First responders put their lives on the line to save others. The least we can offer them is some gratitude and courtesy. For example, moving over when we see their flashing lights or hear their sirens. Or not blocking them in when we are in a rush and can’t find parking. Unfortunately, as we’ve come to know, there are many entitled people on this planet who somehow believe the world revolves around them.
One first responder had the displeasure of having to deal with not one but two Karens while on standby for his job as a paramedic and firefighter. The man’s wife shared how her husband had reversed the ambulance into his driveway in the event he may be called to an emergency. Not long after, two cars were parking him in. Knowing the dangers of not being able to get the ambulance out, the wife called the police. When Karen 1 & 2 arrived to find their vehicles gone, all hell broke loose.
It can be super frustrating to deal with entitled people who have no common sense
But when two Karens blocked an ambulance, it literally became a life-and-death situation
In many countries, it is a criminal offense to obstruct emergency services
In many situations, first responders are allowed to break certain traffic rules. Not because they are above the law but because their jobs are important and they work to save lives. They can, for example, run a red light while rushing to an emergency, or park somewhere that we mere mortals cannot. And that is perfectly fine. These people are doing the work of angels after all.
In addition to having certain “privileges,” there are also laws that not only protect first responders but also the lives of those they’re helping.
All 50 states in America have “Move Over” laws to protect law enforcement officers, medical personnel and other first responders. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a third of Americans aren’t aware of these laws. “Violation of the Move Over law results in fines and in some cases jail time,” notes the NHTSA website.
Should you happen to be part of that third that’s unenlightened, here’s what you need to know:
If there’s an emergency vehicle with flashing lights stopped on or next to a roadway, you, as an approaching driver, must “change into a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or slow down to a reasonable speed if you’re unable to safely make a lane change.”
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
This applies to all vehicles on the road, regardless of the direction of travel, with only one exception, warns the Kellum Law Firm. “If you are driving on a four-lane highway divided by a median, cars traveling in the opposite direction as the emergency vehicle are not required to pull over and stop.”
There’s also the New York Penal Law § 195.16, which makes it a criminal offense to obstruct emergency medical services. “Under this law, a person is guilty of obstructing emergency medical services when they intentionally obstruct, hinder, or delay the provision of emergency medical services by emergency medical personnel or other authorized personnel,” explain the legal experts at Stephen Bilkis & Associates on their site.
“This can include preventing or delaying emergency personnel from accessing a patient or refusing to allow them to transport a patient to a medical facility.”
The firm notes that in order to be found guilty of breaking this law, the prosecution “must prove that the defendant had the specific intent to obstruct or delay the provision of emergency medical services.” Basically, if you knew your actions were illegal and you still went ahead and stopped or delayed an emergency worker from doing their job, you could find yourself in big trouble.
Obstructing emergency medical services is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a sentence of up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
You may or may not live in a city, state or country that has laws protecting first responders and those they’re helping. Regardless, it can’t hurt to do the decent thing. Dropping the entitlement and putting others first might very well help to save a life.
“Pig ignorant”: people praised the wife for the way she handled the situation
Netizens flooded the comments with similar stories of how they’d dealt with entitled people parking like idiots
