South Carolina Desperately Needs to Take a Lesson From the Book of Florida

"Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies" (jordanwphillips)
03/14/2016 at 17:25 • Filed to: Rants

Just a few minutes ago I had to get over for an ambulance. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I noticed something strange. The strange thing is, I didn’t hear it until it was within two car lengths of me. My hearing is fine, my radio runs through two 4" speakers that weren’t up that high, my truck doesn’t have much in the way of sound deadening, and I was only doing 15 mph. This is a problem, since this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed this, so it’s not that isolated. The reason I mentioned Florida, is that due to their Move Over laws(I guess this is why, at least), their sirens are exceptionally loud. You can nearly hear them across town. You can feel them when they get within a certain distance. You have NO excuse not to get over for them. Every siren needs to be like that.

DISCUSSION (18)

HammerheadFistpunch > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:29

counterpoint

TheOnelectronic > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:29

I’ve heard a mix of really stupidly loud sirens and the “two car lengths” ones you mention. No idea what drives it, although I’m doubtful it has anything to do with local laws.

HammerheadFistpunch > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:31

Also, FYI, this is a top result for GIS “Book of Florida”

Kinja'd!!!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > HammerheadFistpunch
03/14/2016 at 17:32

Not enough needle marks.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > HammerheadFistpunch
03/14/2016 at 17:33

As someone who drives quite a bit on a daily basis, I agree on the bright lights, disagree on the siren.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheOnelectronic
03/14/2016 at 17:33

I’ll take stupidly loud if it means I can hear it.

46and2aheadofme > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:34

You didn't see the lights in your mirrors? And aren’t sirens standard from the manufacturer? City noise drives me crazy and I have a hard time seeing your point of view.

lunr > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:35

It is possible to over-drive the siren, wherein the emergency vehicle is traveling faster than the siren can “reach”

In my own experience, that’ll start happening at above 60 mph if you’re using basic, cheap or underpowered speakers (100W vs 200W dual speaker siren controller).

As a emergency vehicle driver, it’s their responsibility not to over drive their sirens and create a dangerous situation.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > lunr
03/14/2016 at 17:38

This one had just turned, so it wasn’t traveling that fast. It just isn’t loud enough.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > 46and2aheadofme
03/14/2016 at 17:39

Yes, but there are hills and blind curves here, and the lights aren’t as crazy here either. Also, as someone who lives near a fire station, I got over the noise.

lunr > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:42

I’d blame cheap equipment or bad speaker location then. Between two of the ambulance services I’ve had to work with, one has those sirens you’ll never hear until they’re on top of you and the other, larger company has much nicer mod style ambulances with sirens that you can hear from a mile away.

46and2aheadofme > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:42

Huh, interesting. Sirens don’t bother me either, but I live across from a company that constantly has trucks backing up and the constant back up beep beep beep drives me crazy enough that I’m saving to finish replacing the last few single pane windows in my house with double pane. Something about the pitch of that beeping that’s like Chinese water torture on my ears and brain.

jkm7680 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:45

Was it a rumbler siren?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
03/14/2016 at 17:50

I would assume that Florida’s was a rumbler, but I do know it is awesomely loud.

jkm7680 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 17:54

Those fuckers are startling. They vibrate the hell out of the ground.....

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
03/14/2016 at 17:58

I didn’t know what was going on when I first heard one, but then I learned to appreciate them, because I got an early warning for when to get the hell out of the way.

sonicgabe > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/14/2016 at 18:01

Just a note of interest from the Sunshine State. The “Move Over Law” is about leaving one full lane between you and an emergency vehicle pulled off to the side or stopped in the road, so that emergency personnel do not get hit by traffic. If you can’t pull over one lane, you have to slow down to some weird percent of the speed limit on that road.

As far as loud sirens go, there may be laws in where ever you are that say they can only be so loud. I live in St. Petersburg, inside the city limits, but the the rich people in my swanky ‘hood got the city to limit siren noise in our neighborhood at night and early morning. By limit, I mean, once they cross a particular street, they are no longer permitted to use the siren, only lights. If the people who lived in the more crime-plagued areas of the city ask for this, they would be laughed out of city hall.

So, whatever town or county in South Carolina that you’re at, might have some weird noise ordinance regarding annoying people with important things like sirens.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > sonicgabe
03/14/2016 at 18:06

Oops, I don’t even remember what that law is called, since that is not it.