Speed Trap - Ballon

bravo

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't passed it yesterday morning!
He was standing in the garden of the garda station in ballon behind a newly cut hedge pointing his camera/radar gun at traffic coming from the wexford direction - no car, no visibility, no public awareness, just typical fish in the barrel stuff.
I don't know if it was a camera or if he intended running out the gate to stop cars travelling over the 50 limit.

darc

bravo wrote: »

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't passed it yesterday morning!
He was standing in the garden of the garda station in ballon behind a newly cut hedge pointing his camera/radar gun at traffic coming from the wexford direction - no car, no visibility, no public awareness, just typical fish in the barrel stuff.
I don't know if it was a camera or if he intended running out the gate to stop cars travelling over the 50 limit.

I presume the garda station is in the middle of the village. - So well within the 50km speed area.

I utterly despise people who speed through villages - 50km is more than reasonable for a built up area where there are many entrances / exits & pedestrians.

50km / 30mph has been the built up area speed / village area speed since the year dot, so there is no excuse whatsoever to be driving in excess of this speed.

Question - If a child ran out after a ball (very possible within village boundaries), would you be able to stop in time at 60km / 70km? - The answer is no!

tombull82

No, its not in the village, Its on the way into the village well before any of the "built up area".
The station is on the Carlow side which is a long straight Wide road with loads of visibility they should have left the limits further into the village where a child might then be in danger of running out after a ball as you said.

trad

How come everyone complains that the Gardai are a lazy shower of plonkers. Yet when they do go out and do a bit of work people complain.

Surely speed traps are part of a guards job, it was when I was in it. If you obey the speed limits what have you to fear.

Tom10

This is a terrible place to carry out speed checks because it is a safe road and it is near the speed limit sign for 100k and you have a perfect view of "kids running out on a main road" (seriously how often do kids run out on a main road, seems there's always somebody making this point). This isn't gardai doing their job but a lazy fecker (barely left his office) getting easy stats for his jacket!!!

tombull82

Tom10 wrote: »

This is a terrible place to carry out speed checks because it is a safe road and it is near the speed limit sign for 100k and you have a perfect view of "kids running out on a main road" (seriously how often do kids run out on a main road, seems there's always somebody making this point). This isn't gardai doing their job but a lazy fecker (barely left his office) getting easy stats for his jacket!!!

+1

iamhunted

disagree - theres a pretty dangerous junction just below the garda station where a side road goes from the left out to tullow. Its not a 'safe' road plus its literally on the way in to Ballon.

That gard has caught quite a few people (including me) from that garden position. He's there pretty regularly.

Tom10

That turn is 200m after the garda station, what i'm saying is that the speed limit sign should be at the station or near enough to it and not at the top of the hill. It should be more like cullahill on the main dublin-cork road where the speed limit signs are right at the edge of the town limits (a proper location for all speed limit signs to be and not just thrown up where they thought it might be a nice spot for them)

iamhunted

personally i think its right the way its laid out. after that road to the left you're right on the village. makes sense putting the speed limited at the top of the hill rather than a few yeards further down the road halfway down the hill. its much like the 50kph zone in castledermot.

Sully

Topic re-opened by patrick following Feedback. Feel free to discuss the issue in relation to the speed check in Carlow.

(Thanks patrick)

Super-Rush

Its not the first time the have done this. I got caught there last summer and the guard was hiding behind a sign and he stepped out and caught me. It can work both ways having the trap there. I have seen loads of people pulling out from the petrol station and flying up the road and they would have been prime candidates for a speeding fine.

You know where the mini market is, the one across the road from Kavanaghs pub? There are always cars parked outside it. Three times i have seen them hidden amongst the parked cars with a speedgun.

Now that is a ridiculous place for a speed trap, busiest part of the village, two junctions, a roundabout 500 yards from it and a primary school. There is no chance of speeding there whatsoever.

If they wanted to make money the should set up one between Kilbride crossroads and Kildavin. They could end the recession from me alone.

patrickc

super-rush wrote: »

Its not the first time the have done this. I got caught there last summer and the guard was hiding behind a sign and he stepped out and caught me. It can work both ways having the trap there. I have seen loads of people pulling out from the petrol station and flying up the road and they would have been prime candidates for a speeding fine.

You know where the mini market is, the one across the road from Kavanaghs pub? There are always cars parked outside it. Three times i have seen them hidden amongst the parked cars with a speedgun.

Now that is a ridiculous place for a speed trap, busiest part of the village, two junctions, a roundabout 500 yards from it and a primary school. There is no chance of speeding there whatsoever.

If they wanted to make money the should set up one between Kilbride crossroads and Kildavin. They could end the recession from me alone.

that sounds like a mad place to hide in between parked cars, yeh it's like the tommy tiernan story where they hide in a hedge and jump out at you!!

ShayK1

Crouching Tiger Hidden Guarda

Sully

I assume you all watch "Traffic Blues" on RTE? Done a few speed checks, usually on a driveway/junction. (Not in Carlow, but just thought while on the topic of such people may be interested)

homerhop

We are all adults supposedly. We can see the signs saying the speed limit and if we choose to ignore them and get caught be it fish in a barrel or not get over it :rolleyes: . For years in castledermot the local stood at the corner of the chemist with his speed gun. Everyone who traveled that road knew he did it and took their luck as to if they got caught or not.

road_high

Also new stupid speed limits at Rathwood near Tullow. For no particular reason I can fathom.

byhookorbycrook

mfitzy wrote: »

Also new stupid speed limits at Rathwood near Tullow. For no particular reason I can fathom.

to do with road surface, only temporary, according to the Nationalist.