How do these people get elected!!!

Alun

Max_Damage wrote: »

I think the only solution for this hole of a country is: Coup d'état

I think the best idea would be simply to abolish the whole of the government and civil service and do what lots of big companies are doing and outsource the running of the country to someone else. I vote for the Germans

Orange69

Alun wrote: »

I think the best idea would be simply to abolish the whole of the government and civil service and do what lots of big companies are doing and outsource the running of the country to someone else. I vote for the Germans

A glass of water could do a better job than teh current shower.. Whats sad is that if the country had been managed intelligently and efficiently over the last 20 years it would be a magnificent place to live i.e. well planned communities, proper infrastructure, clean and exciting cities, excellent architecture etc..

And what did we end up with.. Donnie Cassidy talking through his hole on the radio..

I cant connect to the stream and dont have a radio other than the one in the car, so can someone summarize how it went?? Thx

Alun

Orange69 wrote: »

What's sad is that if the country had been managed intelligently and efficiently over the last 20 years it would be a magnificent place to live i.e. well planned communities, proper infrastructure, clean and exciting cities, excellent architecture etc..

I once met a Dutch marine engineer in a pub in Bray (he was doing some repair work shoring up the railway line between Bray and Greystones at the time). He told me a joke ...

"If the Dutch were running Ireland, they could feed the world. If the Irish were running the Netherlands, they'd drown!"

gurramok

All those re-engineering contract rewards will be heaven for the FF construction buddies(Parlon)!!!

Stevie Dakota

I heard that muppet on Newstalk, a separate speed limit for non nationals? Words fail me....

unkel

Alun wrote: »

I once met a Dutch marine engineer in a pub in Bray (he was doing some repair work shoring up the railway line between Bray and Greystones at the time). He told me a joke ...

"If the Dutch were running Ireland, they could feed the world. If the Irish were running the Netherlands, they'd drown!"

He's one arrogant bastard, but the joke is funny all the same

Niall1234

Switching to driving on the right hand side of the road is a bad idea full stop.

It is more dangerous to drive on the right hand side of the road. Reason ? When right handed people are involved in an accident or have a scare, they automatically turn left. This is natural instinct to put their strong side towards the trouble.

In a LHD country, you would steer onto the breakdown lane, verge or maybe the ditch. In a RHD country, you'll either hit the centre barrier or hit oncoming traffic.

The best example of this is in building aircraft carriers. The control tower of an aircraft carrier is always on the right hand side as aircraft almost always veer to the left in an accident.

The Japanese had a few aircraft carriers with the tower on the left during WW2 and learned the hard way that they tower should always be on the right.

Orange69

I would also think that its safer to operate the transmission with your left hand..? i.e. you are steering with you good/right hand..

TJJP

Orange69 wrote: »

Donie Cassidy - Nuff said..

How do these people get elected?

Well he didn't, not the last time out anyways, lost his seat.

First in the Seanad for his 80's crooning that got Charlie re-elected as a Taoiseachs nominee. Is now returned by the labour panel, voted in by county councilors or was that 'country' councilors.

As for driving on the right, its done in Laos, so when you get to the Thai border you have to switch. Could work here, we have similar road infrastructure.

peasant

Niall1234 wrote: »

Switching to driving on the right hand side of the road is a bad idea full stop.

It is more dangerous to drive on the right hand side of the road. Reason ? When right handed people are involved in an accident or have a scare, they automatically turn left. This is natural instinct to put their strong side towards the trouble.

In a LHD country, you would steer onto the breakdown lane, verge or maybe the ditch. In a RHD country, you'll either hit the centre barrier or hit oncoming traffic.

The best example of this is in building aircraft carriers. The control tower of an aircraft carrier is always on the right hand side as aircraft almost always veer to the left in an accident.

The Japanese had a few aircraft carriers with the tower on the left during WW2 and learned the hard way that they tower should always be on the right.

Beautiful argument ...flawed, but beautiful nonetheless.

I've driven LHD cars on RHD roads for 15 years and I'm right handed.
I've been in a few scares and NEVER have I pulled into a median barrier or oncoming traffic, neither have most others ...driving on the other side of the road neither makes you stupid nor suicidal.

And now for the real reason why changing over to driving on the right in Ireland is a brainfart:

It is simply impossible to do.

At the current level of infastructure and volume of traffic it would cost billions to do ...and it would be humanly impossible to do all the necessary changes literally over night


Unless you want to phase in the changeover ?:D:D:D

If yer man had two braincells to rub together he would have realised this before opening his mouth.

Niall1234

Orange69 wrote: »

I would also think that its safer to operate the transmission with your left hand..? i.e. you are steering with you good/right hand..

An excelent point. I wouldn't be too happy with my left hand on the wheel when changing.

Orange69

Niall1234 wrote: »

An excelent point. I wouldn't be too happy with my left hand on the wheel when changing.

Well not in a RHD car anyway

PogMoThoin

Dumbest statement I've ever heard, How the fcuk does someone as stupid as this get elected to the Seanad?

peasant

Niall1234 wrote: »

An excelent point. I wouldn't be too happy with my left hand on the wheel when changing.

Just a matter of getting used to.
I have regularly switched between LHD and RHD cars (on either side of the road) ...five minutes of concentration and you're back in the swing of it

Orange69

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Dumbest statement I've ever heard, How the fcuk does someone as stupid as this get elected to the Seanad?

With copious amounts hood winking, back patting and arse tickling..

I sincerely hope that when my generation come to run this country they will exhibit more intelligence and integrity than the current lot..

sesswhat

I met an Irish driver in a Mercedes, obviously just back from his holidays, coming out of the long stay car park at the airport on the wrong side of the road. He was so convinced he was right that he drove right up to my bonnet and got out of his car to tell me off for driving on the left.

Maybe it was Donie Cassidy.

Lauder

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Oh it just gets better:-

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0207/roadsafety.html

Let me guess they are going to have a phase in period for driving on the other side of the road? Trucks this month, then buses, then cars...

So wait the republic of ireland is going to start driving on the right hand side, but the north will still drive on the left?? that should make the border very interesting!!!!

As for the 80Kmph, So when people come across the border from the north they will have to drive at 80kmph down the m1??

Sure, It'll be like the Euro changeover period, you can use either until the 28th Feb

TJJP

sesswhat wrote: »

Maybe it was Donie Cassidy.

How was his hair?

sesswhat

TJJP wrote: »

How was his hair?

I'd say it was the healthiest looking part of him.

bazz26

This year's Darwin Award goes to Donie Cassidy.

"As described in the Darwin Award books: The Awards honour people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion."

Take a bow Mr Cassidy!

Del2005

bazz26 wrote: »

This year's Darwin Award goes to Donie Cassidy.

"As described in the Darwin Award books: The Awards honour people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion."

Take a bow Mr Cassidy!

Unfortunately he doesn't qualify. He's still alive and his plan would results in others deaths not his own, uless they happen to hit him.

Traumadoc

Perhaps he could introduce a law forcing RHD busses to drive in reverse.

faceman

Just to clarify ppl, he has asked for an investigation into whether it would reduce road fatalities as opposed to saying that it is the solution. Dont jump on the tabloid bandwagon. It was a dumb thing to suggest, but an even dumber thing if the RSA investigate it.

peasant

Here's an alternative suggestion that might actually work:

1) Finally give us the garda road presence and level of enforcement of existing laws that has been promised for so long

2) Introduce a law that forces all drivers of non-Irish reg. cars to carry proof of insurance. An international scheme for that, the "green insurance card" is already in existance for decades. *
No proof of insurance, car gets confiscated.

3) Teach gardai to be able to recognize and authenticate green insurance cards on the roadside.

4) Introduce a law that enables gardai to collect traffic fines from drivers of foreign reg. cars/ with non-Irish licences on the side of the road, include an extra fine of some hundred Euro for every point that should have been awarded, but couldn't due to the non-irish licence and cash it in right there and then.
Accompany the driver to the next hole in the wall, if needs be.


Nothing new btw ...it has been done like this on the continent for decades

* here it is
http://www.nondos.com/hilfe/gruene_karte_1.jpg

astraboy

Seems simple enough MR. P. I know in France the cops WILL drive you to an ATM to pay an on the spot speeding fine or else they won't let you proceed on your journey. There are of course implications with this as regards challenging the ticket, but if you admit to the offense then you just have to pay the fine. The idea about insurance is great, tired of hearing about Eastern European drivers without insurance and getting away with it.

As for driving on the right, what an utter toss of a suggestion. Yes it works well in many other countries but they have been doing it since year dot. Has the idiot even considered all the right hand drive cars on the roads, the cost involved, or why we need to do this?!:rolleyes: I've driven in the US on the right no problem, in a LHD car you get used to it very fast. The side of the road a country chooses to drive on has little impact on road safety, education, enforcement and better roads do!

I really wish politicians would stop talking soundbites about road safety, it belittles the issue. There is no one solution to making the roads safer, its a combination of many efforts on many fronts.

craichoe

Not really much of a Difference, RHD, LHD, Driving on the right or left, you adapt pretty quickly.

TherapyBoy

Relax guys, they've been talking about changing from RHD to LHD here for 40 years. It's not going to happen cos someone on the radio says so. They haven't made any serious moves to implement it yet, so I don't reckon they will anytime soon.
If they wait another 40 years we could all be driving hover-cars, that'd make it easier to change over =P

blastman

I listened to this interview on the Last Word in disbelief, it was the stupidest contribution to the transport debate I'd ever heard.

Morrismurf

A previous poster referred to Donnie's grey hair. A closer look with reveal that its a sort of sandy/red. In any case, it definitely is HIS hair...he paid for it::D