Dangerous Driving

GavinKeller

Dangerous Driving

I was stuck behind a slow moving lorry this morning (doing about 20mph) I checked to see if road was clear ahead then indicated to overtake the lorry. I over took the lorry and pulled in, there were 3 cars coming down the other way. The second car flashed his lights at me. I thought what’s his problem so as I drove by him I gave him the finger (I no I shouldn’t have bother but I did). As he passed I noticed he was in a Garda uniform!!

He did a u-turn shot up in front pulled me over and skidded to a stop. He was fuming because I gave him the finger but said he was doing me for dangerous driving I said why and he just said under section blah blah blah …

He has given me 10 days to show my Insurance Certificate to my police stations will he seriously do me for dangerous driving? Or was he just pissed of that I gave him the finger

:dunno:

scargill

a friend of mine was driving through a housing estate (main road going through estate). A garda in an unmarked car got out of a car pulled in at the side of the road.
He got a bit of a shock when my friend drove by nearly hitting his door.

She gave him an apologetic wave and thought nothing more of it until a couple a mile up the road she saw him in her rear view mirror. She was a little reluctant to stop as she wasn't 100% sure if it was a garda (unmarked car).

She eventually stopped in the middle of the town - where he read her the riot act.
Dangerous driving, speeding (she reckons she was doing under 40), failing to stop. He took all her details and told her to expect a summons.

Nothing more ever came of it - she reckons he just lost the rag in the heat of moment. Might be the same with this guy.

ChipZilla

If you overtook on a broken white line and nobody coming the other way had to take evasive action, I don't see how he could do you for dangerous driving. He's probably just acting the bollox. Take your documents to the station and show them - he's just fishing...

Sleipnir

I'd have done you if you gave me the finger.
You deserved it for being an a-hole IMO.

Tommy Vercetti

I remember one time I was driving on the old N1 from Blakes Cross (the part where it was two lanes), and a car came up behind me and started flashing at me. I was wondering wtf was up because he could have overtaken me in the right-hand lane so I gave him the finger - turns out it was my uncle!

Sounds like he was just pissed off, I doubt anything will happen this time but if he catches you again, he'll throw the book at you (assuming you do something wrong of course). Chances are you'd get off on some technicality.

GavinKeller

Originally posted by Sleipnir
I'd have done you if you gave me the finger.
You deserved it for being an a-hole IMO.

I agree that I should not have given him the finger. It was in the heat off the moment. I didn't think that came under dangeruos driving though. I'm sure most of us have at sometime said f-off or given someone the finger in the heat of the moment.

GavinKeller

Originally posted by ChipZilla
If you overtook on a broken white line and nobody coming the other way had to take evasive action, I don't see how he could do you for dangerous driving. He's probably just acting the bollox. Take your documents to the station and show them - he's just fishing...

I hope so,

It is a broken white line and I will be taking my documents to the station after work.
Fingers crossed

mike65

Never diss a Garda or anyone you dont know!

If you were overtaking in a correct fashion then you have nothing to worry about.

Did he mention dangerous driving as an offence? He'd have a job making that charge stick in a cout of law by the sound of it.

A Garda can't simply pull you over and then give an earful unless he is going to follow through by issuing you with a summonds which states the crime in question. Did he write out a docket? Or did he simply take you name/addy/reg number and request you show your papers?

Mike.

ChipZilla

One other thing. Can a cop stop somebody simply by cutting him up and hauling on the brakes in an unmarked car? Does he not need flashing blue lights and the like? If he just cut you up in a car with no Garda markings or lights, I'd be reporting him for dangerous driving if necessary...

seamus

As people say, Gardai tend to like to get the ****s up you, and even in the heat of the moment, he's not going to completely lose it. He's professional.

If he had wanted to do you for dangerous driving, he would have had you on the spot. He wouldn't ask you to show your papers, and then drive off.

GavinKeller

Originally posted by mike65
Never diss a Garda or anyone you dont know!

If you were overtaking in a correct fashion then you have nothing to worry about.

Did he mention dangerous driving as an offence? He'd have a job making that charge stick in a cout of law by the sound of it.

A Garda can't simply pull you over and then give an earful unless he is going to follow through by issuing you with a summonds which states the crime in question. Did he write out a docket? Or did he simply take you name/addy/reg number and request you show your papers?

Mike.

He just took my name, address, reg and ask me to present it to my chosen Garda station.

Thanks for all the replies. I hope he was only trying to scare me because its certainly working

Sleipnir

Originally posted by ChipZilla
One other thing. Can a cop stop somebody simply by cutting him up and hauling on the brakes in an unmarked car? Does he not need flashing blue lights and the like? If he just cut you up in a car with no Garda markings or lights, I'd be reporting him for dangerous driving if necessary...

eeeeeee, yah, sure ya would.

They don't have to have flashing lights or anything else in order to pull you over

JohnCleary

Unmarked DO have flashing lights. They are hidden under the front grille of the car. They cant be seen unless they are flashing. They are Slim LED's, not big big average fillimant bulb on a motor.

ChipZilla

Originally posted by Sleipnir
eeeeeee, yah, sure ya would.

They don't have to have flashing lights or anything else in order to pull you over

Hmm. Does a copper need to be wearing a uniform then while pulling you over for a traffic violation?

Or is jeans/t-shirt/mondeo with no hubcaps/sensible shoes all you need to make traffic stops?

So some guy's up your arse waving his fist at you and pointing towards the side of the road telling you to pull over? Is some road-rage a*sehole wanting to break your nose? Is it a cop wanting to give you a ticket? Would you pull over to find out?

The flashing light make all the difference...

Sleipnir

Originally posted by ChipZilla
Hmm. Does a copper need to be wearing a uniform then while pulling you over for a traffic violation?

Or is jeans/t-shirt/mondeo with no hubcaps/sensible shoes all you need to make traffic stops?

So some guy's up your arse waving his fist at you and pointing towards the side of the road telling you to pull over? Is some road-rage a*sehole wanting to break your nose? Is it a cop wanting to give you a ticket? Would you pull over to find out?

The flashing light make all the difference...

Originally posted by GavinKeller
As he passed I noticed he was in a Garda uniform!![/B]

mike65

As far as I know a cop is a cop regardless of appearence he/she just has to make it clear who they are. Plain clothes cars fall into that catagory I'm sure.

Still lets not get to uppity here, I doubt Gavin is going to make a big deal of how he was pulled over (and would be wise not to). He'll just do whats requested and that'll be the end of it, hopefully.

Mike.

echomadman

Originally posted by ChipZilla
Hmm. Does a copper need to be wearing a uniform then while pulling you over for a traffic violation?

Or is jeans/t-shirt/mondeo with no hubcaps/sensible shoes all you need to make traffic stops?

So some guy's up your arse waving his fist at you and pointing towards the side of the road telling you to pull over? Is some road-rage a*sehole wanting to break your nose? Is it a cop wanting to give you a ticket? Would you pull over to find out?

The flashing light make all the difference...

something liek that happened the stepfather, unmarked car, plain clothes cop, drove up his arse for about 2 miles, he sped up a bit to increase distance, the car behind followed suit, after about 3 miles of this the car behind puts on a flashing light.
he pulled over, no ID shown, really abusive "cop" telling him he's going to have his license and he'll never drive again.
yer man got back in his car then sped off, nothing was ever heard of it again

power tripping **** is all it is

Sherlock

If the cop was second in line and flashed you then it was probably because he saw the car in front of him hit his brakes due to your overtaking.IMO the biggest menaces on the road are guys overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic, probably the main cause of road deaths.I recently had to jam on the brakes when a moron pulled right in front of me from a side road I was turning into and gave me the finger when I flashed him.If I was a cop I'd love to do those a**holes who enjoy giving the finger to other motorists.

mike65

Originally posted by Sherlock
If the cop was second in line and flashed you then it was probably because he saw the car in front of him hit his brakes due to your overtaking.

So the Garda was travelling to close to the car in front of him...hmmm!

Mike.

ps lads tone the ****ing swearing down please. This is a skanger-language free board.

Mike.

Sherlock

"So the Garda was travelling to close to the car in front of him...hmmm!"

How do you deduce that?, you don't have to be close to the car in front to see their brake lights come on.

mike65

As a rule ppl only flash the car in front of them cos they get a shock as it brakes and they (the following car) react incorrectly. If they get a shock/suprise its cos they are to close.

Mike.

GavinKeller

Originally posted by Sherlock
If the cop was second in line and flashed you then it was probably because he saw the car in front of him hit his brakes due to your overtaking.

I agree with you on that, but there was plenty of distance. I don't overtake if it is not safe. The 3 cars were all about a cars length apart the whole time. Car 1 didn't flash Car 2 (Garda) did flash his lights once and the Lorry I had over taken (which was doing about 20mph fully loaded after just leaving the construction site) did not flash or blow the horn.

I believe that the Garda would have just driven on because he only flashed his head lights once if I was dangerous driving he would have immediately put on his flashing lights. It was only as he drove by and saw me giving him the finger that he then stopped and did a u-turn and put on his flashing lights.

I am going to stop into the building site where the lorry pulled out from and see what the lorry driver thinks. I am convinced that it’s the finger that’s caused the problem here and not the overtaking.

mike65

Originally posted by GavinKeller
I am going to stop into the building site where the lorry pulled out from and see what the lorry driver thinks. I am convinced that it’s the finger that’s caused the problem here and not the overtaking.

I would'nt bother, he may well not even remember clearly if at all.

Mike.

Sherlock

Originally posted by mike65
As a rule ppl only flash the car in front of them cos they get a shock as it brakes and they (the following car) react incorrectly. If they get a shock/suprise its cos they are to close.

Mike.

I don't want to labour this but didn't the cop flash Gavin, not the car in front of the cop.

Sleipnir

It doesn't matter what the truck driver says, what are you going to do if he does say "you were fine"

Picture it in a court
"So, as the defendant, you are saying that you don't believe you were stopped by the Garda in question due to dangerous driving, but for some other reason.
If that is the case, what do you believe the real reason was?"

"I gave him the finger m'lud, which, I'm sure you'll agree, means I am an upstanding member of the community who deserves to be allowed drive in a public place"

If the Garda did pull you over for making an obscene gesture then you got what you deserved. Maybe you won't be so quick to raise your finger the next time.


You're just feeling sore because you were caught behaving the way you do everyday on the road. I hope he throws the book at you.

mike65

I don't want to labour this but didn't the cop flash Gavin, not the car in front of the cop.

Ypu might be right. Its in the realms of speculation really, I would take it he re-acted to the car in front rather than Gavin who, I would guess, he then saw as the reason the car in front braked. And then he saw the finger...and got in a strop.

Difficult to know.

Mike.

GavinKeller

If it goes to court I might need him as a witness and if I leave it to late he might have forgoten about it but it would be interesting to hear what he thought about it. He could very well agree with the Garda for all I know.

I'm sure he'll remember because he had to drive around me and the Garda at the side of the road.

GavinKeller

Originally posted by Sleipnir
You're just feeling sore because you were caught behaving the way you do everyday on the road. I hope he throws the book at you.

lol, A bit harsh there. I hope your not a judge

Corben Dallas

Similar thing happened to me b4 (althought I didn’t give them the finger.)
Ok as I understand it he has to tell u that hes going to charge u with Dangerous driving, or at least give u a fair indication that hes goin to. If he only asked for Insurance& Drivers Licence details with in 5days at your local garda station then that’s just routine.

he probably flashed u because he felt that u didnt give the oncoming cars enuff time to make yur overtake safely. Giving him the finger prob just pi$$ed him off. Make sure to get your Ins/ License details into the station b4 the 5 days are up and either that will be it or u will need to get legal advice.

Is a court appearance mandatory for dangerous driving? cause if he was goin to charge u dont they give u (5) penalty points on the roadside? which u accept or disagree in court?

bet u wont be so quick to bandish said finger in future

GavinKeller

Originally posted by Corben Dallas
Is a court appearance mandatory for dangerous driving? cause if he was goin to charge u dont they give u (5) penalty points on the roadside? which u accept or disagree in court?

bet u wont be so quick to bandish said finger in future
[/B]

He never said anything about penalty points. I think I'll just keep my hands on the steering wheel in future

Thanks everyone for the replies even the not so positive ones but I do like to know your view

Blitzkrieger

Originally posted by GavinKeller
I agree that I should not have given him the finger.

Sod that! Give them the finger!

Every time I overtake someone these days (and I always do so safely), I get some twit flashing their lights at me. I remember one occasion where I was stuck behind some moron doing 25 in a 40 zone for two miles waiting for the only section of the road where I knew it was safe to overtake. We came to the straight, I saw there was no traffic, idicated, floored it and was past him within seconds - long before coming to the next bend. I didn't get far before getting stuck in traffic and he was two cars behind me for ages. I went to make a right turn and he passed me on the left, flashing his lights and beeping his horn.

I was harldy going to meet this moron again and expain to him politetly just how many ways he was wrong. A thought flashed accross my mind about going after him, but that could rapidly become road rage and I doubt anything good would have come from it. I wasn't going to do nothing and be berated for a patient, safe overtaking manouevre, so I gave him the finger.

I honestly wouldn't take much offense if someone gave me the finger, but I'd at least consider the possibility that there's a reason why they're doing it. I bet this guy did no such thing. Probably thought to himself : "A reckless driver AND an offensive asshole". I bet he'd never consider he was in the wrong, but I wouldn't let him say that I was wrong without response.

Originally posted by Sleipnir
You're just feeling sore because you were caught behaving the way you do everyday on the road. I hope he throws the book at you.

Can't......stop.......finger......raising!