Saturday, August 28, 2004

Traffic Woes

So. You are driving on a five lane road, two lanes each direction and a turn lane in between. You are in the lane next to the turn lane. The traffic is fairly heavy, making it difficult to change lanes.

Suddenly, you see an emergency vehicle coming from the other direction, headed toward you. Do you:
  • A) Slam on your brakes
  • B) Slow down but not stop
  • C) Drive at a normal speed
  • D) Speed up
  • E) Try to change lanes despite the heavy traffic

I know which four options I might consider, and which one I wouldn't do at all. In general, I lean toward "B" unless it's clear that the vehicle needs a clear lane and mine is the only choice, in which case I will go for "E".

However, TWICE in the last week I've nearly rear-ended idiots who decided that "A" was the correct choice. I mean, c'mon people! You don't just slam on the brakes when you hear a siren. That's just asking for an(other) accident.

As long as the emergency vehicle can get through, you don't want to stop. Worse, in one of the incidents the car in front of me stopped right where the ambulance was turning! In other words, by stopping he blocked the emergency vehicle. IDIOT!