# DON'T honk at me for yielding to a fire truck! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 1999, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514 "1999-11-16T20:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/21 "1999-12-11T22:28:00Z")
Well, I dunno about other states, but here in Illinois there’s this law about “pulling over to the right and (if possible) stopping to let an emergency vehicle through” (paraphrase). Thus the driver is likely going to anticipate cars pulling to the right. In any case, most places a right turn lane starts shortly before an intersection and has no corresponding lane after the intersection so it would be difficult (and possibly dangerous) for a vehicle going straight to use it. * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![knappy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@knappy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knappy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/22 "1999-12-13T17:30:00Z")
Yesterday, traffic was stopped due to double parkers a few cars ahead of me on a 2 lane street, when an ambulance approached from behind. As soon as it passed, the cab behind me honks at me or the guy ahead of me (for not following in the ambulance’s slipstream, I suppose.) I hate it when people do that. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/23 "1999-12-14T06:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > In any case, most places a right turn lane starts shortly before an intersection and has no corresponding lane after the intersection so it would be difficult (and possibly dangerous) for a vehicle going straight to use it. Once in the intersection, the emergency vehicle can easily adjust to go straight, turn left, or right. They don’t speed through a red light anyway, so they’re going to slow down to manuever. Remember, these guys are professionals. If you can get out of the way quickly without blocking off other possible ways through, do it. If not, and there’s a way around you, stay put and they’ll find it. I’ve seen too many emergency vehicles get slowed down by well-intentioned people who try to help when it’s not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/24 "1999-12-15T06:55:00Z")
I live a few blocks away from a station, and the trucks always have their lights & siren on when **returning** from a call! I figure they must have left dinner on the table and were in a hurry to get back. I have also seen police abuse their right-of-way power by turning their lights on to get thru a red light, only to come to a stop at the next intersection and sit there through the cycle. I guess the call could have been cancled, but it sure happens a LOT. In DC, most of the red lights with no siren or lights- they’re not going fast enough to be on a silent call, they just don’t feel like waiting at the red light with the rest of us ordinary serfs. (I live on a traffic circle, and can sit on my front step and watch this happen all day & night long). After 10 years of watching this, I sometimes hesitate to yield to sirens- I wonder if they’re just late for dinner. That’s awful I know, but they’ve so conditioned me. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 1999, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/25 "1999-12-15T06:58:00Z")
Missing some words from that post; here is the proof-read version: I live a few blocks away from a station, and the trucks always have their lights & siren on when returning from a call! I figure they must have left dinner on the table and were in a hurry to get back. I have also seen police abuse their right-of-way power by turning their lights on to get thru a red light, only to come to a stop at the next intersection and sit there through the cycle. I guess the call could have been cancled, but it sure happens a LOT. In DC, most of the cops just cruise past red lights with no siren or lights flashing- they’re not going fast enough to be on a silent call, they just don’t feel like waiting at the red light with the rest of us ordinary serfs. (I live on a traffic circle, and can sit on my front step and watch this happen all day & night long). After 10 years of watching this, I sometimes hesitate to yield to sirens- I wonder if they’re just late for dinner. That’s awful I know, but they’ve so conditioned me. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/26 "1999-12-14T19:15:00Z")
1. Having ridden in an ambulance with my 18 month old daughter who was being rushed to the hospital, let me say that I appreciate all the people who pull over for ambulances and fire trucks. 2. Re: school buses: here in Ohio, you only have to stop for school buses going in the opposite direction on a 2 lane road. (1 lane going in each direction). If there are more lanes than that, only the cars traveling in the same direction need to stop. Check your state law. But of course, if you err, err on the side of caution. ---
**Author:** ![HeadlessCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@HeadlessCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadlessCow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/27 "1999-12-14T19:16:00Z")
In the area around my town many of the stoplights are fitted with a blinking red light to signal when an emergency vehicle is coming. It also quickly cycles the lights so that the emergency vehicle has green lights by the time they get to the intersection. These features are activated by a sensor on top of the lights that picks up a pattern of strobing from a strobe light on the top of the vehicle. A few years back this caused a problem because many of the towns in the area use the same pattern so that they can change the lights in each other’s towns when responding to calls that necessitate it. On this particular day a firetruck and another vehicle were both responding to calls and were coming to the same intersection from different directions (perpendicular-like) and had both turned on the strobes. Both strobes were registered and the lights for both directions turned green and both drivers assuming that everyone would stop for them and the redlights didn’t slow down as much as usually and ended up colliding in the center of the intersection. Needless to say after this the lights controller was fixed to only allow one direction to turn green and both departments were told to only use the strobes in another town when the town knew they were responding to a call. ---
**Author:** ![melanietarrant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@melanietarrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melanietarrant)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 1999, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/28 "1999-12-16T17:20:00Z")
ok, i admit it, it was me, i beeped i’m sorry, i was the third car in the row, there was a building blocking my line of sight and my kids were fighting so i turned up the radio. i didn’t hear the siren. but i was very embarrassed when the fire truck passed once again i’m sorry ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 1999, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/29 "1999-12-17T06:58:00Z")
I forgive you melanie. Just as long as your kids don’t fight within earshot of me, and your burning house doesn’t start mine on fire… ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 1999, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/30 "1999-12-22T14:24:00Z")
\*PunditLisa: Re: school buses: here in Ohio, you only have to stop for school buses going in the opposite direction on a 2 lane road. (1 lane going in each direction). If there are more lanes than that, only the cars traveling in the same direction need to stop. \* ## In Virginia, if there’s _not_ a physical median, both directions have to stop. A painted one doesn’t count. I looked in the mirror today/My eyes just didn’t seem so bright I’ve lost a few more hairs/I think I’m going bald - Rush ---
**Author:** ![PitBullDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@PitBullDawg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PitBullDawg)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514/31 "1999-12-31T11:12:00Z")
If the government would just approve my plane to have a death ray vaporizer mounted to my car I could solve this counties bad driving habits in less then a month plus thin the herd out a little. The vaporizer would reduce the car and its inhabitants to a mere ash. Sounds like a good plan to me. :-p * * * The ever insensitive, politically incorrect PitBullDawg. Political correctness is a disease. Cure it with the truth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-honk-at-me-for-yielding-to-a-fire-truck/3514.md?page=1)