Ambulance followed by unmarked Bikes

Sterling Archer

Hi all, was coming home Friday from work in limerick and came across an ambulance being followed by two motorbikes with flashing lights, see awful video below :pac: the two bikers were wearing fluorescent tops, they didn't appear to be unmarked garda bikes
Any ideas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e0TTC42-YM

Video quality is quite low, might upload a higher quality one later

Shane_ef

Shane_ef wrote: »

Hi all, was coming home Friday from work in limerick and came across an ambulance being followed by two motorbikes with flashing lights, see awful video below :pac: the two bikers were wearing fluorescent tops, they didn't appear to be unmarked garda bikes
Any ideas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e0TTC42-YM

Video quality is quite low, might upload a higher quality one later

Blood Bikes?

Victor

Possibly paramedics or doctors.

goldie fish

They look like army bikes.(military police)

Sterling Archer

Well if it helps.
The first bike was a dark dark blue and second bike was a dark red,
The Flashing lights were located to the lower front of the bikes bodywork, and were bright white (xenon bright) both bikes had triple storage boxes, and the helmets appeared to be full face flip up helmets,
The fluorescent jackets didn't appear to bear any logo or "Paramedic" type name, and i'm not sure if they had sirens as the Ambulance had it's on

POGAN

Nearly 100% there blood bikes

El Inho

thinly veiled 'look at me with my dashboard cam' thread :P

didn't even know blood bikes were a thing?

flazio

Possibly marshals from a charity bike run, one biker gets injured, bikes will escort ambulance to hospital, I have seen private bikes make modifications such as a headlight modulator to cause the bikes head light to flash left/right, used only by bike marshals on these charity group runs. Guards are aware and Bikers know that they cannot use the modification in their personal time.

El Spearo

El Spearo wrote: »

didn't even know blood bikes were a thing?

http://www.bloodbikeeast.ie/

http://www.bloodbikewest.ie/

garancafan

Probably solicitors.

timmywex

flazio wrote: »

Possibly marshals from a charity bike run, one biker gets injured, bikes will escort ambulance to hospital, I have seen private bikes make modifications such as a headlight modulator to cause the bikes head light to flash left/right, used only by bike marshals on these charity group runs. Guards are aware and Bikers know that they cannot use the modification in their personal time.

Yeh have seen this happen a few times before! Many motorbike groups/clubs have bikes fitted with alternating headlights for marshalling cycles and things!

ectoraige

flazio wrote: »

Possibly marshals from a charity bike run, one biker gets injured, bikes will escort ambulance to hospital, I have seen private bikes make modifications such as a headlight modulator to cause the bikes head light to flash left/right, used only by bike marshals on these charity group runs. Guards are aware and Bikers know that they cannot use the modification in their personal time.

Does this actually happen, or is it more of a Walter Mitty scenario?

flazio

ectoraige wrote: »

Does this actually happen, or is it more of a Walter Mitty scenario?

In reality, it doesn't. Bike Clubs are very responsible organisations and their riders are usually very commendable road users.

ectoraige

flazio wrote: »

In reality, it doesn't. Bike Clubs are very responsible organisations and their riders are usually very commendable road users.

My sarcasm detector is malfunctioning.

goldie fish

ectoraige wrote: »

My sarcasm detector is malfunctioning.

It isn't. Unless you are prejudiced against a certain type of road user.

Sterling Archer

Cheers for all the replies Guys, guess I'll just have to mark it down as persons unknown

flazio

ectoraige wrote: »

My sarcasm detector is malfunctioning.

I can assure you there wasn't a hint of sarcasm intended.

Schindlers Pissed

Perhaps they were simply guys on bikes who stick to your back bumper as a way of cutting through traffic? It happens all the time......

ectoraige

I can say I've seen what flazio's on about myself, here in the city as well as back west. A lot of biker's clubs would do charity runs up&down the country, they'd arrange medical cover with either a voluntary or a private ambulance. Separately, the marshals of these events would put flashers on headlights as what would happen is the marshals would go ahead of the big bike group, stop traffic on oncoming junctions, let the bike group pass (they're at full speed), and make their way to the top of the convoy to the next junction needing cover.

You see a biker with a high viz & a flashing headlamp asking you to not get on a main road, it's a good idea to listen. Cos the only reason he'd do that is "there's something big & fast on this road, and it's a danger to you and it if you got on the road"

ectoraige wrote: »

My sarcasm detector is malfunctioning.

Enough of the snark you. If you've an issue with charity bike runs then spit it out, tell us about it, or "keep yer fork tongue behind your teeth."

ambo112

Are they not breaking the law in terms of flashing lights etc? Even if the guards are aware I'm sure they don't have insurance for it. They are on public roads and perilously close to the ambulance if the ambulance had to conduct an emergency brake?

Why would they travel behind the ambulance? If the ambulance paramedics needed help surely they would travel on the ambulance?

Dangerous practice in my opinion (only opinion) :-)

Before I get grief I am a ROSPA gold rider and HSE Paramedic.

Pataman

Definately not blood bikes

Bang Bang

ambo112 wrote: »

Are they not breaking the law in terms of flashing lights etc? Even if the guards are aware I'm sure they don't have insurance for it. They are on public roads and perilously close to the ambulance if the ambulance had to conduct an emergency brake?

Why would they travel behind the ambulance? If the ambulance paramedics needed help surely they would travel on the ambulance?

Dangerous practice in my opinion (only opinion) :-)

Before I get grief I am a ROSPA gold rider and HSE Paramedic.

The highlighted points are the very reason why the only escort I allow whn in the ambulance is that of the Gardai, they are the trained experts in this field and in my opinion should be left to them.

ectoraige

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Enough of the snark you. If you've an issue with charity bike runs then spit it out, tell us about it, or "keep yer fork tongue behind your teeth."

No snark! I honestly couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. I was surprised by the idea that marshals would take the legal risk of performing emergency escort to ambulances already on blues and twos as I did have the impression that the clubs are pretty well organised. In this case though it seems they might have just been following the ambo.