I admit to speeding up in order to pre-empt another driver from cutting into my lane, something that most, if not all Singaporean drivers are guilty of at some point or another.

I don’t do it all the time, only sometimes, but NEVER when it is a driver trying to make way for an ambulance on an emergency call.

I was travelling along the CTE last Saturday. As usual, traffic was slow moving. I spotted an ambulance about five cars behind me, something that I dread seeing, especially in a jam because it would entail some laborious lane-changing. I almost felt like I am being ambushed. Anyway, I signaled and attempted to change lanes in order to give way to the approaching ambulance.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have expected anyone to give way. But to begin with, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even try to change lanes amidst such traffic situations unless absolutely necessary and only when there is a clear window in between cars.

But this is not considered “normal circumstances”, is it? There is an ambulance behind me for crying out loud. Nevertheless, nobody gave way, not even when the ambulance was directly behind me. But by then, I figured, what the heck and just cut in front of the car next to me anyway.

So there I was, in the middle lane, watching the ambulance’s slow and painful creep along the CTE. I only hope the ambulance made it on time.

I am just like any other driver on the road; I have by bad habits and my idiosyncrasies. I am also not trying to pretend to be some high and mighty person condescending other drivers with my noble beliefs. All I am asking is that if we can only “afford” a little road courtesy, this is the time to give.

And as for ambulance drivers who abuse their privilege? That’s another story.

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