It’s a row that’s sparking outrage across the nation, as the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) faces complaints over the way their emergency vehicles were parked.
Despite the fact that these heroes are out saving lives, some people still find time to moan about where their ambulances are parked.
But the social media team at NWAS isn’t taking this lying down, as they take to Twitter to set the record straight and receive a tidal wave of support from the public.
On April 30th, the NWAS hit back at the parking critics, tweeting: “Our ambulance crews will always park as considerately as possible; however, we are here for life-threatening emergencies which means we need to get to our patients as quickly as possible to give them life-saving interventions.”
They went on to stress that, at times, they might have to block a road or access temporarily, but this isn’t done on purpose – they’re just trying to save lives, for heaven’s sake!
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, as the great British public rallied around their beloved emergency services, with many taking to Twitter to share their own experiences and shower praise on these hardworking lifesavers.
One user blasted: “You shouldn’t need to be apologising, you save lives, you stop wherever you need to to help people in trouble.” Another chimed in with a personal story: “I was lying in the back of an ambulance outside my house when a neighbour asked the paramedic were they going to be long! We no longer exchange Christmas cards.”
The ridiculousness of this parking row is made even more ludicrous when you consider that emergency vehicles in the UK are exempt from parking restrictions under the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.
That’s right – they can park on double yellow lines, red lines, and other restricted areas without getting fined, as long as they’re using the vehicle for emergency purposes and/or using their blue lights and sirens, and/or stopping as close to the scene of the emergency as possible.
So, these complainers don’t even have a leg to stand on!
It’s clear that the public won’t stand for this nonsense, as they rally behind their cherished ambulance service heroes.
As one Twitter user put it: “It’s depressing that tweets like this are even necessary. Yet the ones that moan would be the first to complain if their sick loved ones had to wait another 5 mins whilst you go find a more ‘acceptable’ parking spot.”
So, next time you see an ambulance parked in a seemingly inconvenient spot, remember that they’re just doing their job – saving lives, one emergency at a time.
And to those who still feel the need to moan, take a long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself what’s more important: access to your driveway, or someone’s life?
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First class statement.