our finest is gone. again the two to four ratio stands, the other day I was runnung threw town and was about ran over again by a gal on her cell phone, I think that if this happens again I will ( non-aggression though) follow them untill they stop and politely ask for their phone and snap it in two, how about that for a solution? ( nice thing about this one no paint was exchanged)

[voodoochild]

Red, I always yield to the lights and sirens, it's a must do. They also need to remember that a set of lights and sirens doesn't prevent anyone else from getting hurt. (I hope that sounds like I meant it) Not everyone is able to stop in time or adjust to allow their right of way. I understand their need to get to the scene quickly though, as time IS of the essence in most cases. Just glad nobody was injured.

[Hot01]

I lived with a firefighter for almost 4 years. I heard a lot of stories. My ex has always been the first one into a burning building and the last one to leave the scene, but he's adamant about safety on the road. Emergency vehicles are required to follow the same traffic laws. If we can help them out and get over, then that's great. He has serious issues with some of the volunteers who go all out with the light bars and go charging off to every call they can conceivably pick up, risking lives in the process.

Last year I came real close to getting killed by a volunteer who wasn't even going to an incident. The volly was charging down the left turn lane at 80 MPH with his lights on. I could not move. I was trying to turn left and couldn't. There was traffic in the right lane. I hugged the center line and at the last second he pulled around me. Just had his red lights on for the fun of it. I found this out because after the SOB almost killed me, I went to the local FD. I knew the town I was in has a full time fire department, so I wanted to get some answers. I figured if all the apparatus was out (maybe the guy was there on mutual aid or he was a call man), I'd let it go. Nope. They knew nothing about any fire in the area. They were just as angry as I was. They ended up calling the cops and I told them what happened. I got a call later. They'd figured out who it was and took action on it. Don't know what action, but I hope they took his f&*(ing light bar away from him.

The funny thing was, I was turning into a quilt shop to show the owner this firefighter quilt I had made.