Police Attitude to Cyclists

oscarbudgie

medicbiker wrote:

_Brun_ wrote:

I was at the ped crossing at the top of Tottenham Court Rd earlier in the week. As the lights were flashing amber and as I set off from primary in the middle lane, someone behind started beeping at us. Just about to give them the finger, when I get full-on ambulance siren which nearly gave me a f@#king heart attack.

I can appreciate that I needed to get out of the way, but since flashing blue lights are near impossible to see in broad daylight without a mirror, a more subtle way of alerting me to their presence would've been nice.

We are told that if the traffic is light or clear do not use sirens. Using sirens continuously means we get lots and lots of complaints. You put the sirens on in heavy traffic that is actually able to move somewhere, so if stuck at lights and no one can move we turn them off but keep the light on, then put the sirens on again when the lights change. To turn the sirens on you have to honk the horn, to change tone you honk the horn and to turn them off you honk the horn two times in quick concession. So at the approach to red lights you would honk once on approach then honk again to change to the more audibal and immediate warning tone and then twice more to turn them off. Same with going down side roads in a residential area, sirens go off lights stay on unless going through a junction where you would not have priority if it wasnt a blue call or round a blind corner in which case you normally just give a quick whoop whoop whoop.

Also we do not always leave to go to a call from the station. For the majority of time a job comes through after being cancelled for one job and then being given a higher priority one, after leaving hospital or whislt at a standby point or roaming active area patrol. So theres a chance the ambulance was already in the que of traffic without having lights or sirens on and then a job came through to them.

In summary for the majority of a blue light journey we will be travelling with lights on but no sirens.

Thats great - can we get back to the squabbling and name calling now though?

medicbiker

Yes

Get out of the way of my big shiney ambulance or you will be going home with a wooden overcoat. Bloody cyclists! :-p

always_tyred

I did have a lot of fun.