New York Minute 80 - Get Out Of The Way

In New York, ambulances get stuck in traffic just like everyone else. This isn’t an occasional phenomenon. I happens every day. 

Part of the problem is that traffic is heavy in the city. Total gridlock can occur even outside of rush hour. But a bigger factor is a simple lack of courtesy. 

Drivers refuse to yield to emergency vehicles pass. Not just some drivers. It’s actually extremely rare to see someone pull over to let an ambulance go past. The explanation is simple. If you pull over out of courtesy to let an ambulance or a fire truck go past, don’t expect courtesy from the drivers that follow. By pulling over, you have effectively surrendered your place in the traffic lanes. It’s like handing the keys of your apartment over to some guy looking for a place to setup a meth lab. You’re not going to get back in.

Experienced city drivers simply refuse to let emergency vehicles pass. Someone is dying of a heart attack? That’s their problem. Your building is burning down? Well, I guess it’s just not your day. We have places to be.

I was feeling lazy this morning. I jumped into a cab instead of taking the subway to the office. An ambulance came up behind us with lights flashing and his siren blaring. What did the cab driver do? Nothing. Not a damned thing. When he had a chance to move forward, he didn’t pull to the side to let the ambulance through. He drove straight ahead as far as he could, and when the traffic bogged down again, he just sat there blocking the way. This went on for at least twenty-five blocks.

Eventually, the ambulance found a way around us. At a corner where no one was parked, he pulled into the far right lane and cautiously eased through the red light. We ended up following him for a while. I feared that the cab driver was going to pass him again. Luckily, he didn’t, because that would have really bothered me.

I don’t know. I’ve been living her for a while and working here for decades, but I still don’t understand how can people be that blatantly self-centered. And for what? You’re trading someone’s life to maybe save yourself a few seconds. I find the whole thing infuriating.

Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South 

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