Garda gives parking fine at 2am

vixenbees

afatbollix wrote: »

you are allowed to park on double yellow lines if you are unloading for no more than 30 minutes.. http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/8342-0.pdf page 72

So you could get it thrown out if you want.. but maybe they could argue you were on the path..

Also teh fine is 40 euro

thats interesting but the ticket was for the disabled spot i think. is that €40 as well? sure we'll see, it might not come in the post at all if he had a change of heart

rusty999

you just hit the nail on the head there vixenbee----given the circumstances..

and the circumstances were that if that garda had an ounce of cop on he would have warned him at most and get off his high horse and deal with REAL crime in the area at 2 am in the morning and your friend would be driving off 5 mins later with no harm done to anyone
But not all of them have that spark of common sense I'm afraid
They want the public to support them and then treat people like muck as was the case here--- disgraceful in my opinion

vixenbees wrote: »

he knows he was in the wrong, just felt a bit hard done by is all given the circumstances.

Musicman2000

rusty999 wrote: »

you just hit the nail on the head there vixenbee----given the circumstances..

and the circumstances were that if that garda had an ounce of cop on he would have warned him at most and get off his high horse and deal with REAL crime in the area at 2 am in the morning and your friend would be driving off 5 mins later with no harm done to anyone
But not all of them have that spark of common sense I'm afraid
They want the public to support them and then treat people like muck as was the case here--- disgraceful in my opinion

I think the male guards in Waterford are more intertested in chatting up women at 2 in the morning, than doing anything usefull

Sully

vixenbees wrote: »

God I cant believe that. I didnt know guards hand out tickets to taxis for that!! john street is definately mental at night but does giving the taxis tickets change anything there, cos they'll still have to line up the next night? Anyway, least we know its not just a once off or a guard on a power trip... fair enough if its regularly patrolled and he just got caught.

The Guards ticket/ask taxis who park illegally to move on, ie not in their rank. It happens frequently and the taxis block up the whole place. So its strictly enforced - park illegally or cause congestion and you will be fined. If it was not maintained, the place would be far worse then it currently is.

afatbollix wrote: »

you are allowed to park on double yellow lines if you are unloading for no more than 30 minutes.. http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/8342-0.pdf page 72

So you could get it thrown out if you want.. but maybe they could argue you were on the path..

Also teh fine is 40 euro

He was also parked on a footpath and disabled space.

rusty999 wrote: »

and the circumstances were that if that garda had an ounce of cop on he would have warned him at most and get off his high horse and deal with REAL crime in the area at 2 am in the morning and your friend would be driving off 5 mins later with no harm done to anyone
But not all of them have that spark of common sense I'm afraid
They want the public to support them and then treat people like muck as was the case here--- disgraceful in my opinion

I *hate* when people use that argument. Laws are laws. They not be criminal but the guards are paid to enforce every law - no matter how appropriate or inappropriate it may be. I'm sure their were plenty of guards out that night covering the common troubled areas - the paddy wagon usually circles around looking for trouble in other areas. Due to the area he was in being a common trouble spot for traffic - it was in his duty to tell the van owner to cop the **** on, move out of a disabled parking space and get of the footpath. That area has a strict enforcement (due to the traffic problems at that time of night) and you will be damned sure if the Guard didn't people would be complaining that the guard was not doing his job etc.

Dont blast the guard for enforcing the law correctly. The driver of the van was wrong, regardless of the time. The location is mad busy, chaotic, and a hazard for the drunk pedestrians (and sober ones!) without cars parking arseways and causing problems.

vixenbees

Sully wrote: »

He was also parked on a footpath and disabled space.

I'm assuming he went up on the kerb to keep out of the way of passing cars and taxis, trying to keep disruption to a minimum.

Sully

vixenbees wrote: »

I'm assuming he went up on the kerb to keep out of the way of passing cars and taxis, trying to keep disruption to a minimum.

Yet ended up causing more disruption - resulting in people probably falling onto the cabs since the path was somewhat blocked.

vixenbees

I doubt it caused too much disruption in fairness. The spot in question is opposite geoffs, by the phonebox as you walk up towards the wacky apple there. The masses queue for taxis down by istans.

I was only trying to explain even though where he parked was wrong, the reason for using the kerb was probably trying to keep out of taxi/cars way by leaving some extra space on the road.

rusty999

So then -whats your answer to the fact that the taxis also are breaking the law there if they are parked on double yellow lines--whats the difference?


Dont blast the guard for enforcing the law correctly. The driver of the van was wrong, regardless of the time. The location is mad busy, chaotic, and a hazard for the drunk pedestrians (and sober ones!) without cars parking arseways and causing problems.[/QUOTE]

rusty999

If they are fallin on to the cabs they must be well and truly out of it!!!! LOL

Sully wrote: »

Yet ended up causing more disruption - resulting in people probably falling onto the cabs since the path was somewhat blocked.

JohnC.

rusty999 wrote: »

So then -whats your answer to the fact that the taxis also are breaking the law there if they are parked on double yellow lines--whats the difference?

Try going to a judge and saying "But they were doing it too!"

It's pointless complaining about and trying to justify this. People need to cop on about where they park. There is massive disruption all the time that these clowns either don't see or don't care about. Too many people have come to think it is acceptable.

afatbollix

it is legal to park on double yellow lines while you are unloading or loading...

so yes it is acceptable

rusty999

Commercial van, Not unattended, Genuinely Loading, Not blocking any other vehilce , 2 am in the morning and more importantly NO other option

Well.....

I would be inclined to go all the way and when the judge sees what its cost the courts and also clogging up the system with petty fines i recon he will throw it out

Just my opinion Guys!!

vixenbees

Kahless wrote: »

Try going to a judge and saying "But they were doing it too!"

It's pointless complaining about and trying to justify this. People need to cop on about where they park. There is massive disruption all the time that these clowns either don't see or don't care about. Too many people have come to think it is acceptable.

I think you're right. I hate careless parkers 99% of the time because usually its out of laziness that people do it.

The other day I was waiting at a bus stop and there was a car parked right at the edge of it. All I was thinking was how ridiculous it was since it was 5pm with loads of buses coming and going and all just because someone couldnt be bothered finding or paying for a space. 2 minutes later an elderly woman on crutches was making her way towards the car from the post office a few metres away, being helped along by another lady. I felt bad cursing them in my head and realised sometimes its ok to bend the rules. Thats just my opinion but I do see where you're coming from also. If you're in the way, get out of here.

JohnC.

afatbollix wrote: »

it is legal to park on double yellow lines while you are unloading or loading...

so yes it is acceptable

I believe it's been pointed out to you already, but here we go again, he was also on a footpath and in a disabled space.

rusty999

vixenbees wrote: »

his friend waiting with the gear and said he'd throw the van up on the footpath there, half on double yellows and half on a disabled spot.(opposite geoffs) He didnt leave the van idle, stood there the whole time just opened the back door to put the stuff in.

now they move every few mins but why arent all the taxis that are parked on double yellows not penalised?

Half on Double yellows and half in disabled I think he said??

rusty999

Sorry -bold type there --dunno how i did that !

JohnC.

That link to the 30 minute double yellow rule appears to be incorrect anyway. It is a PDF of an incomplete draft version of the rules of the road. Here is the final, published version. There is no mention of 30 minutes there.

benj

vixenbees wrote: »

Morning all, have a quick story about something that happened last night in town and want peoples views on it.

My friend was playing a gig in town last night, looks after all the gear and stuff. Basically the band finished up around 2am, so he went up to get his van and came back to find that there was a pile up of taxis blocking where he would usually park. He saw his friend waiting with the gear and said he'd throw the van up on the footpath there, half on double yellows and half on a disabled spot.(opposite geoffs) He didnt leave the van idle, stood there the whole time just opened the back door to put the stuff in.

Next thing a guard hops out of a paddy wagon and comes stormin over all high and mighty sayin, "which one of ye is disabled lads?" so my friend said listen I'm only after pullin in coz all the taxis are blocking where I normally park. It's too risky to park any further away cos drunk people think people carrying gear are hilarious and want to jump up on it, possibly leading to an accident(and from bad experiences in the past) "Not my problem" he says. So he begged him to have some sort of reasoning but he had none of it. €80 fine. He called up to the station straight away lookin to speak with a higher authority but there was no-one there. Just another guard who said he'd have a word but obviously wont. The two guards in the paddy wagon were laughin their heads off too. So frustating.

I know he was breaking the law and in the wrong but it just seems so petty and unneccessary. You'd think they would have given him a chance to move off. And I know they move every few mins but why arent all the taxis that are parked on double yellows not penalised?

what do you expect from a backward irish police force....

rusty999

Yes well heres another link and it clearly states 30 mins
Its from parkingireland .ie

http://www.parkingireland.ie/dos.htm



There is usually a grace period of 30 minutes to allow commercial vehicles to load and unload their goods.This grace period must be strictly adhered to.



No doubt about it now?

Kahless wrote: »

That link to the 30 minute double yellow rule appears to be incorrect anyway. It is a PDF of an incomplete draft version of the rules of the road. Here is the final, published version. There is no mention of 30 minutes there.

Bards

rusty999 wrote: »

Yes well heres another link and it clearly states 30 mins
Its from parkingireland .ie

http://www.parkingireland.ie/dos.htm



There is usually a grace period of 30 minutes to allow commercial vehicles to load and unload their goods.This grace period must be strictly adhered to.



No doubt about it now?

erm, the OP ws not parked in a loading bay

quote from http://www.parkingireland.ie/dos.htm

"Loading bays are for the loading and unloading of goods, and are used by commercially taxed vehicles only. There is usually a grace period of 30 minutes to allow commercial vehicles to load and unload their goods.This grace period must be strictly adhered to."

JohnC.

rusty999 wrote: »

No doubt about it now?

Apart from it being about something completely different and the use of "usually," no, no doubt.

vixenbees

The ticket was for being in a disabled spot (not for the kerb, and not for being on yellow lines)

Cabaal

rusty999 wrote: »

However he WAS using it in the course of his job and even then it was only going to be for a few minutes

It doesn't matter it was a disabled spot, it doesn't matter if it meant that not parking would mean he'd loose his job he still broke the law for parking where he did.

Family, single, business it doesn't matter a monkeys

rusty999 wrote: »

There is usually a grace period of 30 minutes to allow commercial vehicles to load and unload their goods.This grace period must be strictly adhered to.



No doubt about it now?

Again he parked in a disabled spot, there is no grace period in any country for parking in a disabled spot.
You should only park in such a spot when you have the correct permit to do so, the driver did not.

I can't imagine any judge will take kindly to anybody parking in a disabled spot and rightly so,

benj

this should be a case for discretion as the garda should know the op was loading expensive work equipment into the van...
it wasn't as if the op was parking up and going off doing his shopping.

Sully

benj wrote: »

this should be a case for discretion as the garda should know the op was loading expensive work equipment into the van...
it wasn't as if the op was parking up and going off doing his shopping.

We established that its a "no chance" rule because of the area in question. The OP was unloading at the wrong time clearly. You cant use discretion in this case.

rusty999

benj wrote: »

this should be a case for discretion as the garda should know the op was loading expensive work equipment into the van...
it wasn't as if the op was parking up and going off doing his shopping.

Yes you're right there benj but some of these boys don't know the meaning of the word discretion i'm afraid. I've often been in the same position with loading musical equipment in the centre of london and as soon as the cops see that you are genuine and will move just as soon as you get your gear out or in then they leave you alone usually--sometimes with a polite word of warning but they have more important things to worry about especially if you make sure you are not blocking the traffic etc. Its common sense after all
Oh well !! Life goes on I guess I blame the celtic tiger myself:D;)

Sully

rusty999 wrote: »

Yes you're right there benj but some of these boys don't know the meaning of the word discretion i'm afraid. I've often been in the same position with loading musical equipment in the centre of london and as soon as the cops see that you are genuine and will move just as soon as you get your gear out or in then they leave you alone usually--sometimes with a polite word of warning but they have more important things to worry about especially if you make sure you are not blocking the traffic etc. Its common sense after all
Oh well !! Life goes on I guess I blame the celtic tiger myself:D;)

Your ignoring all the points raised in this thread about how and why it was done in the first place.

As such, I am going to close this topic because posters seem to be talking to a brick wall at this stage and its going nowhere soon.

If anybody has any objections to this being closed, send me a PM and ill re-consider. Maybe.

Topic Closed