Tailgaters

[Michael Riebs / AudiV8]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Pizzimenti" <pizzoman at yahoo.com>

> When I'm in a hurry, for whatever reason (pregnant
> wife, hospital rush, auto parts place closing with car
> in pieces), I'd rather people move out of my way.  I'd
> appreciate it if everyone else did the same.

FWIW:

In Denmark, there is a little known law concerning the use of private vehicle used for emergency driving - for just such an occasion; pregnant wife, bleeding-to-death child, accident victim to hospital, etc.

It's part of the traffic law, and all the driver's ed students taking the theoretical exam learn about it - or used to when I got my license some 20+m years ago. It states that in the event of "emergency driving", one must place a "white cloth" on the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle is now designated an "emergency emergency vehicle", and may be driven as such. Once the emergency transport is completed, the driver must report the "emergency use of the private car" to the police department.

In 1998 I had my one-and-only opportunity to use that law, when my 7-month pregnant wife and I were vacationing at my grandmother's home in Nr. Snede near Horsens, and she started to bleed and have serious stomach cramps. I gathered her up in a hurry, got her in our rental (MB 280E), attached a white towel under the hood on the driver's side fender, and drove like mad the 30-some miles into Horsens county hospital. Following the incident, I called the police to report my driving. They had indeed received a few concerned calls about the black Mercedes driving down the 2-lane country road at speeds of 100+ Km/H, and were surprised that I was aware of the law, but glad that I called... Nothing more came of that.

Oh, BTW, my wife and child were both OK, and my son was born more than 2 months later, safely back in Michigan.

Michael L. Riebs
Grand Rapids, Michigan

'90 V8Q
'98 A6QA

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