Garda Traffic Corps

HotRodDub

Having recently read about the new Traffic Corps I was looking forward to seeing them deal with some of the bad drivers around the country. Well last night I happened to be behind one of the cars for a good 20 or 25 miles, which consisted of both single and dual carriageway.

What I witnessed was disgraceful. No indicating around some roundabouts, and worse than that indicating right and then going straight ahead at a roundabout.

And they were also gulity of one of the most fustrating things - the person driving sat at 60mph on the outside lane of the dual carriageway with no intention of passing anyone!

What hope is there for anyone when the elite garda traffic division don't know the rules of the road!!

Seth Brundle

I saw a blue 05 Mondeo coming out of Dublin last Thurs nightalong the N4 at huge speed. It corssed the M50 dangerously in the wrong lane (the one on the right) and then suddenly veered left to pull over a 4X4 and almost causing an artic to crash in the process.
No point complaining though!

ciarsd

kbannon wrote:

I saw a blue 05 Mondeo coming out of Dublin last Thurs nightalong the N4 at huge speed. It corssed the M50 dangerously in the wrong lane (the one on the right) and then suddenly veered left to pull over a 4X4 and almost causing an artic to crash in the process.
No point complaining though!

sounds like the same model mondeo I've seen in and around the N4/M50 junction, except I seen a darker one. Looked like the ST model

rambler

Think that your complaints should be put into garda headquarters, Take the number of the car and time and offence, true if only one or two complain it not much use, but if all offences are reported they have to take action, if a lot of complaints are logged and no action taken then move onto more public forms of media like radio chat shows, The garda certainly don't want that with all the bad media reports they have got lately.

Seth Brundle

@ ciarsd - hard to get definite colour in dark but was a navy with alloys, no model badges(e.g. zetec or st). Again it was dark but I was unable to see blue lights in the rear window until they were flashing

@ rambler - LOL - the gardai do sweet fa with reports of bad driving by citizens. They are unlikely to do anything with their own kind IMO!

HotRodDub

The car I was following was a marked Mondeo, with Garda Traffic Corps on the back bumper. It was out the N4 from the Maynooth turn off to the Mullingar by pass.

Seth Brundle

Naw - Im talking about the unmarked cars.
The lads in the patrol cars can be almost as bad though

unkel

Just this evening on my way home (and I see this several times a month): 4 Garda bikes, a limo and 3 unmarked Garda cars on the Newcastle road heading north on the wrong side of the road

Probably Bertie or another politician on his / her way home after landing at Baldonnel. Why don't they use a helicopter? It's quicker and it can hardly be more expensive

Hotblack Desiato

unkel wrote:

Probably Bertie or another politician on his / her way home after landing at Baldonnel. Why don't they use a helicopter? It's quicker and it can hardly be more expensive

Because Mary Harney had the a**e ripped out of her when she decided to fly instead of drive?

Seth Brundle

ninja900 wrote:

Because Mary Harney had the a**e ripped out of her when she decided to fly instead of drive?

...and rightly so. State assets shouldn't be used to drive/fly public representatives (!) to open off licences in Co. Leitrim!

Hotblack Desiato

Providing Garda escorts costs a lot money too (as well as inconveniencing the public).

Perhaps they'd let Harney go with her Ministerial Merc and one driver, no escort - but it's pretty likely Bertie gets the works everywhere he goes. Plenty of Garda overtime which could be better spent elsewhere if he didn't travel by road.

ciarsd

kbannon wrote:

@ ciarsd - hard to get definite colour in dark but was a navy with alloys, no model badges(e.g. zetec or st). Again it was dark but I was unable to see blue lights in the rear window until they were flashing

sorry missed this thread until now!

yup, sounds similar alright - no badging just the looks of an ST model with alloys. wouldnt not know until the strobes, hidden in the headlights and rear lights, started to flash. Quite stealthy for an Irish undercover car I thought.

pedro ferio-vti

Maybe if they threw the politicians into the traffic like the rest of us, something might get bloody done about it.

Seth Brundle

Over the last few months I have seen a wide range of unmarked garda ve-hic-les, including a small unbranded white van (like an opel combi or something). On most occasions, the garda inside was not wearing a uniform and the only way I managed to identify them was because the switched on the blues (not for me thankfully).

What strikes me as odd is that I exceed the speed limits relatively frequently (where I deem it to be safe) and so far I have 0 points. Given that the gardai seem to be everywhere now, are they ignoring me because they reckon Im alright or am I just extremely lucky? I presume it must be the latter!

Silvera

ninja900 wrote:

Because Mary Harney had the a**e ripped out of her when she decided to fly instead of drive?

Because she used one of the CASA 235MPA aircraft to fly to that off licence-opening in Sligo.

These aircraft were part-funded by the EU, and are only to be used for Fisheries Patrols and Search and Rescue operations - not flying politicians about.

However, if the aircraft is going to a specific airport during a mission, politicians are allowed to 'hitch a lift'. This wasn't the case when Harney used it!

unkel

Silvera wrote:

Because she used one of the CASA 235MPA aircraft to fly to that off licence-opening in Sligo

You know your airplanes

There's one flying low over my house every evening to land at Baldonnel

Seth Brundle

Just thinking about reckless gardai driving - whatever came of the incident in Clonskeagh where an allegedly speeding garda car with sirens blaring [despite not being on response to an emergency call] crashed into a bus stop and killed an elderly lady?

Would I be correct in thinking that a garda investigation was initiated and that was the last we will hear of it? Googling doesn't seem to show anything.

RainyDay

kbannon wrote:

Would I be correct in thinking that a garda investigation was initiated and that was the last we will hear of it? Googling doesn't seem to show anything.

It was reported in August that a file was due to be sent to the DPP in 2 weeks. However, these things take time. The coroners inquest was adjourned to mid-Dec, so expect some news around then.