# You hear sirens. What vehicle springs to mind? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050 "2005-07-18T21:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/1 "2005-07-18T21:45:24Z")
Ambulance? Police car? Fire engine? Ghostbusters? Something else? Or does your brain not fill in a specific vehicle? I heard some sirens in the distance last night, and had no way to find out what kind of emergency response vehicle was involved. I also realized that my first assumption is almost always that sirens = police car. When I can determine what’s making the noise, however, it’s not always police. Which just goes to show that I can’t distinguish sirens from each other, if there’s a difference. And maybe that I’ve got a guilty conscience rather than a fascination with fire. So. You hear sirens. What vehicle springs to mind? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/2 "2005-07-18T22:11:31Z")
I usually see fire trucks but I think of the ambulance taking Vito Corleone home from the hospital in _The Godfather_. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/3 "2005-07-18T22:13:25Z")
The ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars around here all of slightly different sirens (like the fire truck is a long whiney siren, followed up by two honk-like-sounds). So I think of whichever it is 🙂 . If I was in an area without a difference, I would probably think it is an ambulance. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/4 "2005-07-18T22:27:13Z")
I know the differences between sirens over here. But any siren that’s mobile gets an automatic call of “Meat Wagon!” ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/5 "2005-07-18T22:37:22Z")
Ambulance, followed by the ritual incantation, “someone out there is having a worse day than I am.” Actually, my siren chant works with police cars and fire trucks, too. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/6 "2005-07-18T22:37:56Z")
Fire engine. There’s a fire station not far from my place. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/7 "2005-07-18T22:42:53Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Fire engine. There’s a fire station not far from my place. Same here, on both counts. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/8 "2005-07-18T22:47:06Z")
I always think police car, however, living in Ballard, I’m trying to adjust that assumption. My husband says it’s usually ambulances. I know the fire trucks when I hear them, though, because they usually have that loud “HORNK HORNK!” noise between the siren sound. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/9 "2005-07-18T22:50:44Z")
I think Ambulance because I see them speeding down the road far more than either police or firepeople. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/10 "2005-07-18T22:59:19Z")
To be perfectly honest no particular branch of the emergency services spring to mind. At first I think ‘emergency vehicle’ and moments later I consult my memory to try to figure out which emergency vehicle the siren belongs to. Recently I was at my dad’s house and we heard a siren. Seconds later dad’s wife said ‘ambulance?’ then dad said ‘police car?’ then at the same time me and dad said… dad:‘fire engine!’ me:‘police car!’ ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/11 "2005-07-18T23:08:42Z")
Ambulance. I work in a hospital, so hence my assumption. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/12 "2005-07-18T23:13:10Z")
The Argo, of course. Either that, or Odysseus’s ship. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/13 "2005-07-18T23:13:43Z")
Lashing myself to the mast. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/14 "2005-07-18T23:14:12Z")
Thought I admit, at some times, I think of Elle McPherson and Tara Fitzgerald. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/15 "2005-07-19T01:20:24Z")
Ambulance. I live really near a hospital, though. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/16 "2005-07-19T02:10:20Z")
Well, the fire engines are quite recognizable, so there’s no question there. Whenever I hear a non-fire siren, I assume it’s an ambulance. Although there’s plenty of crime around here, and I see paddywagons all the time. Eh. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/17 "2005-07-19T02:45:34Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The Argo, of course. > > Either that, or Odysseus’s ship. :Groan: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/18 "2005-07-19T11:04:26Z")
“My ride’s here!” –Robin Williams ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/19 "2005-07-19T11:29:37Z")
Our fire engines all seem to prefer mechanical sirens – the type that slowly wind up to a really loud wail, and take forever to wind down when the owner shuts it off. As a result, I can always identify fire engines. Any electronic siren passing by is a police car in my book. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050/20 "2005-07-19T13:30:52Z")
At work it’s either fire or ambulance. The two major hospitals are about a mile apart. One of em is next door to my office. Also there’s a nursing home next door that is prone to frequent ambulance visits. There’s a fire station about two blocks south of my office also. Ya get used to it. At home I think ambulance. I live out in the county and most sirens heard out where I live are ambulance sirens. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-hear-sirens-what-vehicle-springs-to-mind/313050.md?page=2)