Ambulance parked in Handicap Space!

[LillFilly]

Here, we have several independent ambulance companies that can be called to transport people; they are not the ones that respond to emergency situations, that's what the city ambulances do. Sometimes both types of ambulances will park in the 'All Fart' lot to pick-up food. No issue there and because they're parked there we know there's no emergency.

However...

I'm driving past the lot and see an ambulance in-front of me. I see it start to park. Just as I realize where it's parking, several customers come-up and complain that the ambulance just took a handicap spot. I see the drivers get-out and start walking into the store, so I called out to them asking "excuse me, but should you really be parking there?" And they both said it was fine, because they were only going to be a few minutes.

I called my coworker who thought we should call the police. The dispatchers didn't really know if a private ambulance service should be doing this, so they said they'd send an Officer. After 15 minutes the drivers returned (with bags of groceries) and left, so I canceled the police. But I did have their plate and ambulance number, so I called the home office for the ambulance service.

Long story short, the Director was VERY SORRY that their drivers had done that, and that that is certainly NOT their policy and they will be dealt with. The Director apologized several times and wanted to make sure that the drivers were not rude. I explained that they weren't, but I thought it was unprofessional that they took-up a handicap space to do personal shopping, and that it was not the shopping itself that I objected to.

I honestly wouldn't have questioned an ambulance at all A) if there had not been complaints, B) if every other handicap spot hadn't been taken-up and there was an elderly couple circling looking for one and taking the space as soon as the ambulance moved and C) if there hadn't been parking spaces 5-spots down from the handicap spaces!

We've now made it clear in the office that ambulances get parking tickets too.

[blas]

It really makes you lose hope in those who are supposed to be there to help, doesn't it?

Anyone who's seen Superbad, where the cops turn on their sirens and lights to blow red lights?

I saw a cop do that a couple of months ago. Apparently, he figured he'd been waiting too long at that left turn, so he turned on his lights, turned, and as soon as the car was straight again, he shut his lights off and proceeded on.

[sprocket79]

It really makes you lose hope in those who are supposed to be there to help, doesn't it?

Anyone who's seen Superbad, where the cops turn on their sirens and lights to blow red lights?

I saw a cop do that a couple of months ago. Apparently, he figured he'd been waiting too long at that left turn, so he turned on his lights, turned, and as soon as the car was straight again, he shut his lights off and proceeded on.

A couple months ago I was driving down a major road about a half mile from the police station. This cop car is in the other lane coming towards me. When he gets to the intersection, just FEET in front of me, he makes an illegal u-turn to go in my direction! I was slamming on my brakes to avoid hitting him. Then, as I caught up to him on my red light I see him talking on his cell phone with the handset up to his ear. That is illegal in my state! I felt like reporting him, but when I talked to people, they said I'd probably only be bringing trouble on myself.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

The speed limit on our street is 15mph. People go 50 down our street. It's a long cul de sac with lots of children on it. Hilly, so you cant see. And yet people do this.

We've complained. We've called the cops. Evidently our street is not important. But anyways, I was talking to a cop about another issue in the neighborhood (I was in my yard and he came by) so I mentioned the problem to him. He said he'd come sit out there in the evening.

I felt all good about that, until dusk rolled around and I was headed out to music practice. I'm taking special care to go ONLY 15 because I know damn well there is a cop on the street. Suddenly, my rear view goes dark. I'm being tailgated. I look up and not only is it the cop but he's nosing around me to PASS ME. I wasn't going fast enough for him, so he was going to not only SPEED, but PASS.



Then it dawns on him that it's ME, and he thinks better of his little endeavor.

He was doing this horseshit at the point of the street where the highest concentration of little kids is, too. Unbelievable.

Thanks, asshole.

[alogram]

Then, as I caught up to him on my red light I see him talking on his cell phone with the handset up to his ear. That is illegal in my state! I felt like reporting him, but when I talked to people, they said I'd probably only be bringing trouble on myself.

In New York state, it is illegal to talk on your cellphone while driving, except for the police....apparently so they can talk more privately if they need to.


That guy sounds like an asshat though.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

We have a few speeders on our street as well...

I'm thinking about taking a day off and sitting in a chair on the driveway (which just happens to be obscured by trees...) and bouncing a basketball into traffic whenever one of these jerks starts roaring down the street. A little heart attack just might slow some of these idiots down.

EDIT: Oh, and good on LillFilly for calling the ambulance company... The law may just give them a 'talking to', but hitting them in the pocketbook may make them really listen.

[KitterCat]

My husband use to work for an Ambulance company. Parking in Handicapped spots is a big no-no in the industry unless your there for an actual emergency. Even then its more common for them to be parked in the fire/emergency lane in front of the store. Supposedly said companies are suppose to receive tickets for pulling this type of idiocy but unfortunately they rarely do.

I felt all good about that, until dusk rolled around and I was headed out to music practice. I'm taking special care to go ONLY 15 because I know damn well there is a cop on the street. Suddenly, my rear view goes dark. I'm being tailgated. I look up and not only is it the cop but he's nosing around me to PASS ME. I wasn't going fast enough for him, so he was going to not only SPEED, but PASS.

The Martinsburg City cops in WV will frequently tailgate people with high beams on at night. I don't live there anymore so fearing retaliation isnt really an issue. The idea is to make you speed up to try and get away from the guy blinding you. They then flick on their lights pull you over and issue a ticket. Its one of the ways they generate revenue. Best thing to do was slow down to a crawl, but keep moving. Speed limits 25 with no minimum, I’d start dropping down to 20 and then 15. Eventually they will pass you, or you’ll be home.

[LadyAndreca]

The Martinsburg City cops in WV will frequently tailgate people with high beams on at night. I don't live there anymore so fearing retaliation isnt really an issue. The idea is to make you speed up to try and get away from the guy blinding you. They then flick on their lights pull you over and issue a ticket. Its one of the ways they generate revenue. Best thing to do was slow down to a crawl, but keep moving. Speed limits 25 with no minimum, I’d start dropping down to 20 and then 15. Eventually they will pass you, or you’ll be home.

They'd hate me. I'm the kind of person that if someone's doing something that makes me uncomfortable or nervous while driving--tailgating and high beams both count--I WILL slow down. And stay at LEAST 5 miles under the speed limit, or whatever feels comfortable to me again. I don't like driving under stress, and I love pissing off people who try to bully me, so it's win-win for me.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, my MO is to keep slowing down till the tailgater either backs off or passes, too. I don't care if it's a cop or not.

I was thinking it was one of my neighbors, and I got all pissed, thinking, "Oh, seriously? SERIOUSLY??" Then my eyes focused on the car in the rear view mirror and I said, out loud, "Fuck. Me. Senseless. That is that cop! Are you EVEN FUCKING SERIOUS????!??!!?!?!?"

I mean, it took me a couple seconds to even register what was happening. I'm thinking, "holy crap! Was I speeding? Is he pulling me?? That is impossible, I KNOW how fast I'm going!" And then it hit me. He was pulling out of the street to go back to his station (and I know this because I was going his way an pass the station on my way to practice. I saw him go in.) and decide to frigging SPEED. And, almost unbelivably, to PASS.

In a frigging 15!

Man! I get pissed anew just thinking about it!

[MadMike]

The Martinsburg City cops in WV will frequently tailgate people with high beams on at night. I don't live there anymore so fearing retaliation isnt really an issue. The idea is to make you speed up to try and get away from the guy blinding you. They then flick on their lights pull you over and issue a ticket. Its one of the ways they generate revenue.

This one cop did that to my brother one night when I was riding with him. This cop had a reputation for being a complete and total prick, and my dad and several of his friends had had run-ins with him in the past, and even lost several times when he was taken to court. I told my brother he should do the same, and that I'd appear as a witness, but he just sucked it up and paid the ticket.

That was almost 20 years ago, and sadly, not only is this cop still on the force, but now his son is too. Word is that he's just as much of a prick as his dad.

[blas]

I hear you, there, Mike....

There's one cop I've talked about before, who had some kind of high school feud with one of my older cousins, and he became a cop and it became like his official duty to teach my family a "lesson".

He tailgated one of my cousins (who is about my age) until he sped up, so then he pulled him over, and said some lovely things about my family.

He gave me multiple smoking fines (one time he HID in the bushes across the street from the school and caught everyone) and when he was going through my stuff he said "You Blasenheimers are all nothing but trouble!"

The worst thing about it is now he's the fucking SHERIFF of that county. I'm so glad I don't live there anymore.

[tropicsgoddess]

The Martinsburg City cops in WV will frequently tailgate people with high beams on at night. I don't live there anymore so fearing retaliation isnt really an issue. The idea is to make you speed up to try and get away from the guy blinding you. They then flick on their lights pull you over and issue a ticket. Its one of the ways they generate revenue. Best thing to do was slow down to a crawl, but keep moving. Speed limits 25 with no minimum, I’d start dropping down to 20 and then 15. Eventually they will pass you, or you’ll be home.

Damn, and I thought the cops in some parts of my area were assholes. Not too far from MIL's work is a speed trap and the same with my job and the cops there are ruthless too.

[jackfaire]

The Martinsburg City cops in WV will frequently tailgate people with high beams on at night. I don't live there anymore so fearing retaliation isnt really an issue. The idea is to make you speed up to try and get away from the guy blinding you. They then flick on their lights pull you over and issue a ticket. Its one of the ways they generate revenue. Best thing to do was slow down to a crawl, but keep moving. Speed limits 25 with no minimum, I’d start dropping down to 20 and then 15. Eventually they will pass you, or you’ll be home.

I am surprised they don't then peg you for reckless endangerment for driving while blinded.

"So officer you say the driver was blinded and you knew this how"

"Because I was the one blinding her"

[Dips]

Let's drop the "cops are corrupt and entrap people" angle right now. There's plenty of non-fratching discussion material in the OP.

[Megg]

I'm thinking about taking a day off and sitting in a chair on the driveway (which just happens to be obscured by trees...) and bouncing a basketball into traffic whenever one of these jerks starts roaring down the street. A little heart attack just might slow some of these idiots down.

This is so win! I want to do this so bad. I would probably go to jail or something around here, though.

People who park in handicapped spaces are evil, but an ambulance? That deserves a neck punch!