GET OUT OF THE WAY!

This morning I was coming into work as normal.  As I was turning to head up Martin Luther King Jr to go to UC, I hear sirens behind me.  They were far enough off that I couldn't actually see anything yet so I continued on my way but keeping an eye out for the ambulance so I could move when it got in my eye sight.

Shortly after passing the light to turn into Good Samaritan Hospital I see the ambulance.  I start to move out of the way when I see that everyone is moving into MY lane so I just stay where I am thinking the ambulance will go up the other lane.  Yeah, no...there were people PASSING the ambulance and staying in the far lane.  Even if I moved, no one else was moving and by this point we were to the light at Clifton.

The ambulance ended up driving in the oncoming traffic side to clear the intersection.  I realized as it passed that it wasn't just an ambulance (that could have stopped at GSH), it was a special NICU transport for infants.  And it was flying through Clifton like a bat out of hell during rush hour.  Translation...something is SERIOUSLY wrong.

Being a mommy, seeing the ambulance speed by immediately caused the tears to start.  As I drove down the hill past Clifton I was thinking about the poor parents and the baby in the ambulance and hoped everything was okay, again thinking how awesome it is to live in a city with such a great Children's hospital at such easy access.

Then as I approach the light to the Jefferson/Vine/MLK intersection, my anger level went from 0 to 100 immediately as I see the ambulance, lights shining and siren blazing, SITTING IN TRAFFIC 2 cars in front of me.  All the cars that were in front of me before just filled up the other lanes around the ambulance and trapped it in.  This ambulance had to sit through an entire light cycle to get out of the traffic!

Then as it went to turn left on to Vine, there were 2 cars that shot in front of it to make the light.  I was thinking "SERIOUSLY?!"

Moral of the story...ALWAYS get out of the way of an ambulance.  Yes, even if that means you have to move to a turn only lane and turn right when you wanted to go straight.  That 30 seconds of inconvenience for you could be the difference between life and death to someone else.  I am confident that most people would act differently if they knew the person in the ambulance, so just treat every ambulance like that is your friend or child or parent in there and GET OUT OF THE WAY!