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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsoft!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!we13!ihnp4!ihuxl!seifert
From: seifert@ihuxl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: whatever happened to sirens?
Message-ID: <446@ihuxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Jul-83 09:14:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxl.446
Posted: Mon Jul 18 09:14:57 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Jul-83 21:46:24 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 53

I sent this out Friday, but I think it fell in a black hole. If it
is a duplicate, sorry.
	------------------------------------------------

                <<< warning, put nomex on now! >>>

Hello, fellow net.auto readers, today I did something unusual,  I
went  home for lunch. Not in any big hurry, I turned into a blind
corner, and SURPRISE! there is an ambulance coming right  at  me,
lights  flashing,  but making about as much noise as your typical
librarian. Fortunately, the collision was avoided.  This  may  be
attributed  to:  (a)  the  grace of God, (b) skill, (c) luck, (d)
some combination of the above.

                << flame on >>

HOWEVER, I  thought  the  whole  incident  to  be  a  little  bit
unnecessary,  considering  that  all the IDIOT had to do was flip
the little toggle switch and turn on the siren.  Flashing  lights
on  emergency vehicles don't show up too well in bright daylight.
Yes, I realize that sirens make  noise  and  may  bother  people.
Isn't  that the idea?  Hearing a siren warns you that there is an
emergency vehicle nearby which is in a hurry  and  therefore  may
not  be  following all of the normal "rules of the road", such as
stopping at signs/lights, staying on their side of the road, etc.
Then you can watch out for it and stay out of the way.  Right?

This isn't an isolated incident.  I  have  observed  other  close
calls  do  to  idiots  running around without sirens on. In fact,
hearing a siren around here is an extremely rare  event.  Why?  I
suspect there is some official 'leave the sirens off' policy.  If
so, I would like to see this policy changed.

                << flame off  >>

possible improvement: if they don't  want  to  run  a  hyper-loud
siren  all the time, how about a two level siren? The first level
would be  say  100  db  and  would  be  on  whenever  driving  in
"emergency  mode".  The second level would be extra loud, say 130
db, and used only when needed, on demand.

Survey time:

(1) is this stupidity going on in other parts of the country?

(2) do you vote for or against sirens?

mail replies to me, I will summarize to the net.

        yours for the elimination of 'stealth' emergency vehicles,
                        Dave Seifert
                        Windy City BMW Club
                        ihnp4!ihuxl!seifert