UNDER-pressure paramedics are being hit with speeding fines - often for doing just a few kilometres over the limit - as they rush to jobs.
Dozens of ambulance officers a month are being fined for speeding on their way to code 2 jobs, which are urgent but not life-threatening.
Recent fines include a $146 ticket for a MICA 6 doing 65km/h in a 60 zone at 3.51am, $153 for 56km/h in a 50 zone for a code 2 case at 10.35pm, and 64km/h in a 60 zone returning from hospital.
I was going to buy a fast, stylish bike, but I looked in the mirror & thought "you're not fooling anyone, you know"
Well emergency vehicles also have an exemption along similar lines. Must be displaying flashing lights or sounding siren however - maybe these ambos were not ??
If they were really on a serious call and flashing their lights then the fines should be waived.
Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.
UNDER-pressure paramedics are being hit with speeding fines - often for doing just a few kilometres over the limit - as they rush to jobs.
Dozens of ambulance officers a month are being fined for speeding on their way to code 2 jobs, which are urgent but not life-threatening.
Recent fines include a $146 ticket for a MICA 6 doing 65km/h in a 60 zone at 3.51am, $153 for 56km/h in a 50 zone for a code 2 case at 10.35pm, and 64km/h in a 60 zone returning from hospital.
A bit further down in the article is a paragraph with more details/clarity ...
Ambulance officers are not issued with speeding fines when they are using lights and sirens for the most urgent, code 1, cases, but they are fined when on less serious, code 2, cases such as transporting people to hospital and overdoses.
The fines relate to code 2 matters which are by my reading non-urgent matters, i.e., not requiring the use of emergency warning devices.
Edit:
Code 2: An acute but non-time critical response. The ambulance does not use lights and sirens to respond. An example of this response code is a broken leg.
ldrcycles wrote:Went for a bit of a ride around Brisbane yesterday afternoon, very nice for the most part, riding smack bang in the middle of the lane on 2/3 lane roads with ALL traffic safely and sensibly going around, except for one bloke in a Colorado ute who beeped his horn at me and then passed fairly closely (i wouldn't call it a close shave, but much closer than necessary, and definitely deliberate). Thing is i was doing the limit, and there was another lane completely bare of traffic right next to me .
You tend to get more of that when you ride by yourself. Let me know if you are in Brissie on a sunday and we can do a pleasant ride somewhere with a few hills.
Recent Favorite rides: December -TUMBULGUM to TOMEWIN by some obscure route-can't wait to do it again !!!
Went for a ride into a strong headwind today. Came across a few dills like the woman texting on her phone while stopped at a green light who only drove off after a friendly tap on the bootlid but this really made my blood boil. Needless to say I will be contacting Boral tomorrow. I'll also be making plans on visiting the local police station and contacting the Moreton Bay Regional Council to discuss about this intersection and another along Anzac Ave too.
that's the kind of guy you'd want in the trenches with you in a war - someone who thinks it's courageous to shave a cyclist then speed off into the distance (hopefully). what a gutless loser.
Lukeyboy wrote:Went for a ride into a strong headwind today ... but this really made my blood boil. Needless to say I will be contacting Boral tomorrow...
Well I do not know about blood actually boiling but it did do wonders for your heart rate and the bike acceleration was impressive! That should have covered your sprint training
That was extremely dangerous. That woulda set me off too.
Speaking of which, 51km/hr and cadence of 122 - impressive! Nice HUD at the bottom.
"People have a right to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." -- James W Loewen
Haha. I would have continued on with it to catch up but as soon as I exited the roundabout looking at the oncoming traffic I knew we were going to get the first or the second lights with a red light so I just coasted down the hill. If it was heavy I would have went anaerobic and hoped to get him on the third or fourth set of lights
That Boral driver has his eyes open. He was honking to inform you that you're riding on his road, and you might cost his royal Boralness precious seconds of lights-waiting time unless you move onto the shoulder that peters out 10 seconds further on.
Awesome riding btw. Pity you didn't have a helmet cam so we could see his expression when you caught him up. ->
I'd have liked to have seen his expression as you rested your had on his mirror and slowly twisted it off its mount, all while smiling and waving with your other hand.
Hello! It's meeee! Again!
Then, followed by a written complaint about him close-passing you and being hit.
No I wouldn't do it, that's bearing false witness, but geez it's tempting sometimes with these half=wits.
"People have a right to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." -- James W Loewen
She explained? Do tell. This will be interesting ...
"People have a right to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." -- James W Loewen
The best thing to do is to blow the driver a kiss. Always guaranteed of an epic response be it on a bicycle, motorbike or in a car. The best response was a couple years back when I was with dad in the car going along the western freeway after the V8s. Doing the speed limit with cruise control on we undertook someone in a 4wd going ~25kph slower in the righthand lane (must not know of the keep left rule). After we had merged back into the right hand lane with 2 car lengths between us he sped up to flip us off and then tried to cut infront of us only to find himself unable to get infront because of the car infront of us and in the opposite lane. As he slowed down and we started to pass him I blew him a kiss and he just went bat s**t insane. Slammed on the brakes, swerved in behind us, tailgating, lights on high beam, on the horn constantly for about 1.5-2.5km. I spose it didn't help each time he flashed his high beams that I did a sissy wave out the window. About 500m later he used the Moggill Road exit. What made it even more funny for me was that dad had no idea that he had flipped us off and I blew him a kiss until he put high beams on, got on the horn and started tailgating us
Oh how I hate Moggill Road. Both travelling along it or crossing it. That's outside the plaza isn't it?
trailgumby wrote:She explained? Do tell. This will be interesting ...
[T'rak accent]Hello little man, I noticed that your little tricycle thingy was blocking the path of my very expensive land whale. Be a good chap and don't get in my way again.[/T'rak accent]
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic. London Boy 29/12/2011
trailgumby wrote:She explained? Do tell. This will be interesting ...
She was an elderly lady. She got in the wrong lane then had someone hassling her for stopping in the left turn only lane. So she felt pressured to squeeze up next to me. Quite literally "sharing" the lane.
She was clearly stressed and I felt a little sorry for her actually. She was sorry and somewhat embarrassed by it.
It's definatly "bring out your MM's" day here in Ballarat... These all happened while I was driving (not fit to ride today unfortunately)
First, an oncoming school mum careening way to fast around a blind corner, crosses into the opposite lane (that I was in). Were I moving at more than a crawl, she would have head-on'ed me.
Then, MM cut into right lane down Sturt St (between Gillies and Pleasant Sts for the locals) with at most inches to spare. It was so close, I had to pull over and have a "calm down" smoke... scared the living bejeebus out of me.
On the way home, "Ms Hatchback" reverses out of a park with out checking, forcing me to stop (not dangerously close, but still bloody dumb).
Lastly, heading west up Howitt St in the left lane, a 4WD ute towing a boat cuts across me turning left from the right lane (presumably to allow for the boat trailed to enter the driveway without clipping the parked cars). He indicated, but I thought he was changing lanes. Stopped in time, but like "Ms Hatchback", bloody stupid.
The last 3 were all on the same trip out to the LBS... I'm not going back on the roads today. Seriously beginning to think I need a dash-cam more than I need a helmet cam. I get none of this sort of dumb behaviour while riding the velo...
It's supposed to rain today, so (first time in weeks) I took the 'cross bike with mudgaurds instead of a roadie or the TT bike.
Un-flipping believable.
- I got left-hooked for the first time ever, while travelling at 40kph on an on-road lane when there was no other traffic around. I had lights on, and was wearing a fluro jersey, there is absolutely no question as to whether or not they saw me. - I was in a line of traffic entering a round-about when the car behind me tried to overtake. I just held my line and they had to back off to avoid running into a traffic island. - I was past the start of a form-one-lane when a car forced its way in front of me.
It's a good thing I don't have a gun.
I ride, therefore I am. ...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
.
Pity you didn't have a helmet cam so we could see his expression when you caught him up. -> 
