Cabby jailed for blocking ambulance via AsiaOne

[g8crasher]

Cabby jailed for blocking ambulance By Jocelyn Wong

NEVER mind that the paramedics were rushing to get the patient into the ambulance.

Cabby Tan Teck San, 46, simply couldn't be bothered that his taxi was blocking the way.

When one of the paramedics told him they had an emergency, he retorted: 'So what (if) you got (a) call?' Tan had parked his taxi behind the ambulance. As a result, the paramedics couldn't load the stretchered patient into it.

For obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties, Tan was sentenced to two weeks' jail. He is out on bail pending his appeal against his sentence. The incident happened at about noon on Feb 20 last year.

Sergeant Mohamed Shaiee Jamin, a paramedic with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, and his team were dispatched to a clinic at Marina Square because a patient was feeling breathless.

When they got there, a security officer directed them to park along the driveway of the shopping centre.

The team then went to the clinic. When they returned to the ambulance with the patient on a stretcher, they found that Tan had stopped his Mercedes-Benz taxi about half a metre behind it.

Although they could open the rear doors of the ambulance, there was not enough space to move the patient from the stretcher into the ambulance.

Both Sgt Mohamed Shaiee and the security guard asked Tan to reverse his taxi. But Tan claimed he was unable to do so as there was another vehicle parked behind him.

Instead, he told them that the ambulance should move forward. Tan then left and went to a bank nearby.

Left with no choice, the paramedics had to drive the ambulance forward. Tan returned shortly after and Sgt Mohamed Shaiee told him he should not have obstructed them because they were responding to a call.

That was when he made the retort.

In his mitigation, Tan, who did not have a lawyer, maintained that the paramedics could have easily moved the ambulance.

No remorse

He added that he had not harmed anyone and that his wife suffered a miscarriage because of the charge which he was facing.

In sentencing him, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan found that Tan was not remorseful for his actions.

Said the judge: 'Despite being informed that his taxi was obstructing the ambulance, he brushed it aside. 'Having off-handedly refused the request to move his taxi, he had the gall to suggest that the paramedics drive the ambulance forward instead.'

As for Tan's point about being unable to reverse his taxi because there was a vehicle behind him, the judge said he found it to be a weak excuse.

He said that Tan could have easily asked the other driver to reverse as well.

For obstructing a public servant, Tan could have been jailed three months and fined $2,500.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/Drivers/Others/Story/A1Story20100320-205688.html

[Guest Kompressor]

what an axxhole. sickening people.

[g8crasher]

Kompressor wrote:

what an axxhole. sickening people.

More and more on the roads bro.. sibeh sian :Cry:

[Guest Raskie]

notice these days that cabbies are really pushing their cars ... not sure if it is good idea for them to drive less 'powerful' cars .. hmmmm

[g8crasher]

Yeah bro raskie especially the hyundais... quite menacing.

[Guest Luci Ride]

g8crasher wrote:

Yeah bro raskie especially the hyundais... quite menacing.

Brudder, actually the Koreans are better handling than the Japs Toyota Crowns as these understeer badly round a corner with super skinny tires & compounded with willypolly suspension which will snap to oversteer at the slightest provocation which is multiplied many times over in the Wet- nearly had 1 knock into me last 09' Dec fm Stevens road towards PIE opp the community center just beside SJI when taking a left turn- luckily for me & HIM, nothing happened & road was 'moist' after showers.

[Guest Gasman]

This Taxi driver kwai lan also la, and how can he park on the driveway and go to the bank?

[Guest Kompressor]

g8crasher wrote:

More and more on the roads bro.. sibeh sian :Cry:

situation like this should happen once to his family member and he will understand how's the feeling like another axxhole block the ambulance on its way to hospital.

[Guest AutoAvantGarde]

..............................

[Guest Kompressor]

Yesterday evening i was travelling towards cte along serangoon road, i saw an ambulance with the emergency siren turned on, at that time i was behind the ambulance. Surprised that the ambulance stopped following the traffic red light then i realised because there is this 2 taxi infront of the ambulance. for almost 10 second both the taxi do nothing so i decided to change lane move to the front wind down my window wave and horn at the taxi driver and what disappoint me was both the driver show no urgency to make way for the ambulance at all.

I urge all drivers to be more sensitive and considerate when they see an ambulance, MOVE AWAY without hesitation, MOVE even though they are 1km behind you, MOVE away.

[Guest 9339]

Many drivers have this wrong mind set and thinking that....

" You are so far away behind me and you can nv go faster than me, why i have to give way to you ? "

Stupid ,brainless and in-considerate driver will not understand what's

'clear the lane for Ambulance'.

[Guest DarthRevan]

g8crasher wrote:

More and more on the roads bro.. sibeh sian :Cry:

Those cabbies seldom give way to any cars..sickening :target:

[Guest Gargle]

well i think he will never do it again.

had similar ambulance incident along clementi area. the poor ambulance siren wailing away, but no one give way... until the ambulance driver start to squeeze between cars ... bo pianz, drivers started to shift lane to give way so that their precious paint job is saved.