Next time you see an emergency vehicle: YIELD!

Okay, so I am driving my son to school along Geary Boulevard in San Francisco's Richmond District when I see the flashing lights in my rear view mirror. The aerial ladder truck is still about three blocks away or so, but I'm already looking for a place to pull over because those things are huge and, by law, you're supposed to yield to emergency vehicles anyway.

Well, I'm watching the fire vehicles honking their horns (there was a truck and a medic unit) for people to get out of the way when I notice a nimrod who thinks they're speed racer and can outrun a fire truck. The woman, who was driving in her Benz E320 sedan, didn't seem to care that the truck was just about right on her ass and she doesn't yield until she's up on traffic that is stopped at a red light ahead of her. She continued to drive ahead of the emergency vehicles for TWO BLOCKS before she decides she can't go any further! This is the stupidity that many a liberal seems to exhibit in our city: I can't be inconvenienced, I don't like to wait, I've got more important things to do, I'm somebody important don't you know that?

How stupid can she be? Obviously, very stupid, indeed. The most common complaint I hear from those who work in emergency services (especially the fire department) is that people fail to yield when they are supposed to.

They should realize a few things:
1) You are required by law to yield to emergency vehicles when they have their flashing lights and sirens/horns on. Failure to do so will result in a fine and citation.

2) You will ALWAYS LOSE when you collide with one of those heavy fire trucks/engines. They're larger, heavier and made out of sturdier craftsmanship than your average car. Your aluminum can of a car can't stand up to their 50-gallon drum of a truck/engine.

3) You're impeding their ability to get to their destination. Think about it, if it were your place that was on fire or a loved one who was having a medical emergency, wouldn't you want them to get there ASAP? Yeah? Then do yourself a favor and get the hell out of the way before you cost somebody their life, okay?

4) You will look incredibly stupid to those who have already pulled over. Yep, you're going to stick out like a sore thumb because you're the only nimrod who thinks they're Speed Racer and refuses to get out of the way "because I can't be inconvenienced and I hate having to wait." So, dear idiot, drive, DRIVE LIKE THE WIND!!!

I'd publish that idiot driver's license plate in my blog to shame them, but I don't want the liability of doing so. But, I did jot it down because she really pissed me off. Why am I getting pissed off over somebody else's stupidity? Let me explain: I work closely with emergency services and I know what goes on in our city. Seeing others doing something stupid that puts others in jeopardy over a few seconds makes me mad because those few seconds can be precious to those who need it most.

Next time, just do everybody else a favor and pull over.