Show the Gardai a letter and you're grand!

Seth Brundle

You will hear so many anecdotes about how a garda let someone off. However, all it takes will be for a garda who enforces the law or is having a bad day or who is straight out of Templemore and you are a grand lighter!

xIsabelx

Yeah, I know.


I really hate being on of these L drivers right now, especially because the Gardaí announced on the radio that they're not technically going to crack down on it; they're leaving it in the hands of the individual Garda.

I think this is extremely unfair. Why should some people be penalised and others not? If they're going to enforce this law, why can't they just do it properly and not just base it on the individual Garda's opinion?!

Seth Brundle

Its called Garda discretion and IMO it does make things fair (if done within reason)

Red Alert

I applied the time the furore broke in October and had my test in February..... I've no sympathy for people who say openly the couldn't be assed applying for it.

guil

i think its a joke if its down to the guard, every young lad will get done and all the older prov drivers will be ok this country is a joke

xIsabelx

kbannon wrote: »

Its called Garda discretion and IMO it does make things fair (if done within reason)

I totally disagree.

I don't see how it's fair that some people are penalised and others aren't.

Hanley

guil07 wrote: »

i think its a joke if its down to the guard, every young lad will get done and all the older prov drivers will be ok this country is a joke

God I know. Our schools are obviously a joke too!!

guil

i tske it ur bein sarcastic, i passed my test in a lorry at the end of may after only gettin 5 lessons and i never drove one before that, i got the lessons with naas school of motorin and thought they were great

Tony Broke

guil07 wrote: »

i think its a joke if its down to the guard, every young lad will get done and all the older prov drivers will be ok this country is a joke

It is a joke, €1000 come on, who are they trying to fool?

I feel sorry for all the provisional drivers, follow the money as they say.

Would love to see the stats on road deaths/ crashes to compare full, provisional, young,old drivers etc.As far as I am concerned you take your chance of life with you everytime you drive anyway, full licence or not.

Pythia

Laurs_civic wrote: »

cant be true , cause if u go to your test now without a fully licence driver you automaically fail.

Haha, not true. I did my test last Tues (I failed) and drove there on my own. They don't know if you came with or without one and they don't care.

Seth Brundle

How you got to the test centre is of no business to them! Their job is to test you, not to enforce the law!

sonicthebadger*

Tony Broke wrote: »

It is a joke, €1000 come on, who are they trying to fool?

I feel sorry for all the provisional drivers, follow the money as they say.

Would love to see the stats on road deaths/ crashes to compare full, provisional, young,old drivers etc.As far as I am concerned you take your chance of life with you everytime you drive anyway, full licence or not.

Remind me not to get in a car with anyone who declares that attitude won't you!

The chances of you just being involved in a totally random accident through absolutely no fault of your own are surprisingly slim and can be reduced further by due care and attention. I might still happen but not even being concerned about avoiding it? Not for me thank you.

adrian522

freakonaleashx wrote: »

All this nonsense makes me sick! If you're fit to drive then you can pass your test within 6-8 weeks with no letter from an employer, if you fail then you should be kept off the road, its not as if the test is hard, just drive sanely. There really is no excuse to drive unaccompanied. A LOT of L-drivers really shouldn't be on the road in my experience. Eight 1k fines in the Gorey area apparently since the 1st :pac:. Féckin boy racing L-plate scummers in clapped out 106's Corsa's and Polo's, they all should be put down.

Brilliant, pass first time or be put off the road....just the sort of comment we need on the learning to drive forum, so much encouragement and such constructive advice, where were you when I was doing my test?

So what are you saying, only people who drive in an insane manor will fail their test?

My driving was pretty sane and I still failed.

So are you saying L drivers should be put off the road, Surely that would make them non drivers.

If that's your attitude surely everyone who has been involved in an accident should also be put off the road????

wil

tdc wrote: »

show the garda a letter and your grand! :pac:

Whats the opposite of that saying "Many's the word said in jest"

I'm guessing the pun wasn't intentional but

"show the garda a letter and your €1000"

is pretty close to the truth for some.

I am aware of one girl who did have L-plates but was issued a fine for not being accompanied.

BTW 'manor' 'manner' 'your' 'you're'
This thread makes for some amusing confusion.

wil

starlight07 wrote: »

... Shoulda pulled the finger out months ago
when I first heard about this law... but I didnt until now.
.....

1000 out of 1000 for honesty.

Other than that your story is quite typical in Ireland.
Get new car, get job, get licence as afterthought..

Here is how it has worked in the rest of the real world for a long time now.
Learn, Get licence, get job, get old or cheap small car. Learn more.

Alanstrainor

wil wrote: »

Whats the opposite of that saying "Many's the word said in jest"

I'm guessing the pun wasn't intentional but

"show the garda a letter and your €1000"

is pretty close to the truth for some.

I am aware of one girl who did have L-plates but was issued a fine for not being accompanied.

BTW 'manor' 'manner' 'your' 'you're'
This thread makes for some amusing confusion.

Wil, i think it was fairly obvious that "you're" was the intended word. No need to be condescending.

kick-on

got stopped twice in 1 day with no licenced passenger, kept the plates up though, showed them the letter and told them the boss threatened me with the sack if i cudnt drive to work and there was no buses etc, told to carry on and safe driving

wil

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Wil, i think it was fairly obvious that "you're" was the intended word. No need to be condescending.

No condescension intended.:o
Intentional pun or not, it is a coincidence that the statement simply worked with both completely opposite experiences.

John Mason

starlight07 wrote: »

Im completly stressin out over this whole situation. Ive applied for my test twice, just incase I fail ye know. Shoulda pulled the finger out months ago
when I first heard about this law... but I didnt until now.

Basically Im only driving my car now when it is completly necessary- to and from work, If I didnt I'd have to get 2 buses, one into town and another to finglas, plus I work ridiculous shift hours so the bus isnt even always an option.

I dont drive a banger, im in an 08 car that im workin my ass off to pay for, the last thing I need is a grand fine or worse a 2 grand fine. I dont think I have the balls to drive with the L plates up with just a letter saying ive applied, I mean whos to say I will even pass?? Driving tests are stressfull enough without this added pressure and theres only so much rescue remedy ye can neck before your over the limit.

I swear I dont know what to be doin, bought the L plates. Have them up when Ive a full license driver in the car, then going through a whole mental debate when I dont- take them down n get caught, show my useless stinking provisional license and completly piss the guard who stops me off. Or leave them up draw attention to myself, get pulled, show my letter (s) and hope the guard is sound and will listen to my sob story. (More than likely not)


Ive heard of a girl who got stopped, a young girl like myself in a nice car, she had no L plates up and got done for a grand and was given a 14 weeks to pay it. But then again it was a friend of a friend so who knows if its even true, all the threads on this askin if people have been done have either gone off track or been locked... ARGHHH THE STRESS! Feels good to rant. Anyone else feelin the inner turmoil??

Dont be driving in Finglas if you dont have a full licence. I live in finglas and there are checkpoints all over the place, and trust me they dont care who you are or what car you drive, they are and do pull everyone over. They have been doing this for years and they arent going to change

prodigal_son

I think its a joke that police are letting people off with this.

It just creates an air of confusion and lets the problem continue.

People are sickening lazy these days.

It takes 6 to 8 weeks, if you are all as safe as you say, then you will be fine, if not, then you shouldnt be on the road.

When did Irish people get so lazy? I remember a time when a family had 1 car, and the children had to possibly get 2 buses to school, and would have to wait around for an hour or so for one. Sometimes getting stuck and having to walk miles and then try get a lift.

Now people are so spoilt, they complain to the police that if they cant drive on a learners permit they would quit college or work?

People should grow up. Just because you bought a car does not give you the right to drive it, even if it is an 08. Take a hard 6 - 8 weeks, and walk/cycle/get lifts/buses/trains etc until you are entitled to drive on your own.

People were getting around like that in Ireland for years and years and years, it should be no problem for a couple of people to do it for a couple of weeks.

Snakeblood

prodigal_son wrote: »

I think its a joke that police are letting people off with this.

It just creates an air of confusion and lets the problem continue.

People are sickening lazy these days.

It takes 6 to 8 weeks, if you are all as safe as you say, then you will be fine, if not, then you shouldnt be on the road.

When did Irish people get so lazy? I remember a time when a family had 1 car, and the children had to possibly get 2 buses to school, and would have to wait around for an hour or so for one. Sometimes getting stuck and having to walk miles and then try get a lift.

Now people are so spoilt, they complain to the police that if they cant drive on a learners permit they would quit college or work?

People should grow up. Just because you bought a car does not give you the right to drive it, even if it is an 08. Take a hard 6 - 8 weeks, and walk/cycle/get lifts/buses/trains etc until you are entitled to drive on your own.

People were getting around like that in Ireland for years and years and years, it should be no problem for a couple of people to do it for a couple of weeks.

335 thousand people are on learners permits. It's hardly a couple of people.

People were getting around like that before they had jobs 20 miles from where they lived, when there were less cars on the roads so buses got around faster, and when they worked 9 to 5.

You're grossly understating the difficulties people face, and the number of people facing them.

Hanley

prodigal_son wrote: »

I think its a joke that police are letting people off with this.

It just creates an air of confusion and lets the problem continue.

People are sickening lazy these days.

It takes 6 to 8 weeks, if you are all as safe as you say, then you will be fine, if not, then you shouldnt be on the road.

When did Irish people get so lazy? I remember a time when a family had 1 car, and the children had to possibly get 2 buses to school, and would have to wait around for an hour or so for one. Sometimes getting stuck and having to walk miles and then try get a lift.

Now people are so spoilt, they complain to the police that if they cant drive on a learners permit they would quit college or work?

People should grow up. Just because you bought a car does not give you the right to drive it, even if it is an 08. Take a hard 6 - 8 weeks, and walk/cycle/get lifts/buses/trains etc until you are entitled to drive on your own.

People were getting around like that in Ireland for years and years and years, it should be no problem for a couple of people to do it for a couple of weeks.

OMFG lets crack out the parafin lamps, turf fires, potato sack jumpers and all eat spuds while we're at it.

Seriously, get off the high horse. Or should that be get out of the 70's?

zero19

Ah sure the recession will take the laziness outta people :rolleyes:

Alanstrainor

Careful now lads, might be forced to lock this the way things are going. Let's try and keep things civil shall we?

Easy Rider

Well, I have not been driving since the new rules came in as I am a learner driver....I tell people in work and they look at me funny, as if I am the weird one for getting the bus and accepting responsibility etc.....Strange thing is I am actually enjoying getting the bus and walking, going to get a bike soon and cycle also....

My test is in August (5 month wait, don't know where they are getting the figures) so hopefully I will get it before the summer (or so called) is finished.

I believe once you accpet responsibility for yourself and actually think a little, how to get from A to B etc, you won't have to keep on worrying about if you get caught or fined...

Poobear123

Easy Rider wrote: »

Well, I have not been driving since the new rules came in as I am a learner driver....I tell people in work and they look at me funny, as if I am the weird one for getting the bus and accepting responsibility etc.....Strange thing is I am actually enjoying getting the bus and walking, going to get a bike soon and cycle also....

My test is in August (5 month wait, don't know where they are getting the figures) so hopefully I will get it before the summer (or so called) is finished.

I believe once you accpet responsibility for yourself and actually think a little, how to get from A to B etc, you won't have to keep on worrying about if you get caught or fined...

+1
I have my test this saturday, only applied 2 weeks ago.... But car had NCT so had to drive from Balbriggan to Ballymun to town and back to ballymun..... No guards, but there was a 'surprise' checkpoint on Barrow Street today *thank god I just parked it there 5 mins before! But I am taking responsibility for my actions too, I dont like breaking the law, and the car is staying safely parked till Sat when i (hopefully) pass my test!

dlofnep

OP - WRONG.

Some may do this, but no - you won't be grand. You'll be fined on the spot if they are given the chance.

snickerpuss

I was in a car with a learner driver (I haven't got the license two years so I can't legally accompany) going all over south dublin and we passed two garda cars and neither of the gardas gave us a second glance.
She's been driving everywhere and they just ignore her. Definately not seriously enforced.

wil

Easy Rider wrote: »

...I tell people in work and they look at me funny, as if I am the weird one for getting the bus and accepting responsibility etc........

Totally the opposite attitude in the UK.
Your friends/workers/family will not let you drive unaccompanied.
That's how it is for at least 20 years

Its even featured in films and TV, even the roughest or most delinquent characters accept it as sensible law without question.

"Shameless"
"This is England"

Hanley

dlofnep wrote: »

OP - WRONG.

Some may do this, but no - you won't be grand. You'll be fined on the spot if they are given the chance.

Are you sure about the on the sport fine?

I was pretty sure it could only come after a court date.