Allow me to rant a little bit...
Driving to Easton tonight, around 8PM, I was passed by several pieces of fire equipment.
They were:
Cordova Tanker 53
Cordova Brush Truck 56
Trappe (Either an Engine or Rescue - they look the same to me)
Two brush trucks from other companies in Queen Anne's County. Since I cannot remember specifically who they were, I will not venture a guess to avoid implicating any innocent parties.
The driving displayed by these fire fighters was downright dangerous, disrespectful to other drivers, and should be considered an embarrassment to the companies that they represent.
Specific actions that worried me:
All vehicles made many unsafe lane changes, cutting off other motorists, especially in front of traffic lights.
Typical following distance of any vehicle was 1-2 car lengths. What would have happened if any passenger vehicle had to make an emergency stop while any of these emergency vehicles was tailgating? In all fairness, Trappe's vehicle was much better about allowing more room in front of them. But somehow I feel two truck lengths is probably not sufficient given the amount of traffic and their speed within the Cambridge City Limits.
Inside of Cambridge, all vehicles appeared to exceed 50mph while driving the section of Rt 50 near WaWa and the Cambridge Public Safety Building where the speed limit is 35mph. Despite this aggressive driving, I was able to pass them while doing the speed limit (traffic lights are the great equalizer). This goes to show how they disregarded their own safety and that of the public with no benefits gained.
1 of the unidentified brush trucks, while towing a trailer that contained a child's playhouse, appeared to exceed 75 MPH on the Choptank river bridge. My guess is that they liked the 7 litre diesel engine in that truck, and felt it necessary to test its limits given their rate of acceleration.
2nd of the unidentified brush trucks was not far behind. Perhaps they were racing?
Cordova Tanker 53 was dumping water all over the road. Did they drive out of town on a full tank of 3000 gallons? How much extra fuel would they burn hauling 12 extra tons of weight around them?
I understand that these volunteers are probably highly trained in driving their vehicles appropriately during emergency situations. Despite the urgency of their calls, I doubt that this type of driving would be considered appropriate. And during non-emergency situations, there is absolutely no reason why they should drive like this. Perhaps their officers can offer the appropriate drivers some non-emergency driving instructions, where they can practice using turn signals, safe following distances, obeying the speed limit, and even advanced techniques that save wear and tear on their vehicles and conserve fuel, so that they do not lose their vehicle availability and budget money due to driving like a jackass.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
22 comments:
I personally think this practice of taking many pieces of fire fighting apperatus out of service and driving them long-distances just so those vehicles can be driven several blocks for a parade in another town is an idea whose time has passed.
911 IS AVAILABLE ON CELL PHONES
I remember driving from Berlin to Salisbury on Rt. 50 in years past and coming up on the "radar trap" on westbound 50 right before Hall Road (almost to rt. 610) and when the State Trooper stepped out to wave over a speeding motorist for speeding (a practice they are no longer allowed, statewide, to do) the "offending cars" would hit their custom blue emergency lights and the police would wave them past. I guess you could call this the "professional courtesy" that many have referred to by it smacks of hypocracy to me.
I have no grudge to bear and I have no prior speeding tickets but fair is fair. The police and fire personnel are the WORST offenders for failing to use turn signals in America. If you doubt it, check it out. Safety my a--.
I think it is a shame these people do this every year. They drive like total asses. You can not lump all of them into a group. I observed a Univeristy Of Maryland Fire School S.U.V. driving all over the road, speeding, cutting people off. I dont get it they are supposed to set the example. I will be calling U of M. fiiling a formal complaint. The State Pole and county were also called about it. I hope they got them
So what. Stop being a tattler and get a life.
call each dept and talk to the chief and tell him what you witnessed. He will reprimand each driver. In our dept you get put on immediate warning over any complaints on driving.
firemens parade was in oc wednesday.
The o.c firemans parade, is the o.c. lets get drunk parade.
Always have and always will.
the fireman's parade is on oc this week.
Stopping distance for a firetruck:
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/vehicles/articles/239741-Stopping-Distances-Part-1/
(This is just outrageous!! They are wasting gas paid by tax payers!!! We should fire every fire fighter there is. Cops too... They are all scum bags and losers).....JK People grow up. Why didn't you call the cops if they were so dangerous or call each stations and file a complaint instead of crying on a blog?
FYI- driving water tankers partially full or empty makes them more unstable. It is best that they are driven in the configuration that the drivers are most familiar with, for safety's sake. A couple of extra bucks in gas is not a big deal considering the benefits.
Why didn't I call the cops? Because they wouldn't have done anything. That would be like violating the privileged brotherhood.
It's just like asking people to call the cops when a cop is doing 60 on a city street yapping on their cell phone. No good is going to come out of it.
Without a public audience, many people expressing the same problems, and potential public embarrassment the chances of anything changing are slim to none.
I'm sure you're right about most of this. You were there, I wasn't. BUT. Chances are you're also a TERRIBLE Eastern Shore driver who doesn't obey traffic laws and hangs out in the PASSING lane. Its not an 'unsafe lane change' if its to get around a moron who doesn't yield to faster-moving traffic.
1:18
I LOL at you. I didn't grow up here, and even if I did my driving would still probably be fine. I drive 30,000 plus miles a year all over the country - metro areas, mountains with switchbacks, country roads with miles of gravel and single lane bridges, Interstate, deep wilderness where you go 2+ hours between civilization - you name it I drive it. I understand how traffic flow works as well as driver courtesy.
It *is* an unsafe lane change when there is not sufficient space in front of or behind you. It *is* an unsafe lane change if you switch right in front of a busy intersection where a light may go yellow or red. It *is* an unsafe lane change when minutes later, you go back into the lane that you were in without passing anybody. It *is* an unsafe lane change when you are doing ~ 20mph over the speed limit and you don't move over until your several ton truck is less than 6 feet from somebody else's bumper. It *is* an unsafe lane change if you don't use your blinkers and you are entering a space near other traffic.
This is getting off topic, since these trucks were jumping in every direction through Cambridge traffic. But regardless of a jerk in the left hand lane going slow, you would still be at fault for aggressively driving behind or around them. The law doesn't say "if somebody in the left is not driving the way you want them to, you are able to do anything you want or can to pass them." If I am mistaken in this, please quote the law. At times I, too, get frustrated about this, and bottling up the frustration isn't nearly as fun as driving however I darn well please.
i like the firemen in oc this time of year. They spend lots of money and keep the senior week kids is check
Joe, did you actually SEE all this "bad" driving? Answer truthfully please. I find it amazing that you were able to stay with all these vehicles and not be breaking the law. Was your camera not working to prove what our firemen were doing wrong? I think you have made some more enemies by posting this "incredable" story.
I was in a fire department unit from the western shore driving through Wicomico County yesterday and going 15 miles per hours above the speed limit. Best part was I had two Wicomico Sherrif units pass me and wave!!!
You can't do anything about it joe. It's professional curtosity. We help them and they help us. No matter where we are from.
I witnessed the same style of driving coming back to Salisbury late Tuesday afternoon. In fact, it was a large fire truck (it was Truck #63 from Talbot County) driving 72+ mph just south of Linkwood. I was thinking... yelp those guys need to get to the OC "watering hole" because there's an out of control Flaming Volcano drink that fell off someone's table! If you killed someone would it have been worth it?
No different than D.C. Politicians spending practices in "Financial Depression" Partying should not be at Taxpayer Expense.
We live in Mardela and on Wednesday evening as we crossed Rt. 50 (we had the green light) my husband had to brake for 2 Baltimore County firetrucks (traveling west bound) that were struggling to stop because they were traveling at an excessive speed and waited too long to break.
I see no problem with the parade or fire convention. I'm certainly not going to gripe about tax payer money, blah blah blah. Let the guys have one time a year to show off their equipment. Every job has some perks.
I did cringe at the thought of not one, but two, trucks running a red light and crashing into my vehicle with my two children buckled in the back seat.
I once followed a Trooper friend of mine to OC. He was in his unmarked interceptor. We drove about 90 mph the whole way and blew through two radar traps. They just waved and watched us pass by. It's nice to have buddies who are "connected".
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