ok - we have buses, and emergency vehicles. why not combine the two? now when joe public boards his bus into town - he doesnt have to endure a boring, predictable journey to his destination. just passing the library - the bus driver receives an emergency call and suddenly the siren screams - we're all off to the burning hotel! buses would provide adequate man power, plus storage space for rescue equipment and transporting casualties.
-- fluffle, Oct 14 2002

needs some more thought

The excitement depends on emergencies occuring all the time, which could be counterproductive
-- stantronic, Oct 14 2002


Well you could have "hero" buses and "non-hero" buses alternating on the same route. If you're boring (i.e. not a half baker) you board the "non hero" bus and it works as buses do now. But if you are looking for some excitement, you board the next "hero" bus that comes to your stop, and maybe (just maybe) something interesting will happen on your ride into town. Croissant from me.
-- krelnik, Oct 15 2002


The big cities might be needing something like this pretty soon.

-- rabbit, Oct 15 2002


Sorry [fluffle]. I'm a halfbaker and wouldn't go near the 'Emergi-bus'. It would be like the real life keystone cops...but as firemen and paramedics. Any idea that tinkers with emergency services, even in jest, gets fishbones from me.
-- Jinbish, Oct 15 2002


It doesn't have to be like the Keystone Cops, Jinbish. There's a germ of something actually rather sensible hiding inside the fluffy, insubsantial outer layer of this idea.

How about if, as a sort of National Service, everyone had to do a years training as either a paramedic, fire fighter, lifeguard etc when they left school. If it was instituted, and I can't see any real moral objection, then every bus, car, lorry and pedestrian could be an emergency services vehicle and the likelihood is, that the first person who stumbles onto the scene of an accident would be much better equipped to deal with the situation whilst they wait for the real emergency services to turn up.
-- DrBob, Oct 15 2002


I'd croissant that. Teaching teenagers responsibility, practical lifesaving skills and service to the community rather than shooting and killing. Sounds good to me. And what little girl doesn't dream of being a fireman? And what little boy doesn't dream of being a nurse?
-- egbert, Oct 15 2002


Fair cop guv'nor. I'm reconsidering the bones as I type.

Your suggested interpretation of 'Everyone's a hero' would take alot of training (and there would be a large cost involved) but there is alot of merit in it. The community as a whole would obviously benefit if the population were all trained with life saving skills [Cue the discussion on freedom of choice vs national service].

The idea posted has a subtitle 'no more boring bus journeys!', however, and implies that the journeys would be the choice for the passenger looking for excitement.
-- Jinbish, Oct 15 2002


I work in a public transport call centre, and if hero buses mean that when irate-git-at-bus-stop-with-mobile-phone calls to ask why his bus is 3 minutes late, I can reply, "I'm afraid the bus on route 6 was called away to treat fifty burning orphans - do you have a _problem_ with that? DO YOU? Or do you want the poor, sweet orphans to burn, you swine?!?" This would help my average day no end.

I'm wholeheartedly dipping my pastry in the "good idea" cocoa mug.
-- friendlyfire, Oct 15 2002


Jinbish, yes I agree. I was just attempting to make a silk ear out of this sow's purse.

Certainly the National Service thing would cost money but every death has an economic as well as emotional cost, so you would see at least some return on your money.

I find the freedom of choice argument more persuasive but it's all a matter of how you define it. Most people seem to agree that kids should have to go to school so how about raising the school leaving age by a year and making the final year your compulsory 'emergency services' year?
-- DrBob, Oct 15 2002


Train everyone as an emergency worker? Boy, I dunno. Some people just aren't naturally qualified. Maybe a minimum skills test would be a good thing...
-- RayfordSteele, Oct 30 2002


Yes, learning curve for emergency response workers = too steep for Joe & Jane Citizen.
-- snarfyguy, Oct 30 2002


Not that intellectual snobbery would come into it at all.
-- egbert, Oct 30 2002


snarfyguy, I think you'll find that most kids are pretty bright - it's just a matter of finding out what interests them. You might well find that something like this, which is really a hands-on type of subject, would be of more interest to those who find the concept of graduation and progression through the education system either incredibly dull or a hopeless pipe dream.
-- DrBob, Oct 30 2002


On a related note, I would point out that not everything done at an emergency scene requires years of training. Somebody has to ask the crowd to step back, sweep up the broken glass in the street, hand out blankets, comfort the survivors and so on. These are no less vital tasks, even though nobody's life depends on them.

These buses could provide lots of folks who are ready willing and able to do this sort of stuff to help out, while the truly trained professionals handle the hard stuff.

Perhaps this would cut down on scenes where you see 14 police cars responding to a simple accident, with most of them just standing around or waving the traffic by.
-- krelnik, Oct 30 2002



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