Tag Archives: emergency vehicle

I own the road

This is not me, of course, but, as you read, you will realise that this does apply to some people.

Returning from a shopping trip, my sister (driving) and I approached one of those mind-numbing double mini roundabouts.? To begin with, I can’t image who ever thought they would be a good idea.? It’s a skill (that many have not learned) to decide whether the cars coming from your right (in the UK) are, in fact, coming past you and not turning off before they go in front of your vehicle.? This is not aided by the less than common use of signals.? Double roundabouts are bad enough but double mini roundabouts are the Devil’s spawn!? Given that most people know this, what happened next should not have done.

Picture us approaching the first of the two roundabouts.? We slowed, as is only right, looked and listened.? That was the important bit this time – listened.? It wasn’t difficult to hear the incredibly loud and penetrating sound of an emergency vehicle siren; that is, after all what they are for.? Now, it is not actually the law in the UK to stop or make way for emergency vehicle, but it is good manners and common sense.? Mostly.? Directly across from us, on the entrance to the further mini roundabout, came a large BMW.? We had a rather too clear view of what happened next and we weren’t impressed by it.? The BMW came onto the roundabout and headed straight through, so that it would be exiting into the road we were on.? It didn’t even slow down!? As it reached the middle of the junction, the emergency vehicle – an ambulance car – arrived, heading straight for the side of the Beemer.? Neither of us can tell you exactly what happened next, as we had both covered our eyes and shouted ‘Noooo!’, but there was no horrible crunch or that awful sound of scraping metal, so we opened out eyes again.? The ambulance car had clearly made the most spectacular stop because the BMW was sailing into our road and away behind us.? We are convinced that the driver hadn’t even been aware of what was going on.

I can’t begin to explain the colour of the language in our car and, I suspect, in many of the other vehicles around us, but I just hope that karma catches up with that stupid driver who thinks they own the road.