peeved

I wrote a list yesterday of things that annoyed me, but I didnt' finish it. So I went to edit it today and thought "well. It's all true, but how productive is this list really?" I can to the conclusion that it didn't really serve a purpose, mostly because I don't intentionally surround myself with people who annoy me, and those who do are only in my life because they have to be, and I can deal with that. So I let it go. EXCEPT FOR THE AMBULANCE RULE!!! I have spared that deletion simply because it is something that bothers me A LOT, even deep down in the pit of my stomach. Yeah, it's that serious, ha ha ha.

Things that annoy me:

People who do not pull over/cross the street in front of emergency vehicles
Yes, you might laugh at this and say "hey, if that's the biggest thing bothering you then have a nice life" but seriously, this one drives me absolutely crazy, moreso now that I'm working in an area that has 5 major hospitals/clinics within a block or so radius. The lack of respect I see for ambulances is absolutely ridiculous. Let's start with the city. I know it's congested in Boston and it's one bitch ass mother f*cker to drive in - I've been there, and I've been there and been lost too, believe me. But that does not give you the right to cut off an ambulance, nor take a left in front of it just cause the traffic clears. Nor does it give you the right to stop your car and not let it pass because you don't feel like pulling over. Here is the law written in layman's terms:

state law requires that ALL traffic pull over as far as possible to the RIGHT and COME TO A COMPLETE STOP upon the approach of emergency vehicles using red or blue lights; it doesn’t matter if the vehicle is using its siren or not; the statute specifically refers to the red or blue lights. Coming to a stop in the middle of an intersection or slowing down and then remaining in the center of a travel lane while an emergency vehicle attempts to pass is not acceptable. Violation of this state law carries a stiff fine.

These are the rules people. Time and time again I see blatant disrespect, especially for ambulances, which I would like to point are far more difficult to manuever than a more aerodynamic police car, when they have lights or sirens or both on. Drivers don't pull over and pedestrians leap into crosswalks trying to run across the street before the ambulance comes. If the fact that you are breaking the law doesn't phase you, I suggest thinking of it this way. Imagine you've been in a horrific car accident, or you had a heart attack at your house, or your spouse has cut off his/her leg with a chainsaw, or, perhaps your child has fallen into the family pool and doesn't have a pulse, your grandma's had a stroke - imagine you or any member of your family clinging to life in the back of an ambulance. Now the men and women who drive these things are good, real good, but you can't deny that you or whomever is critically ill needs an emergency room. Now would you honestly want the ambulance to have to slow down or stop for a pedestrian or a car that is hindering the way? What if you have to stop for 4 or 5 seconds? When you or someone you know is in an emergency situation, that is an eternity. What if you have to stop 10 or 15 or 20 times for 5 seconds? Those are precious seconds slipping away, literally, the difference between life and death. So before you decide to break the law and continue on your merry way to the supermarket, or the nail salon or to starbucks or whatever other useless mundane task you have to do, or before you run across the street to get to your office because you're ten minutes late for work, put yourself in the back of that ambulance and think again, b*tches.