Customs road block at Burnfoot

Graces7

Was to ASDA then Buncrana early today..

Huge Customs/Garda roadblock on both sides of Burnfoot.. Heading in, they were filtering out all NI reg cars and letting the rest of us past.

Searching many cars ...

Many many officials in luminous jackets...

On the other side, the traffic tail back reached almost to Fahan at the time I was passing.

Around 9 am.

Heard a furore about it on local radio when I was in the Thrift Shop in Buncrana as it made so many late for work.

Someone said it is because of recent bombs etc.

Also because it was fine..

Is there something going on? Seen road blocks many times but never this big.

dcfc

Customs were checking for people living in the south, driving NI cars. A friend of mine was stopped and fined €400 on the spot. When he said he didn't have it on him, they followed him to the banklink to get it (probably why there were so many of them there). He asked what would happen if he didn't pay it there and then, they told him they would take the car until it was paid - can they do this, I thought they had to give a warning first.

homer simpson

They were everywhere today, the Girlfriend was held up for 45mins on the way to work this morning, they then split up and went to all the known back roads into and out of buncranna and set up checks there, when the word got around they were on the main road. They stopped me in a DL vanl at colm dillions garage on the main letterkenny - derry road this evening too!

Now i have no problems with these people operating checkpoints ect cos the people who are breaking the law deserve to be cought IMO but the people preforming the stops are nothing short of aragont, no manners whatsoever, the guy pointed me into the hard shoulder and without letting me know anything start hitting the fuel cover on the van trying to open it he then threw open the door an said "gimmie your keys now" without saying how are you doing im just dipping your van for diesel or something, i asked what for and he got ratty threw done the tube bottle thingy and said i have permission to search your vechicle, went to the rear doors and jumped in the back, i was fairly peeved at this stage, in the end he was that thick ./ frustrated after wrecking/checking the back of the van checked every bucket/pot and shifted all the sheets (im a painteRR) he didnt dip the van for diesel in the end up.

My Gf works in a cafe also she said they some were in there eating at lunch too, and were totally aragent to her too, clicking thier fingers at her and calling "you" at here when she was carrying food from the kitchen to another table then when they were paying (at the till in the take away)she asked what they had they laughed and said "some F'ing place this is, heh lads" it wasnt her took the order so she didnt know....


Sorry for the long post but thought id share my experience

Carrickman

Sorry to hear that, blooming jobsworths this is very heavy handed.

Technique

They were there at 7.30am when I was passing through.

Graces7

homer_simpson wrote: »

They were everywhere today, the Girlfriend was held up for 45mins on the way to work this morning, they then split up and went to all the known back roads into and out of buncranna and set up checks there, when the word got around they were on the main road. They stopped me in a DL vanl at colm dillions garage on the main letterkenny - derry road this evening too!

Now i have no problems with these people operating checkpoints ect cos the people who are breaking the law deserve to be cought IMO but the people preforming the stops are nothing short of aragont, no manners whatsoever, the guy pointed me into the hard shoulder and without letting me know anything start hitting the fuel cover on the van trying to open it he then threw open the door an said "gimmie your keys now" without saying how are you doing im just dipping your van for diesel or something, i asked what for and he got ratty threw done the tube bottle thingy and said i have permission to search your vechicle, went to the rear doors and jumped in the back, i was fairly peeved at this stage, in the end he was that thick ./ frustrated after wrecking/checking the back of the van checked every bucket/pot and shifted all the sheets (im a painteRR) he didnt dip the van for diesel in the end up.

My Gf works in a cafe also she said they some were in there eating at lunch too, and were totally aragent to her too, clicking thier fingers at her and calling "you" at here when she was carrying food from the kitchen to another table then when they were paying (at the till in the take away)she asked what they had they laughed and said "some F'ing place this is, heh lads" it wasnt her took the order so she didnt know....


Sorry for the long post but thought id share my experience

Homer; please don't apologise. That was appalling.

As we drove slowly past in our MN car, we saw a girl arguing with one of the customs men, and another searching a car.. It was clear that they were being very heavy-handed.

No excuse for rudeness especially in the cafe.

Interesting re the back roads as someone on the radio said that it was easy to use them.

I suppose they argue it is a deterrent to be rough; but in the cafe?

I tell you; had they tried that with me they would have heard language I am not supposed to know.

ednwireland

i wouldnt aargue with the guys on the street but ask for their name and then report them (if you dont these people wont change)

as someone once said (a quote from the young ones) give some poeple a uniform and they think their hitler

muffler

ednwireland wrote: »

they think their hitler

Thought that only applied to mods

James74

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMbSROO6GSg

Mr_A

Inishowen Indo coverage- 27 vehicles were seized.

Good to see a bit of enforcement on this.

LavaLamp

Mr_A wrote: »

Inishowen Indo coverage- 27 vehicles were seized.

Good to see a bit of enforcement on this.

Enforcement on what exactly - VRT is the biggest rip-off going!!!

that's my two cents on the matter

Mr_A

Either everyone pays it or no one does- totally unfair to have people not paying their way while other do, you don't get to cherry pick what laws to obey.

markmcg

VRT is illegal but the Irish government gets away of charging it.
But its not fair on people who pay for it and others don't.
I was stuck in queue yesterday. very long.

LavaLamp

No, of course it's not fair, but then why should you pay an illegal tax? Rather than complain about it not being fair, people should put some effort into actually getting something done about it.

Graces7

James74 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMbSROO6GSg

Maddening not to be able to see youtube....

homer simpson

Graces7 wrote: »

Maddening not to be able to see youtube....

all the video is people with lumines jackets waving on south reg cars pulling north reg cars, and the some clips of some people chatting to the costums... your not really missing much

Graces7

homer_simpson wrote: »

all the video is people with lumines jackets waving on south reg cars pulling north reg cars, and the some clips of some people chatting to the costums... your not really missing much

Gee thanks!!! I get one image and it looks just as it was!!!! Just wondered if we were starred of course!!

Just the sheer numbers of the officials amazed.

implausible

A whole pile of them this morning on Bbofey - Lkenny road, just before Lurgybrack. 6 of them and they must've had 7 cars pulled in-busy, busy boys.

They seem to be on some mad blitz - no harm I suppose, but they were causing a fairly big tailback at 9 on a Thurs morning.

North_West_Art

yep, friend of mine was pulled over there this morning, then escorted to ATM where she was made pay €625

buckfasterer

They were in the gap this afternoon. I've no sympathy with these people who are being caught and fined. I know that VRT is a ridiculous and unfair tax but everyone else pays it so why should these people not.

LavaLamp

North_West_Art wrote: »

yep, friend of mine was pulled over there this morning, then escorted to ATM where she was made pay €625

:eek::eek::eek::eek: This is just daylight robbery by people in hi-vis jackets. Seriously, how can they be allowed to get away with this, time and time again it is said that VRT is basically an illegal tax and yet even when people are being escorted to a cashpoint and told to withdraw what for some people is a months wages no-one is prepared to make a stand.

grrrrrrrrrr

*gets off soap box and goes back to dark corner for a lie down*

theblueirish

i had to go through this vrt thing last year, waited for my wife to come out of the house and blocked her in. told us we had 7 days to pay €10703 or the car would be seized.
what really annoyed me was the house they hid outside had two northern reg cars at it but they never stopped them. i suppose they were only interested in the 10k rather than the €600 that was owed on the other car.

LavaLamp

theblueirish wrote: »

i had to go through this vrt thing last year, waited for my wife to come out of the house and blocked her in. told us we had 7 days to pay €10703 or the car would be seized.
what really annoyed me was the house they hid outside had two northern reg cars at it but they never stopped them. i suppose they were only interested in the 10k rather than the €600 that was owed on the other car.

€10k?? how on earth was that figure arrived at? :eek:

theblueirish

it was based on the co2 emmisons and the open market selling price which they took to be 28k.
the book value of the car in the north was 5k, dearest one in the south i could find was 14k.
they told me i had to pay the 10k they i could appeal the price.

i bought a different one and payed the 5k vrt on it when i brought it in

North_West_Art

and what if the car was to be consumed by a fierce and terrible fire (god forbid), would a person still be obliged to pay the vrt?

mrmac

North_West_Art wrote: »

and what if the car was to be consumed by a fierce and terrible fire (god forbid), would a person still be obliged to pay the vrt?

lol - :cool:

Graces7

North_West_Art wrote: »

yep, friend of mine was pulled over there this morning, then escorted to ATM where she was made pay €625

Well, if they tried that with me? We don;t have money like that period....

But the wee car does not have a huge amount to pay anyways.

So this was a check on Southern cars for non -payment of VRT?

Why is it illegal, please? ( Do I duck here and take cover;))

homer simpson

http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0919/VRT.html

Have a wee read through that its basiclly an illegal tax as ruled by the EU courts, the irish Gov were advise to stop charging for it in 2002 as far as i remember but as of yet there has very little or nothing done....

As much as i hate the VRT thing i still done the VRT on my car the day i bought it, its worth to much to have taken off me / have a big fine over the head of, word on the street is that they are here for 3 weeks from different parts of the country, there are staying in the lake of shadows hotel in buncranna.... wheres some of these "viaable devices" when you want them:p <----that is a joke by the way.....or is it :pac::pac::pac:

Graces7

homer_simpson wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0919/VRT.html

Have a wee read through that its basiclly an illegal tax as ruled by the EU courts, the irish Gov were advise to stop charging for it in 2002 as far as i remember but as of yet there has very little or nothing done....

As much as i hate the VRT thing i still done the VRT on my car the day i bought it, its worth to much to have taken off me / have a big fine over the head of, word on the street is that they are here for 3 weeks from different parts of the country, there are staying in the lake of shadows hotel in buncranna.... wheres some of these "viaable devices" when you want them:p <----that is a joke by the way.....or is it :pac::pac::pac:

I suppose we are just used to it after the UK? Which is the same?

But Canadian family think it is appalling.

And yes, not worth the hassle of a fine.

And no; not something to give anyone ideas about.

Nice looking hotel is that too.

Pique

SOo, my car is imported and on UK plates. I went to the VRT office in Donegal Town today and was told that the export part of the V5 is no good, and that I'd have to write to the DVLA in order to get a replacement V5, which can take 5 weeks (cos they're 'really slow' apparently....I'd a good laugh at the Irish CS slagging off the UK CS on efficiency standards!).

Now, the same piece of paper did me fine when I imported a car from the UK before....so why not now ? Was it that it was 4pm and the guy looked at me in disgust 'cos he thought he was leaving soon and examining a car for chassis/engine/trim details would keep him late on a Friday ? Hhmmm.

Anyhoo, I realise I HAVE to pay VRT (spit) but am I now expected to hide it in a shed until I receive the replacement V5, or what ?

I'm sure as hell not paying a fine for not VRT'ing my car when I followed the procedures from the country of origin (UK) only to find that this place has changed the rules/can't be arsed examining the car and want the DVLA details to type in to their system!

homer simpson

Pique wrote: »

SOo, my car is imported and on UK plates. I went to the VRT office in Donegal Town today and was told that the export part of the V5 is no good, and that I'd have to write to the DVLA in order to get a replacement V5, which can take 5 weeks (cos they're 'really slow' apparently....I'd a good laugh at the Irish CS slagging off the UK CS on efficiency standards!).

Now, the same piece of paper did me fine when I imported a car from the UK before....so why not now ? Was it that it was 4pm and the guy looked at me in disgust 'cos he thought he was leaving soon and examining a car for chassis/engine/trim details would keep him late on a Friday ? Hhmmm.

Anyhoo, I realise I HAVE to pay VRT (spit) but am I now expected to hide it in a shed until I receive the replacement V5, or what ?

I'm sure as hell not paying a fine for not VRT'ing my car when I followed the procedures from the country of origin (UK) only to find that this place has changed the rules/can't be arsed examining the car and want the DVLA details to type in to their system!

If your stopped just tell them that, although unless you have it in some kind of writing or are able to phone the guy who told you that i doubt they will beleive you.