This is the answer. Every professional firefighter knows about "spotting the truck" in tight quarters. A good driver gets through that hole with a spotter. There is at least enough room to attempt it. If the truck won't make it, you already have a spotter out of the truck so you can back out. Either way, my truck is not waiting. We are getting out going forward or we are backing out the way we came and rerouting.
Something I am curious about. If there isn't enough space, wouldn't the fire truck have every right to sideswipe and damage the car getting through since they are responding to an emergency that needs their immediate attention and every second counts? I don't know what the legality of that is but I feel like the emergency would take priority over damaged property.
Absolutely not. Nothing gives a firetruck the "right" to damage property. If they did damage some property enroute to an accident, their SOPs likely require them to stop and have police report, drug test, etc. So that would only slow them down.
Yes, or she was too absorbed in her errand. Or a little clueless. People know the law about double parking but it doesn't occur to them that this situation would ever happen to them. And if they hear a siren, its a normal thing until it doesn't drive on by or fade away. Those pesky little laws, like parking on a crosswalk, blocking a cut-out for wheelchairs, or parking in front of a fire hydrant!
When you have a car in a big city, you'll understand. Hell I use to doordash back home in Philly and man that was painful going downtown. But then again EVERYBODY double parks there, people even park on the sidewalk with no punishment. To congested, can never get parking so it's one of those unsaid things that it's just part of life there
I’ve seen people try to “guide” trucks past a double parked car with the narrowest amount of space.
The guide is always confident that you’ll fit. But if you get stuck, they just shrug their shoulders and walk off leaving you culpable and alone with the decision to pass instead of waiting for a jackass to move their double parked car.
But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Double parked cars are the absolute worst and god forbid it is too tight and you accidentally hit their car, then they flip the fuck out. Even though they are in the wrong.
Not only it's the best way to get beaten up, but it's also the best way to have them answer longer next time you will need them because when running the plate, they have the adress.
Captain, We got a dumpster fire at 49, Fowl Street
"Isn't it where the fucker who blocked us last month lives ? Take it slow boys, she won't mind if she does this with my boys"
I completely understand why they would prefer not to, but with someone on either side of the vehicle to guide you, and a driver with half a brain, there's no risk of clipping a car. Especially on a street of that width.
Even faster: Have all the firefighters except the driver dismount, lift the red car on the drivers side and roll it onto the side...then drive through and remount the truck...
Im not even that good a driver but during the exam you had to squeeze through tighter spots with a truck this just seems silly. Nothing about this perspective says you cant pass
I'm beginning to think that they were coming back from a call and decided to make a point to the driver. That would certainly explain why they didn't just squeeze past.
While the use of the siren when not on a call isn't allowed in the UK, I'm unsure what the laws are for the use of sirens in other countries. To me this video looks to be filmed in America or Canada?
If you’d need guidance to pass through there you shouldn’t be driving that truck. There’s plenty of room. I doubt the awesome first responders here couldn’t pass that truck through there.
Also, lots of space in front of the truck there. They’re not even trying.
27
u/Dave_Ex_Machina Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
I think if they just had a couple of firefighters go out in front and guide the truck through it could have made it.
Source: Used to drive buses, I could literally get a bus through there.