October 4, 2003
Bus vs. Ambulance
Yesterday I was walking to work and a yellow school bus had stopped a few blocks away. The driver had put out the stop sign and all the cars in either direction were stopped waiting for the children to complete their entry and the sign to go back in.
From the other direction, screaming up the street came an ambulance with it's lights and sirens going. Cars around it were pulling off to the side and getting out of the way as quickly as possible. As the ambulance approached the bus the entire scene in my head froze as if someone with the power to stop time just did.
Which of these municipal forces would emerge as the victor in this power struggle? Which vehicle's governmental regulations and motor vehicle laws would overpower the other? Which was more important, the children’s safety or the ambulance passenger who was potentially in critical condition?
I asked around to some people about this issue, and 100% of them all agreed that the school bus held the control and the ambulance should stop for it.
Time is unfrozen, everyone begins moving again, and what happens? The ambulance speeds past the school bus without even hesitating. I guess the driver doesn't like kids..