Gardaí: a shining example to us all.

blastman

In days like these when road safety is a hot topic, I'd like to share an anecdote that will serve to reinforce the seriousness with which your average garda views this matter.

I was almost home last night, and was approaching a roundabout at the entrance to the town where I live. As I approached the roundabout, I could see a car coming all the way around the roundabout i.e. he was making a right turn. This meant he would be crossing in front of me so I prepared to stop and yield to him. At this stage I could see it was a garda car, and as I stopped at the entry on to the roundabout, I also saw he was using no indication, either while circumventing the roundabout, or when preparing to exit same. No signal of intent whatsoever. To cap it all, as he drove across in front of me, I could see a mobile phone pressed to his ear as he chatted away.

Now, as far as I know, gardai are subject to the same rules of the road as the rest of us, except when the hot counter in the local Statoil is closing or during other emergencies i.e. the blue lights are on. But, like the orange lights, they weren't in this case. Isn't it nice to know how seriously concerned for road safety they all are?

FX Meister

Yeah

Seth Brundle

This is uniformed gardai going undercover - if they were to obey the rules of the road then they would stand out!

BobTheBeat

You should have complained him. Mate of mine spotted a cop throw an empty fag box out of the window, whilst the driver was on the phone!-: he promptly phones the local copshop gave the reg etc. He got a call back later that evening to confirm the complaint and was told the guilty parties had been dealt with!
Even if they didnt get a rap on the knuckles its a good story

CrowdedHouse

I lost all faith a couple of years ago.I was at the end of the M7 Portlaoise bypass heading in the Limerick direction where the road narrows back into a single carraigeway - complete with raised(kind of built in rumble strip) double continuous white lines.
Boy racer type in 'souped up' Escort (LOL) overtakes me,there is a squad car coming in the opposite direction, the cop would at the very least have to lift off and I'd say probably brake to avoid yer man thats overtaking me.I was looking in my mirrors cos I was expecting the cop to go lights flashing after the other guy......not a sign of him....

FX Meister

bobmeaney wrote:

Mate of mine spotted a cop throw an empty fag box out of the window, whilst the driver was on the phone!-: he promptly phones the local copshop gave the reg etc. He got a call back later that evening to confirm the complaint and was told the guilty parties had been dealt with!
Even if they didnt get a rap on the knuckles its a good story

Nothing happened to him.

Ivan E

Good story until you're stopped yourself. One thing reporting, another thing giving any of your details. After all, the Garda so far are self regulating so Garda Pat is making sure Garda Mick is doing everything right.

I had a Garda car in front of me once, hit the blue lights, break the red ones and then turn them off and carry on driving then.

Seth Brundle

This is kind of a pointless thread. The gardai have no proper regulation. Everyone knows this. Look at the tribunal in Raphoe. Look at all the other cases. The only way to regulate the gardai is by having an independent ombudsman overseeing them but because the minister (Herr Flik) is scared shítless of the gardai he won't introduce this.
Look at how well the ombudsman is working in NI.

Our man in Havana

kbannon wrote:

This is kind of a pointless thread. The gardai have no proper regulation. Everyone knows this. Look at the tribunal in Raphoe. Look at all the other cases. The only way to regulate the gardai is by having an independent ombudsman overseeing them but because the minister (Herr Flik) is scared shítless of the gardai he won't introduce this.
Look at how well the ombudsman is working in NI.

I agree with you there kbannon. The Garda complaints board is a toothless dog with no power to properly discipline. Also making a complaint puts you on their most wanted list. If you ever complain about a garda, you better change your name, car and address because they will make your life hell.

jetsonx

I do remember hearing a case of an early morning jogger seeing the
local cop car parked in a well hidden layby EVERY morning with Templemore's finest snoozing away in it.

That jogger could of got rich if he had a good contact in the Sunday World .

Sparky

i remember the patrol car on many occasions using the blue lights to skip traffic.
i was in a big hurry one time, and i mean my days pay depended on it and the bank was closing at 3, i was on the motorbike and i followed behind, and turned off on my merry way, they did notice and done nothing, which was okay. even after we broke two sets of traffic lights.
TBH even if they did actually decide to go after me and caution me, i didnt mind what fine id get, i had to get my pay (PS it was alot):D

whippet

jetsonx wrote:

I do remember hearing a case of an early morning jogger seeing the
local cop car parked in a well hidden layby EVERY morning with Templemore's finest snoozing away in it.

That jogger could of got rich if he had a good contact in the Sunday World .

If you are ever in ashbourne, you can nearly always see the guardians of the peace resting in the squad car on the back road between dunamore (sic) church and the N2 .. there is a little ESB substation and they are always neatly parked just off the road. It stems from the time when the former Commissioner Pat Byrne was living down the road. (there is a bit of story behind the house too)

seamus

whippet wrote:

If you are ever in ashbourne, you can nearly always see the guardians of the peace resting in the squad car on the back road between dunamore (sic) church and the N2 .. there is a little ESB substation and they are always neatly parked just off the road. It stems from the time when the former Commissioner Pat Byrne was living down the road. (there is a bit of story behind the house too)

Perhaps they're on a break?

ando

You see from your little world a garda car put on his blue lights, break the traffic lights, then turn off his lights and carry on driving. You think "bast@rd is abusing the power he has, I'm going straight home to write about this on the internet". Do any of you know what its like to be a garda....? He could have been following a car that looked suspicious, he could be on a stakeout, anything really

thelurcher

Use the smilies ando when your being sarcastic - hard to tell otherwise :rolleyes:

Airblazer

thelurcher wrote:

Use the smilies ando when your being sarcastic - hard to tell otherwise :rolleyes:

had to be sarcastic..no one is this dumb!!

chalky

whippet wrote:

If you are ever in ashbourne, you can nearly always see the guardians of the peace resting in the squad car on the back road between dunamore (sic) church and the N2 .. there is a little ESB substation and they are always neatly parked just off the road. It stems from the time when the former Commissioner Pat Byrne was living down the road. (there is a bit of story behind the house too)

As far as I know the new commisioner lives up that way too.

el tel

In my experience the Garda are inept in general and on the roads particularly so. They should all be sent up North to see how road traffic matters should be managed and dealt with. The psni traffic branch actually know what they are doing and they do it much more professionally.