Would You?

Dubh Geannain

Driving home for my lunch. Car in front of me threw items out the drivers window on two separate occasions.

First was an empty cigarette case. Not that big a deal I say to myself. About a mile later out goes the plastic wrapping from the next pack of cigarettes.

I got the reg number and am mighty tempted to report the culprit. Just curious what others would do?

Will they get a telling off or will they face a fine or would a complaint fall on deaf ears? I must be getting grumpy in my old age.

D1stant

Only one way to find out. Report him. Its disgusting

PauloMN

I never have reported someone for it up to now, but as time goes on (and I get older!) I'd be more likely to. I have mentioned it a couple of times to the culprits themselves. I think now if I saw what you saw and got the reg, I would report them. Littering is a scumbag activity in my view, absolutely no reason whatsoever to chuck stuff from a car. It bugs the crap out of me to see volunteers on one hand picking up peoples' rubbish and on the other hand to see to55ers chucking stuff from a car (or just walking along dropping their rubbish as they please).

Not sure what happens when someone is reported tbh, but I reckon it would be treated seriously. Even if someone had a word with them about it, it might make them think twice before acting like scumbags again.

This might be of use to you:
http://www.meath.ie/LocalAuthorities/Environment/EnvironmentFrequentlyAskedQuestions/Answer,3566,en.html

Dubh Geannain

Well you've done half the job for me there Paulo. I'll probably give the number a call later.

chewed

I'm not sure there's anything you can do unless you have full proof (e.g. video). Even if you did, you'd probably have to go to court to give evidence if they contested it. The guy would then know your name/address, and you've no idea who you're dealing with!

bitemybanger

Absolute disgusting thing to do.
My No1 pet hate, smokers not giving a shìt flicking butts onto the ground.
I'm not being stereotypical tarring all smokers with the same brush but most do it without a second tought.

bladespin

bitemybanger wrote: »

I'm not being stereotypical tarring all smokers with the same brush but most do it without a second tought.

Gereralise much? No stereotyping going on above at all lol. :rolleyes:

Post was about a wrapper and box IIRC, I'd report it and see what happens, always wondered the same.

endasmail

got a 125 euro fine years ago for throwing a cigarette butt out the window in finglas
didnt do it again:D

Dubh Geannain

Left a message on the low-call number. I'm guessing someone will call me back.

chewed

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

Left a message on the low-call number. I'm guessing someone will call me back.

Keep us posted if anything happens!

Access

Dubh Geannain, im sorry to say it but that is an awful title to a thread!

We have had serious problems with illegal dumping and lads throwing stuff out of cars on our road. One night about a year ago i was dropping a dvd back to xtravision and on my way home about a half mile from my place i came around a bend to see the owner of a certain restaurant in town lobbing black bags over a ditch into a neighbours field from the boot of his car.

I stopped and confronted him and told him to drag out every bag and before i could say another word he was off into the drivers seat and he shot off up the road. I rang the guards and gave them the reg and they told me they knew who it was, but if i had no photographic evidence there was not much they could do. (still kick myself that i didnt think of whipping out my phone to take a pic!)

Rang the litter warden and informed him when he rang back... he was useless though in this case- as the bags sat in that field for a week before they were removed!

Never heard anything back since!

PauloMN

Access wrote: »

Dubh Geannain, im sorry to say it but that is an awful title to a thread!

I was expecting some pics of a stunner... Great way to get people to read a thread though!

Dubh Geannain

It's an attention grabber alright

That's blood boiling story Access. I haven't heard anything back at this stage and going by your tale I'm expecting I won't.

How are you supposed to take a picture travelling at 70-80km/h in a car unless your taking video as you drive.

I would have taken those bags myself and dumped them back in the owners restaurant in front of his customers. At least that's what my imagination likes to think I would do.

vibe666

feel free to report them, but i very much doubt anything will come of it.

i was following a car home to navan one day and it was all over the road and by the time i got into navan and along side him at the lights, i could see that he was totally off his face on drugs and unable to drive.

my wife had already called the garda to say what we'd seen on the way in and we called again to say he was literally driving past the garda station on the way to kells and they kept saying they'd send someone out.

he obviously decided he couldn't go any further and stopped for a break at the side of the road just past woodies, so we'd pulled up ahead of him to wait for the garda and called again to say he'd stopped and they could just drive up and get him without even having to chase the guy, but after a good while waiting they never turned up even though it was 2 minutes down the road. i'd said to the garda that i could take the keys out, but they said that under no circumstances sould i go near him and to 'leave it to them', so we just waited.

eventually the guy drove off, again weaving all over the place and we were living all the way back in johnstown, so we just went home and my wife called kells garda station to warn them he was coming, but we didn't hold out much hope there either.

just out of curiosity, i drove back past the garda station to have a look, thinking that maybe they were just really busy and didn't have many people working, but as we drove past, the car park out the front was completely full with several squad cars sitting there doing nothing.

i know its not the same as littering, but i just like to get that off my chest every now and again.

on a related note, if i see someone littering in public, i make a point of calling them a dirty pig loud enough for them to hear.

MagicSean

vibe666 wrote: »

feel free to report them, but i very much doubt anything will come of it.

i was following a car home to navan one day and it was all over the road and by the time i got into navan and along side him at the lights, i could see that he was totally off his face on drugs and unable to drive.

my wife had already called the garda to say what we'd seen on the way in and we called again to say he was literally driving past the garda station on the way to kells and they kept saying they'd send someone out.

he obviously decided he couldn't go any further and stopped for a break at the side of the road just past woodies, so we'd pulled up ahead of him to wait for the garda and called again to say he'd stopped and they could just drive up and get him without even having to chase the guy, but after a good while waiting they never turned up even though it was 2 minutes down the road. i'd said to the garda that i could take the keys out, but they said that under no circumstances sould i go near him and to 'leave it to them', so we just waited.

eventually the guy drove off, again weaving all over the place and we were living all the way back in johnstown, so we just went home and my wife called kells garda station to warn them he was coming, but we didn't hold out much hope there either.

just out of curiosity, i drove back past the garda station to have a look, thinking that maybe they were just really busy and didn't have many people working, but as we drove past, the car park out the front was completely full with several squad cars sitting there doing nothing.

i know its not the same as littering, but i just like to get that off my chest every now and again.

on a related note, if i see someone littering in public, i make a point of calling them a dirty pig loud enough for them to hear.

Squad cars need Gardaí inside them to be useful.

In any case, the op will be dealing with the litter warden and not the Gardaí so your story isn't particularly relevent.

vibe666

MagicSean wrote: »

Squad cars need Gardaí inside them to be useful.

the aforementioned car park full of cars would most likely have had Gardaí coming to work in them unless they're all using the Gardaí only car park to nip to the shopping centre. :rolleyes:

Access

MagicSean wrote: »

Squad cars need Gardaí inside them to be useful.

In any case, the op will be dealing with the litter warden and not the Gardaí so your story isn't particularly relevent.

Cheeky much?

Hammer Archer

I remember driving home in Ratoath when I was a young 'un with my dad.
We were stopped at road work traffic lights in the village when the woman in the passenger seat in the car in front just lobbed a banana skin out the window onto the street. My Dad got out of the car, picked up the banana skin and flung it back into their car through the window and shouted at them: "By all means litter your own home town, but don't come into mine and do it" in front of quite a large crowd
She couldn't get away from the lights fast enough.

Dubh Geannain

Right so the Litter Warden rang me back. He's the only one for the whole Meath area. Basically they need me to sign a statement that I'd be willing to go to court before they proceed.

I told him no problem. I'll be meeting him later this week to sign on the dotted line.

They'll then get in contact with the car owner and issue the fine. If they pay up that's the end of it. If they contest it, then it's off to court in Navan I go. Bit of a pin in the arse having to skip off work to do that. I don't think my boss would be too impressed with my reason for going to court so I might just say I witnessed a non-fatal accident tor something.

The warden told me the reason for the signed statement is that in the past people have said they would go to court but then never turned up, so now they need to get a commitment in writing before proceeding.

If they feel they should waste the courts time by contesting the fine then I think I would feel obliged to give them what they want and I will have no problem meeting the culprit.

PauloMN

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

Right so the Litter Warden rang me back. He's the only one for the whole Meath area. Basically they need me to sign a statement that I'd be willing to go to court before they proceed.

I told him no problem. I'll be meeting him later this week to sign on the dotted line.

They'll then get in contact with the car owner and issue the fine. If they pay up that's the end of it. If they contest it, then it's off to court in Navan I go. Bit of a pin in the arse having to skip off work to do that. I don't think my boss would be too impressed with my reason for going to court so I might just say I witnessed a non-fatal accident tor something.

The warden told me the reason for the signed statement is that in the past people have said they would go to court but then never turned up, so now they need to get a commitment in writing before proceeding.

If they feel they should waste the courts time by contesting the fine then I think I would feel obliged to give them what they want and I will have no problem meeting the culprit.

Fair play DG. One warden for Meath, wow, that's mad. He must be busy!

Did the warden give you any indication of how many usually pay the fine and how many would chance a day in court? I'd imagine that 95% of people would just pay the fine if they know there's a witness willing to go to court should they choose not to.

vibe666

note to self to whip out the phone and get a picture/video of the act (or at least directly after it) if at all possible in case of the need for future court appearances.

Dubh Geannain

PauloMN wrote: »

Fair play DG. One warden for Meath, wow, that's mad. He must be busy!

Did the warden give you any indication of how many usually pay the fine and how many would chance a day in court? I'd imagine that 95% of people would just pay the fine if they know there's a witness willing to go to court should they choose not to.

Nope but I'll ask him when I met him.

chewed

DG, if the person pays the fine, will you still be able to remain anonymous?

I'd be just worried that my identity would be leaked out!

Access

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

Bit of a pin in the arse having to skip off work to do that. I don't think my boss would be too impressed with my reason for going to court so I might just say I witnessed a non-fatal accident tor something.

Someone correct me if im wrong, but if it goes to court im sure you can apply to the litter warden for your costs for the day - ie petrol/wages missed due to attending court.

You see people as witnesses in the papers always getting costs.

MagicSean

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

Right so the Litter Warden rang me back. He's the only one for the whole Meath area. Basically they need me to sign a statement that I'd be willing to go to court before they proceed.

I told him no problem. I'll be meeting him later this week to sign on the dotted line.

They'll then get in contact with the car owner and issue the fine. If they pay up that's the end of it. If they contest it, then it's off to court in Navan I go. Bit of a pin in the arse having to skip off work to do that. I don't think my boss would be too impressed with my reason for going to court so I might just say I witnessed a non-fatal accident tor something.

The warden told me the reason for the signed statement is that in the past people have said they would go to court but then never turned up, so now they need to get a commitment in writing before proceeding.

If they feel they should waste the courts time by contesting the fine then I think I would feel obliged to give them what they want and I will have no problem meeting the culprit.

Good going. You should ask the warden if it's possible to issue you with a witness summons if it goes to court. You can just show that to the boss. It means you don't have a choice but to go.

Dubh Geannain

chewed wrote: »

DG, if the person pays the fine, will you still be able to remain anonymous?

I'd be just worried that my identity would be leaked out!

Another question for me to ask. I don't know at this stage whether they will get my name and address or just my name or nothing.

If they know my address then I expect I'll know theirs too

Corsica Nazione

Incidents such as these require a dash cam!

vibe666

Corsica Nazione wrote: »

Incidents such as these require a dash cam!

or a head cam if you are on foot.