Livid with police tonight

[amage]

If people leading horse were not in Hi-Viz then do not embarass yourself by reporting it....you would be absolutely roasted for not having high viz on when you admit yourself that visibility is low. I have been passed by ambulances etc plenty of times on a variety of horses inc fit racehorses...Our (my and OH's) policy is turn their head to the ditch and pat and sit tight. We are the entrance road to a small village...if an ambulance etc is en route then they are travelling for a reason. We have never had a horse react but worst case scenario if we did we certainly would not hold blues accountable. we choose to travel the road - yes it is unavoidable but we work hard to make ours unflappable.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

I think sometime we panic and think our horses will be scared of something when they might not react as you think.

I was at a show where they were landing gliders in the next field, I was holding a horse and saw it coming in to land, I was panicing thinking shall I face him to it, turn his bum to it, by that time it was over us and down, horse did nothing it was me who was afraid of what might happen.

I was at a show where a rider was injured, holding a horse, when helicopter landed it was scared but not as much as I thought it would be.

 

[Kokopelli]

First off I doubt she was seen especially if she wasn't wearing hi-viz, was she and horse wearing hi-viz?

A couple of months ago I was on the road with Andy and police car sped past with sirens and spooked him (they were after a stolen van.) They saw in the rear view mirror that he spooked and must have radioed one of his collegueas (sp) as shortly after another police car arrived and apologised for spooking him and asked if we were alright getting him home. By this point he was frothing sweat as after a spook he gets himself in a tiz.

The emergency services are a god send literally. They save so many lives, help out so many people yet can still manage to apologise to one horse and rider.

I think people need to be a bit more grateful for what they have.

 

[michelleice]

Im a lurker now adays but had to say, rather someone didnt take there hands of the steering wheel doing 90mph past my horse tbh! to turn of a siren

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

I was up on Exmoor riding my bike, came to a very very very steep hill and had to get off my bike, i was nearly dead halfway up and a police car came up behind me and spooked me, the 2 rather attractive coppers laughed their heads off and offered me a lift up the hill, now thats what I call good police care!

ps I was hot, sweaty and embarrassed so declined

 

[Pedantic]

Just because 2 drunks decide to kick off outside the pub, or another couple decide to have a "another" domestic "again", doesn't mean our lives stop either, who's life is more important, the junky who has just OD'd, or the pedestrian/cyclist/horse rider/other motorist's, I never expect special treatment as a horse rider, but a little consideration wouldn't go a miss, I do expect the police particulalry to abide by the laws they are supposed to be upholding, ie passing a horse wide and slow, driving with due care and attention, doesn't matter "why" they are in a hurray, the laws still the same.

Hypothetical Question, mugger bungles robbery, stabbed with own knife, lying in pool of blood, Ambulance on it's way, it's school time, question, how much risk should the Ambulance take speeding past the local school with the double parking, parents/kids all over the road ect, the same speed as passing horse's cyclist's as normal and the same speed as the police car rushing to the gunman, who's life is more important and "who" decides

End of the day it doesn't matter why the emergency vehicles are speeding about, they should be driving with the rest of us and safety in mind and "by the law"

 

[Amaranta]

Agree utterly and totally with Bosworth.

The trouble with some horse people is that they think they have priority over everything on the roads, those who quoted 'probably late for a tea break' just make themselves look like the arrogant fools they probably are.

I am not a member of the emergency services and have no idea what their policy is on passing horses with sirens etc, but would totally understand that there would be times when it is not possible to turn them off.

Nation of whingers!

 

[Natch]

I was advised on here about a similar incident, and told to ring my county's police to complain about a "near miss involving a police vehicle", and make sure I got a reference number. You will need to give as much detail as possible, including exact location and time. I don't recall being asked if we were in high viz, and most certainly would NOT avoid complaining if the handlers weren't wearing it - the police need to know that for whatever reason, horse riders and handlers who do not wear high viz also need to be given the same response.

The incident I was involved with was that a police car zoomed past me (horse and rider, wearing 3 items of high viz, clear straight road, good visibility weather) lights and siren on. I was lucky to be able to pull into a convenient drive and turn my horse so that he could see what was going on, and he was ok, but if I couldn't get off the road, or if he had been in a different mood that day I would have hit the tarmac, and god knows what would have happened with a more flighty horse.

The chief (I think, it was a while ago so I can't remember it all fully but it was someone very senior) who responded to my complaint was great, he apologised, had tracked which car was in the area and it was a neighbouring county's responding to an emergency, and had spoken to the two officers in the car to make sure they understood the dangers of passing a horse with siren on. He said that it was Cheshire police's policy to turn off siren but not lights when they pass a horse. He said he had also issued a bulletin to all the officers in the county reminding them of this.

I was left confident that reporting this incident had significantly decreased the likelihood of a repeat performance, so would urge the OP to do the same.

 

[Natch]

Nation of whingers!

I hope you/your family/your friends/colleagues/anyone you know are never involved in a RTI in which your life is put at risk by a member of the emergency services. If you ever did, you might re-think this comment.

I find this REALLY offensive

I watched a single policeman (first on the scene) pull a dead man out of a car last week in the crash that closed the a1. Not only did he have to deal with the horror in front of him he had to console the survivors of the crash, calm the hysteria and divert traffic. All by himself.

In the line of duty? Maybe so, would I care if he used his sirens to get back to the office quicker at home time? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Can I just clear something up, does anyone honestly think police use sirens and lights for non-emergencies? I think I'm right in saying they are highly monitored and would never be able to get away with that. But yes actually, if using a siren and lights and if its a non-emergency and you are in danger of causing an accident, I would get very upset. Its just stupid. But as far as I am aware, it just doesn't happen.

Actually, looking at it from the other side............ If one of you loved ones was trapped inside a house with a crazed gunman and because the police slowed down to pass someone who could not control their own horse, your loved one was shot how would you feel.

I would far rather they passed me at speed with their lights on and kept the sirens going, horses will have heard the siren from a distance away. Also as a responsible road user it is your responsibility to get out of the way of the emergency vehicles and let them through.

Yes the horse was injured which is why it was on the road and being walked back, but at the end of the day that horse is a hobby

I don't think a matter of seconds to slow down to pass a horse would ever be singly attributed to a gunman shooting anyone. What about the seconds it takes to negotiate a busy junction safely? Or if there were cattle crossing at the wrong time? What if the emergency isn't a life and death situation, but an unarmed robbery?

Slowing down/switching off gear is a matter of not causing another incident. Yes horses are a hobby and the loss of a horse's life isn't as devastating as the loss of human life, but the thing is if a horse spooks on the road it is risking causing a life or death situation to its handlers and other road users. With the best will in the world I don't think this is about if a horse is sensible/well trained enough to be on the roads or not. Even the most well trained and sensible horse can spook. When I was dumped on the road because of some eejit driver, you'd have never thought my horse was deemed unsafe to be on the roads.

I actually disagree that it is the road user's responsibility to get out of the police's way. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but there are times when you simply cannot, as to do so would cause another incident, and that statement rather takes the responsibility to you to keep out of the emergency services' way, rather than it being a dual responsibility. An advert which was aired a few years ago expressly said get out of the way if possible, but its our (the emergency service's) responsibility to pass you safely.

 

[feisty_filly]

was there no way they could have got the horse off the road?
in all honesty the sirens are there to warn you to get out the way! why should the police / ambulance / fire engine have to slow down? im sorry i know some peoples horses are spooked by fast cars and loud sirens BUT the siren is a warning to be prepaired that they are comeing so even if you cant get off the road you can prepair your self for the spook that could happen.

also im sure if it was your house that was burning down or a fmaily member that was dieing you would want the emergency services there asap?

 

[jokadoka]

I was advised on here about a similar incident, and told to ring my county's police to complain about a "near miss involving a police vehicle", and make sure I got a reference number. You will need to give as much detail as possible, including exact location and time. I don't recall being asked if we were in high viz, and most certainly would NOT avoid complaining if the handlers weren't wearing it - the police need to know that for whatever reason, horse riders and handlers who do not wear high viz also need to be given the same response.

The incident I was involved with was that a police car zoomed past me (horse and rider, wearing 3 items of high viz, clear straight road, good visibility weather) lights and siren on. I was lucky to be able to pull into a convenient drive and turn my horse so that he could see what was going on, and he was ok, but if I couldn't get off the road, or if he had been in a different mood that day I would have hit the tarmac, and god knows what would have happened with a more flighty horse.

The chief (I think, it was a while ago so I can't remember it all fully but it was someone very senior) who responded to my complaint was great, he apologised, had tracked which car was in the area and it was a neighbouring county's responding to an emergency, and had spoken to the two officers in the car to make sure they understood the dangers of passing a horse with siren on. He said that it was Cheshire police's policy to turn off siren but not lights when they pass a horse. He said he had also issued a bulletin to all the officers in the county reminding them of this.

I was left confident that reporting this incident had significantly decreased the likelihood of a repeat performance, so would urge the OP to do the same.

As I see it there wasn't really an "incident" then was there? You pulled into a drive, the horse was fine, nothing happened, so therefore NO INCIDENT TOOK PLACE.

As has been said before, the likelyhood of the horse in the OP's "incident" actually having been visible to the emergency vehicle in question is unlikely. The car behind the horse had slowed down, a normal reaction when faced with emergency vehicles, so no reason for anybody to think there was a horse in front of it being led by 2 teenagers, one competent, the other not so...
One minute the lane has bad visibility, the next minute visibility is fine...make your mind up!
I think a lot of horse owners need to get their heads out of their own backsides, they do not take priority over everything and everybody else.
It's getting ridiculous, some of the posts on this forum are unbelievable, there IS a real world out there, it doesn't all revolve around people and their horses.
And,yes, before you ask, I too am a horse owner, have been for many years, I just prefer to be one without the blinkers on.

 

[loopyloop]

Folks - we do not have a God given right for everything around us to stop just because we are on the road with our horses (for whatever reason).

There is a real arrogance in the horse world that insists that we take priority over everything on the roads. We don't - simply put. The world does not revolve around us, and it is this sort of attitude that gives us all such a bad name.

HERE HERE!!!

I get laughed at a lot because my pet hate on the road is horse riders, people always say yes but you ride horses etc!!!

There is a real problem with horse riders thinking they are much more important than all the other road users and that everybody else should bow down to them.

I am sick to death of slowing down, passing wide, waiting until horse has settled, waiting until its safe to pass etc etc and getting no thanks and sometimes even a look down the nose!!

This is why we horse riders get the reception we do, I don't hack, not on the road anyway but when I used to hack, if I met a siren, if they turned it off, wonderful! If they didn't I wouldn't be jumping up and down and demanding an apology.

Yes the emergency services should take all precautions they can to avoid an accident but if flying past me at speed with their lights on because they couldn't slow or turn them off means they save somebody else then so be it!

Everyday we chose to ride on the road we accept there is going to be a risk!

 

[Spudlet]

Spot on.

Once again someone is able to articulate what I wanted to say, but far more eloquently.

Folks - we do not have a God given right for everything around us to stop just because we are on the road with our horses (for whatever reason).

There is a real arrogance in the horse world that insists that we take priority over everything on the roads. We don't - simply put. The world does not revolve around us, and it is this sort of attitude that gives us all such a bad name.

OP, must have been scary for the handlers of the young horse. But it is our choice to be on the roads - and we must accept the inherent risks that accompany that choice.

And to the poster who said that police, fire service, ambulance drivers are just doing a job. No, they're not. They're following a vocation which we should all be enormously grateful for.

I agree with all of this.

My god, if some of you people ever had to call an ambulance for a family member who appeared to dying before your eyes (as I have) you would want them there NOW, THIS MINUTE. And you would not give a damn how many ponios were upset on the way.

Just doing a job? OK - you do it then. Put YOUR life at risk every day for ungrateful, entitled, wingeing sods, a rubbish paypacket, dreadful HR (try being off sick working for the NHS some time why don't you!) and absolutely no thanks whatsoever. Oh no, you won't will you? You'll just call them out whenever you need them (then probably treat them like dirt because you're soooo much better than them, right?)

God, you lot leave me ashamed to be horsey.

 

[Natch]

As I see it there wasn't really an "incident" then was there? You pulled into a drive, the horse was fine, nothing happened, so therefore NO INCIDENT TOOK PLACE.


I think a lot of horse owners need to get their heads out of their own backsides, they do not take priority over everything and everybody else.
It's getting ridiculous, some of the posts on this forum are unbelievable, there IS a real world out there, it doesn't all revolve around people and their horses.
And,yes, before you ask, I too am a horse owner, have been for many years, I just prefer to be one without the blinkers on.

Yes, luckily no incident took place. I firmly believe that it could have easily been otherwise due to a range of variables which a police car travelling at that speed could not possibly have accounted for (personnality and experience of horse, ditto rider, availability of empty driveways...). I was a bit wobbly afterwards, and shocked that the police would behave in such a way around horses, so came on here to vent, and was advised by a member on here to report it. I'm pleased I did, and the person who responded to me was glad that they had been informed and preventative action could be taken for the future.

I would far rather people with near misses reported them and lessons were learnt before a real accident happened.

As for heads in backsides I can understand why that is perceived, but as the recent forest sell off plans proved, if equestrians don't speak up we get forgotten about.

Surely its a fairly basic requirement of emergency services that they take reasonable steps to avoid causing an incident on their way to another one. I think perhaps the disagreement on here is because of people's perceptions of the risk of an accident happening.

 

[feisty_filly]

I agree with all of this.

My god, if some of you people ever had to call an ambulance for a family member who appeared to dying before your eyes (as I have) you would want them there NOW, THIS MINUTE. And you would not give a damn how many ponios were upset on the way.

Just doing a job? OK - you do it then. Put YOUR life at risk every day for ungrateful, entitled, wingeing sods, a rubbish paypacket, dreadful HR (try being off sick working for the NHS some time why don't you!) and absolutely no thanks whatsoever. Oh no, you won't will you? You'll just call them out whenever you need them (then probably treat them like dirt because you're soooo much better than them, right?)

God, you lot leave me ashamed to be horsey.

WELL SAID!

 

[Amaranta]

Naturally, and I hope that a member of your family has not died in an RTA because the ambulance did not get there quick enough because he had to slow down and turn his sirens off to pass a horse!

As a horse owner I ALWAYS slow down for horses, but the riders who actually thank you are far outnumbered by those who arrogantly just carry on ignoring the COURTESY.

People need to take responsibility and stop blaming others, if you take your horse on the road it is YOUR responsibility no one else's.

 

[peanut]

There is a real problem with horse riders thinking they are much more important than all the other road users and that everybody else should bow down to them.


Everyday we chose to ride on the road we accept there is going to be a risk!

Have to agree.

 

[Spudlet]

A copper I know had to go and find a severed head once, courtesy of a nasty RTA. The drivers head had been knocked right off. And he had to go and pick it up off the tarmac, then go and explain to the guy's family why Daddy wouldn't be coming home.

But hey, he got paid for it, so that's ok, right?

My dad once had to break into a house where an old lady had died. She'd fallen in front of a switched on gas fire, and she'd cooked all the way through before anyone missed her. Medium rare on the back, well done on the front.

But hey, he got paid for it. So that's ok too!

 

[jokadoka]

Yes, luckily no incident took place. I firmly believe that it could have easily been otherwise due to a range of variables which a police car travelling at that speed could not possibly have accounted for (personnality and experience of horse, ditto rider, availability of empty driveways...). I was a bit wobbly afterwards, and shocked that the police would behave in such a way around horses, so came on here to vent, and was advised by a member on here to report it. I'm pleased I did, and the person who responded to me was glad that they had been informed and preventative action could be taken for the future.

I would far rather people with near misses reported them and lessons were learnt before a real accident happened.

As for heads in backsides I can understand why that is perceived, but as the recent forest sell off plans proved, if equestrians don't speak up we get forgotten about.

Surely its a fairly basic requirement of emergency services that they take reasonable steps to avoid causing an incident on their way to another one. I think perhaps the disagreement on here is because of people's perceptions of the risk of an accident happening.

I can't see that your experience could be classed as a "near miss" as you were in a driveway, it was a long straight stretch with clear visibility. I also fail to see the original OP's post as a "near miss". I expect we have to agree to disagree...
I think that an awful lot of posts on here lately revolve around 'what ifs, this could have happened, that might have happened, the other would have happened".
Perhaps more people should just get on with living live and enjoying it, rather than speculating on "what if's".
Any of us could walk out of the door today, fall of the pavement and break our necks, that's life, surely it's better to get on with it rather than be held back by "what if's"?

 

[Natch]

Naturally, and I hope that a member of your family has not died in an RTA because the ambulance did not get there quick enough because he had to slow down and turn his sirens off to pass a horse!

As a horse owner I ALWAYS slow down for horses, but the riders who actually thank you are far outnumbered by those who arrogantly just carry on ignoring the COURTESY.

People need to take responsibility and stop blaming others, if you take your horse on the road it is YOUR responsibility no one else's.

I appreciate the sentiments, but to me I see no difference in taking action to pass a horse and rider/handler safely vs taking action to pass a school, road junction, etc etc safely, in fact passing a horse rider safely probably takes much less time than negotiating a busy junction when the lights are not in favour of the emergency vehicle.

 

[Natch]

I can't see that your experience could be classed as a "near miss" as you were in a driveway, it was a long straight stretch with clear visibility. I also fail to see the original OP's post as a "near miss". I expect we have to agree to disagree...
I think that an awful lot of posts on here lately revolve around 'what ifs, this could have happened, that might have happened, the other would have happened".
Perhaps more people should just get on with living live and enjoying it, rather than speculating on "what if's".
Any of us could walk out of the door today, fall of the pavement and break our necks, that's life, surely it's better to get on with it rather than be held back by "what if's"?

Happy to agree to disagree with you particularly about what if's I think that the "what ifs" protect us from preventable accidents.

Its surely all about balance, too much "what if" results in a person who wouldn't get out of bed in the morning, but too little could result in a person taking an untrained horse on a dual carriageway (for example). I freely admit I err on the side of caution with what ifs, and recently told a friend of mine off for driving like a lunatic around country lanes. I think my exact words were, "What if there was a horse around that blind bend, would you be able to stop?"

So yes, I agree its all differences in perceptions.

 

[Pat10]

I'm very happy to say that in our area - Harrogate, North Yorkshire - all the emergency services have thus far been very considerate when passing us on the road. A big thank you to them all.

 

[Indy]

95% of the times when I've met the emergency services on the way to an emergency they always leave the lights on and turn the sirens off.

The odd occasion they've kept lights on and sirens on and gone flying past I've never had a real problem either a bit of a spook maybe but I've had worse when one of my lad see a plastic bag in the hedge.

 

[Maesfen]

Horses are the same as other road users. If you hear a siren coming - they can be heard for miles, no excuse not to hear it - then you get off the road double quick time. Get your horses trained to them, it's not hard, a tape recording is all it takes.

 

[Annagain]

My OH is a traffic cop. I won't go into details of what he sees on a regular basis but I know it's not pretty because his way of dealing with it is to come home and tell me about it in minute detail - several times. Luckily I'm not squeamish, at least not when I'm being told about it, I might be if I have to see it. Knowing what he's seen, and how easily a moment's lack of concentration can cause a serious accident he would never endanger another road user. He will always pass horses wide and slow and turn the sirens and lights off where possible but he has said sometimes it isn't possible due to road conditions, time it's taken to see the horse, other traffic etc.

While he is in his car, a video is recording ALL THE TIME. Every time he switches those lights and sirens on, everything starts recording - there's a voice recorder in the car, speed is recorded, even what gear he's in is recorded. There is absolutely no way he (or any other emergency driver for that matter) could ever get away with turning them on in anything but a real emergency. They are the most monitored drivers on the road and won't get away with anything but the highest standards.

OP mentions that the first two cars did turn the lights and sirens off but the third did not. Presumably there was a time lapse between the cars passing and the horse would have been in a different position on the road by the time the third car went past, or had the car behind by this time when it wasn't there for the first two. Is it not possible that in that short time, the conditions changed which made her less visible and gave the driver less time to react. I understand the OP being worried about it but sometimes we need to see the bigger picture.

As an aside we regulary ride down a very busy road (Main M4 to Cardiff Airport road) with thankfully a very wide verge, which has a lot of emergency vehicles on it. We've had emergency vehicles go past us several times. Some have turned sirens off, some haven't, same with lights. The horses don't seem bothered by the sirens as they have lots of time to hear them getting closer. They seem more surprised by the lights to be honest. None of them have ever done anything though because we make sure they are 100% in traffic before going on the road, to take a spooky horse on there would be way too irresponsible and put other road users at risk. Yes emergency drivers have a responsibility, but so do we.

 

[abbieandfiona]

I have been lucky and every time they have slowed down and switched all off to go past me, when i was ill and taken into hospital by ambulance from yard they switched everything off before pulling up not to scare the horses and as my horse wouldnt let them into the stable where i was they had to get some food to get me out so have respect for my local service both police and ambulance people always are good in my area.

 

[JoG]

Wow - didn't expect this to still be going on!! Booboos, spudlet, joka and amymay have put what i was trying to say so much more eloquently and I'm glad I'm not alone in my opinions

In terms of saying "it's a thankless job" I don't mean I expect everyone to say "wow you're great thanks" I mean it is SO hard to get on with what I'm there to do - help sick/injured people. When we're completely governed by times and how fast we do things. You have 8minutes to get to a cardiac arrest - if you get there in 10minutes but save the person then you have failed...WTF?? If your rushing to that emergency and you upset a dear ponio that was not clearly visible then people make a formal complaint about you

We're just humans trying to do a job - and yep, occassionally we may not see you and you may see flashing lights and sirens....it isn't a deliberate attempt to scare your horse or cause an accident. It was just a mistake.....

 

[Stinkbomb]

A copper I know had to go and find a severed head once, courtesy of a nasty RTA. The drivers head had been knocked right off. And he had to go and pick it up off the tarmac, then go and explain to the guy's family why Daddy wouldn't be coming home.

But hey, he got paid for it, so that's ok, right?

My dad once had to break into a house where an old lady had died. She'd fallen in front of a switched on gas fire, and she'd cooked all the way through before anyone missed her. Medium rare on the back, well done on the front.

But hey, he got paid for it. So that's ok too!

Well said!!

I lost me eye and have had to have severve facial surgery after some t*at i was trying to save assaulted me....... but hey i got paid so thats ok too!!??

I think everyone is missing the point here. YES ifs safe to do so sirens/lights should be switched off, however the OP herself has stated that "VISIBILITY WAS POOR" everyone is pressuming the officers SAW the horse and still refused to turn them off, something which from all its seems was not possible with the car behind.

maybe i should just agree woth alot of the posters on here..... Yes the officers should be sacked for not turning the emergency equipment off.!!..... lets face it it would be an easy way to reduce the numbers of officers in line with the new goverment proposals!!! But hey ho thats another debate....

 

[Trolt]

I agree with all of this.

My god, if some of you people ever had to call an ambulance for a family member who appeared to dying before your eyes (as I have) you would want them there NOW, THIS MINUTE. And you would not give a damn how many ponios were upset on the way.

Just doing a job? OK - you do it then. Put YOUR life at risk every day for ungrateful, entitled, wingeing sods, a rubbish paypacket, dreadful HR (try being off sick working for the NHS some time why don't you!) and absolutely no thanks whatsoever. Oh no, you won't will you? You'll just call them out whenever you need them (then probably treat them like dirt because you're soooo much better than them, right?)

God, you lot leave me ashamed to be horsey.

Have nothing useful to add that I haven't already said - but I really wanted to second ^^ that post. Really well said.

A copper I know had to go and find a severed head once, courtesy of a nasty RTA. The drivers head had been knocked right off. And he had to go and pick it up off the tarmac, then go and explain to the guy's family why Daddy wouldn't be coming home.

But hey, he got paid for it, so that's ok, right?

My dad once had to break into a house where an old lady had died. She'd fallen in front of a switched on gas fire, and she'd cooked all the way through before anyone missed her. Medium rare on the back, well done on the front.

But hey, he got paid for it. So that's ok too!

My dads latest RTA was a guy who got run over by an arctic. The elderly gentlemen couldn't be ID'd facially because of the tyre mark running across his face. They had to retrieve his brain from the other side of the road as it had literally exploded out. Not to mention calming down and supporting everyone who had witnessed the incident.

But to quote Spudlet: hey, he got paid for it, so that's ok then!?

 

[jenki13]

Horse riders are another road user that have to stick to the rules / laws of the rode. Most emergency vehicles slow to go around other cars/ vehicles on a narrow road & should show the same courtesy to horse-riders but not really more so. (when on an emergency call)

If the sirens were on all the time the horses shouldn't really have spooked that much by the time the car came up to them. If he blared them as he went past or something then he was an idiot.

With the responses say my OH/Dad/friend had to see this the other day. I am sorry but that is the job they chose, just like the soldier who may see their mates blown to pieces, or the doctors who treat the patients in hospital with horrific burns etc. Its sad & admirable but at the end of the day It is their job.

I do have a bit of a skeptical view on the police though as all the ones I've encountered round our area, seem to do p all & never around.. & they also took over an hour to respond to my RTA, tried to charge to recover my bike when we had left instructions for it to be removed by someone we know from the verge, then one of the officers almost threw up when I did in hospital & they kept trying to imply that I was drink-driving!!

Can't fault the ambulance crew though! I don't think they had the siren on going up our narrow roads, & didn't drive that fast either.. (i could tell from when we came to the junction)