crime

Rocks thrown at ambulances in Tokyo

31 Comments

Police in Tokyo's Sumida Ward are investigating a series of incidents in which rocks and a glass bottle were thrown at emergency service vehicles in the area.

Police have revealed that over 13 cases of rocks being thrown at ambulances have been logged since November of last year, TBS reported.

Some were carrying patients and moving at high speeds along Japan National Route 2, it was reported. On June 2 at around 9:30 p.m. a glass bottle was thrown at an ambulance traveling at a high speed along the same national highway.

So far, the projectiles have not caused any crashes, but police say they are expediting the search for those responsible in an attempt to prevent a serious incident, TBS reported.

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31 Comments
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Sounds like Tokyo is becoming to resemble Manchester

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Cecilia Koyama

"Tired of viewing ,listening Japanese crazy manner."

I hear ya, I'm also tired of some foreigners talking as if their home country is some kind of utopia where everything is perfect and Japan is the only country with any kind of problems, sigh

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As for sirens, they are meant for warning. Specifically, warning pedestrians and other drivers who CANNOT SEE the ambulance. That means cars that are driving toward a cross junction from another direction from the ambulance. This means cars that are way ahead of the ambulance. The siren needs to be loud. The siren needs to be in your face. The siren needs to be on all the time when the ambulance is on its way to or from fetching an injured person. You don't say "Oh, it's a road where there are no cars I can see, let me just switch off the siren and turn into a normal truck for a sec." If you're carrying a passenger that needs to get to a hospital, you take out the neon signs and fireworks and you let everyone know.

We have a fire station three blocks down from where I live. If they get a call at 2 a.m. they throw on ALL their lights, but the only time they tap their siren is if they are approaching an intersection or if traffic is impeding them - and even then it is just a couple of taps. The reflection of the emergency lights off the surrounding buildings at night is more than enough warning for anyone approaching a blind corner to be wary.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why do Japanese ambulances NOT SPEED in Japan?? Easy answer, how many stupid silly bastards here on the J islands COMPLETELY IGNORE a siren behind them?? In front of them?? So when a poor Japanese ambulance has to CAREFULLY go through an INTERSECTION they are always running the RISK of getting broadsided by another idiot who is completely in their own SICK world, and the SMASH right into another AMBULANCE so we can not blame the Japanese ambulances for BEING CAREFUL!! Can we??? It would be nice to make those idiots who IGNORE an ambulance or fire trucks siren a HUGE FINE or IMPRISONMENT for...being too stupid??

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Tired of viewing ,listening Japanese crazy manner.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

No more surprise at all ,we are talking here JAPANESE- right?Japanese" manner" hmmnnnn not surpise.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

As everyone has said, the ambulances here roar their sirens as they slowly inch down the street. It is like they take their inspiration from some stately Imperial procession.

The ironic thing is that, the easily audible sirens do nothing to actually get anyone out of the way of the ambulance. People unconcernedly cross the street in front of them, cars in front as well as behind continue at the same speed in the same path, w/o going slower and getting out of the way, needless to say cars in the oncoming lane are even less concerned. It's like the ambulances aren't even there. Just a ghost on the street. So many political campaign trucks and right-wingers make so much noise, you doN't even notice the siren anymore.

Which leads me to question WHY anyone would bother getting angry at them and throwing things. You can carry on your business without them interfering, you can even cut ahead of them and cut them off, since they don't exist.

My theory is that they were hit ACCIDENTALLY by some drunk who just launched his beer bottle in the air, w/o noticing that an ambulance was nearby, slowly proceeding onto a collision course with said missile.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Maybe it's kid's, but kid's throw rocks at everything! Maybe it's another guy wanting these loud life saver's off his road! In any case, rocks, bottles etc...are all deadly weapon's at any speed. They need to be stopped, and pay for their crime's againts rescue worker's and ambulance's. Neighther one have reguard to the other's cituation it seem's. Noise pollution? Rock throwing? Get some ear plugs, and forget going to jail dude before you hurt somone...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Okay, true it's unfathomable why someone would do something so dangerous as to throw rocks and bottles at an ambulance, much less any vehicle.

But the author of the article does seem to go out of his or her way to point out that "Some were . . . moving at high speeds" clearly in order to make the news more sexy, i.e., "Gasp! They could have lost control and careened off the highway in a fireball of carnage and destruction, killing untold numbers."

And we all know without exception that "high speed" and "ambulance" are two concepts that have no place in the same sentence together when it comes to Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

For once, I agree almost entirely with smithinjapan. Ambulances drive at speeds they need to drive at: a speed that ensures the highest chances of survival for whoever they are trying to rescue. They are not going to save any lives by barrelling through a red light into another car. In metropolitan cities like Tokyo, New York etc, driving fast can almost be as deadly for the person in the ambulance as driving slowly. If the person is in a stable condition, there is zero reason to drive at anything beyond "cautious" speeds.

As for sirens, they are meant for warning. Specifically, warning pedestrians and other drivers who CANNOT SEE the ambulance. That means cars that are driving toward a cross junction from another direction from the ambulance. This means cars that are way ahead of the ambulance. The siren needs to be loud. The siren needs to be in your face. The siren needs to be on all the time when the ambulance is on its way to or from fetching an injured person. You don't say "Oh, it's a road where there are no cars I can see, let me just switch off the siren and turn into a normal truck for a sec." If you're carrying a passenger that needs to get to a hospital, you take out the neon signs and fireworks and you let everyone know.

It is unfortunate that Japan doesn't have the space to build anything but dense residential areas with barely enough elbow space between apartments or houses. But that doesn't excuse any kind of behavior or condescension toward well established practices that are meant to save lives.

There is zero reason to throw anything at an ambulance, unless it is a magical device that will teleport it to the nearest hospital. There is zero reason to sympathize with anyone who has it in their head to try anything to stop or delay an ambulance running its siren. This is one of the few moral issues that have zero gray areas.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Whatever it is ... the cops better find this (these) kook(s) quickly ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, ambulances here move very, very slow...yes they use their sirens even when it's dark, middle of the night and no human being around for miles and miles ... but ... throwing anything at an ambulance or any other emergency response vehicle is downright disrespectful! You never know when you will need an ambulance, as for here in Japan, I pray I'll never need one. Glad they caught the culprit!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

mrkobayashi,

Thanks for the video. But the guy denied it. I guess in a few days we will have a confession (sic). If he didn't do it we will probably not know. I have hardly every heard of someone getting busted and then the media coming out and saying that it wasn't that guy.

If he did, it. Severe punishment needs to be given to this loser. I have such contempt for jerks who do there things.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I guess nobody on JT watches the news in Japanese".

What fun would that be? Get with the program Mr. Kobayashi.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ipbSYjFYVM

I guess nobody on JT watches the news in Japanese. They've already found the guy.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

You can't justify throwing rocks at ambulances, especially if they are transporting patients or en route to get them. I agree they are EXTREMELY loud (louder than in other nations, it seems), and also think as such it's more likely a crackpot whose Wa has been disturbed by the sound, but still. As for moving fast, in big cities it would be next to impossible on local roads, but I can see them moving a lot faster if they have the space and freedom to do it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

These people are idiots... but the article said that some of the Ambulances were moving at "high speeds".... I've never seen a Japanese Ambulance moving at a high speed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I hope the culprit or culprits are apprehended before more of these incidents occur.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

In a few days we'll either hear of 16 year olds arrested for it and nothing happen to them, or an unemployed man who did it "because he was angry".

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Probably someone annoyed by the fact that the Japanese ambulances drive around (very slowly) with their sirens constantly whaling even on streets with no traffic.... WHY? Also they disturb everyone trying to sleep at 2:00am, 3:00am with their sirens whaling when the streets are empty of traffic and pedestrians.... WHY?

A siren is meant to warn/prepare people & drivers in the path of the ambulance. There is no need to drive around with the siren on at all times... It should be used with discretion (i.e. when required)....

Just try telling this common sense approach to anyone in authority, and they'll get very defensive... Nuff said.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Some of you seem to be missing the point. High speed, low speed, parked or whatever, people shouldn't be throwing rocks and bottles at ambulances or any other vehicle!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I can run faster then Japanese ambulance driving in a high speed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Lol! I knew this would happen sooner or later.

In Tokyo, there can be absolutely no other cars on the street, yet the ambulances will still blare their sirens. It could be ANY time of day/night as well.

Plus, lol, "high speeds"?! I almost spit oolong on my kimono, :). You could basically walk to the hospital faster than a lot of these ambulances travel...

So 3AM, no cars on the street, a slow moving ambulance with their siren blazing, and you have to wake up for work at 6AM? Or, you finally put your baby to bed, and (God forbid) your neighbor gets hurt. The ambulance people will park right outside of your window, with lights flashing and siren roaring. That's just Japanese common sense I guess.

I'm not saying they should have got things thrown at them, but I understand. :)

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Who ever it is has serious mental health issues and needs to be put in the back of one of these ambulances and taken to the nut house, strapped to a stretcher.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

who the does that? --

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What about someone who was fired from the ambulance service and holds a grudge?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Gogogo, with you on that. I'm willing to bet it is some old crank who lives on an ambulance route who is tired of hearing them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Okinawamike: ambulance traveling at a high speed along the same national highway".

That's funny, does anyone have a video of a Japanese ambulance traveling anywhere in this country at "high speed"?

I was just thinking exactly the same thing... I have yet to see an ambulance going at "high speed" in Japan. It's not an excuse for "attacking" them though!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Old person sick of the noise perhaps?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Or someone upset at the Emergancy Services because of how much time it can take for an Ambulance to find a hospital to take a patient.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Anyone want to bet it's kids? I hope they get caught right quick before something really serious happens.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

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