Garda Checks

_Kaiser_

hooch-85 wrote: »

So i made this journey on Saturday, I live on the Tipp/Limerick border and my son lives just outside Kilkee with his mother. I know West Clare is popular for people heading to holiday homes etc so I was expecting to be stopped, I got stopped 6 times on my journey down and back at the same three checkpoints. All Gardai I met were totally fine when I explained my case, just gets tiring coming out with the same spiel over and over. I am dropping him back this evening so hoping there might not be as many out.

That's good to hear. I'm in the same situation myself but with a greater distance involved. Like you I've no legal agreement in place (never needed it as his mother and I still - mostly - get on), but good to see common sense is being applied.

Did you bring any "evidence" with you for the trip down or did you just explain the situation?

hooch-85

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

That's good to hear. I'm in the same situation myself but with a greater distance involved. Like you I've no legal agreement in place (never needed it as his mother and I still - mostly - get on), but good to see common sense is being applied.

Did you bring any "evidence" with you for the trip down or did you just explain the situation?

Yes same situation, we don't have a legal custody agreement or formal maintenance agreement, we have an amicable relationship and I support my son financially, we had him when we were both young in college, tried at the time but it didn't work out and have both moved on - I've got married since and she is in a long term relationship also. He is 14 now.

I just had the spiel off "morning/afternoon guard - i am going to pick my son, I have a shared custody agreement with his mother and he comes up to me every second weekend", all of them waved me on without any other questions. It was a bit easier to explain coming back as he was in the car with me.

RINO87

Had to make the journey from Cork city to Offaly and back this weekend - via Limerick.
Left Cork around midday Saturday - Only hit one checkpoint on the whole journey, at Newtwopothouse outside Mallow. A young Gard who seemed happy out in the sunshine eating a Magnum! I had a valid reason for travel so no issues at all.

On the return journey yesterday evening I came across no checkpoints. N20 both directions was very quiet both times, as was M7 from Limerick to Nenagh - In fact on the return Journey I only passed one vehicle, a truck, on the M7.

The N52 from Nenagh up towards the midlands was quite busy in both directions on both journeys tho.

Discodog

tom_k wrote: »

I've been stopped at night and day several times the last week at what seems to be a permanent pair of checkpoints at Cloonboo village and again at Carrowbrowne/Ballindooley (on the Galway side of the halting site) on the N84. Very quick question about reason for my journey every time, haven't been asked for any proof.

The coldest job on earth is standing on a road, I pitied them this morning, 5° and a biting east wind.

There were no checkpoints on that road for weeks. Google maps shows them there every day since the weekend. Usual to have two checkpoints in a short stretch of road either side of the halting site.

hooch-85

How can you check for checkpoints on google maps?

Discodog

hooch-85 wrote: »

How can you check for checkpoints on google maps?

You can't but if it shows traffic as stationary on a normally clear road it's likely to be one.

shaveAbullock

hooch-85 wrote: »

How can you check for checkpoints on google maps?

Well if you enter a route and it shows part of it in red it means there is low traffic flow. If you start seeing that in the same place then there's a good chance it's a checkpoint.

Discodog

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Well if you enter a route and it shows part of it in red it means there is low traffic flow. If you start seeing that in the same place then there's a good chance it's a checkpoint.

Just select traffic & look on the map. You don't need to plan a route. Stationary traffic will show in black.

alta stare

hooch-85 wrote: »

So i made this journey on Saturday, I live on the Tipp/Limerick border and my son lives just outside Kilkee with his mother. I know West Clare is popular for people heading to holiday homes etc so I was expecting to be stopped, I got stopped 6 times on my journey down and back at the same three checkpoints. All Gardai I met were totally fine when I explained my case, just gets tiring coming out with the same spiel over and over. I am dropping him back this evening so hoping there might not be as many out.

100% I have had to explain myself loads of times about travelling to see my child. Some of the Gaurds have been ignorant about it some have been lovely. They think they can stop someone travelling to their kids which as i have told some of them is bull****. But yeah i agree it gets very tiresome.

alta stare

Dontfadeaway wrote: »

Has anyone been stopped at night or is it mainly just day checks?

I got stopped at 2145 in Wexford two weeks ago.

Penfailed

I passed two checkpoints this morning. The Guards stopped me on one side of the border and the PSNI waved me on later on at the other side. The one in the south was in the middle of nowhere whereas the one in the north was on the main A5.

The Nal

hooch-85 wrote: »

How can you check for checkpoints on google maps?

You can't but you can on the Waze app. Its basically Google maps but with the speed limit for each road, your current speed, and checkpoints.

Assuming someone sends a checkpoint report that is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waze

Discodog

The Nal wrote: »

You can't but you can on the Waze app. Its basically Google maps but with the speed limit for each road, your current speed, and checkpoints.

Assuming someone sends a checkpoint report that is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waze

I have never seen one on that app. Interestingly people aren't posting Covid checkpoints on Facebook

Discodog

Gardaí could become so-called Covid-19 “super spreaders” if they don’t wear face masks, a leading disease control expert has said.

Professor Gerry Killeen says gardai and other workers who deal with the public should be forced to wear face masks in certain situations.

“I wince every time I see a well-meaning Garda without a mask at a checkpoint speaking in sequence to a queue of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of motorists in a day,” he said.

“Even with a minimum distancing of two metres, the cumulative risk of exposure for the poor Garda is higher than any of us would like.

“If that well-intentioned essential worker does become infected, he or she may become what is known as a “super-spreader” because of this high rate of even distant contact with others.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/expert-calls-for-wider-adoption-of-face-masks-and-warns-gardai-could-become-super-spreaders-998878.html

The Nal

Discodog wrote: »

I have never seen one on that app. Interestingly people aren't posting Covid checkpoints on Facebook

Relies on volume of people on the road I suppose so not particularly useful now but usually it is.

the dark phantom

Met a checkpoint in Cork a half hour ago and the Garda was sound. Got the impression that he would rather be doing something else as opposed to asking people where they are going as he didn't act in an authoritative or nosy matter.

horse7

Can you drive during a lockdown if you're going to exercise, eg 5km to the beach?

mynamejeff

horse7 wrote: »

Can you drive during a lockdown if you're going to exercise, eg 5km to the beach?

no

odyssey06

mynamejeff wrote: »

no

What are you basing that on?

As long as your walk doesn't take you further than 5 kms from where you started in the car (i.e. home) what rule would you be breaching?

batman_oh

odyssey06 wrote: »

What are you basing that on?

As long as your walk doesn't take you further than 5 kms from where you started in the car (i.e. home) what rule would you be breaching?

It's not an essential car journey

NH2013

horse7 wrote: »

Can you drive during a lockdown if you're going to exercise, eg 5km to the beach?

Yes.

horse7

I thought you could take a 5km drive regardless?

shaveAbullock

It's one of the things they didn't fully clarify IMO.
Expect more ambiguous guidelines to come on the 18th

mynamejeff

odyssey06 wrote: »

What are you basing that on?

As long as your walk doesn't take you further than 5 kms from where you started in the car (i.e. home) what rule would you be breaching?

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cf9b0d-new-public-health-measures-effective-now-to-prevent-further-spread-o/

here go nuts , google is your friend folks

Discodog

Discodog wrote: »

I have never seen one on that app. Interestingly people aren't posting Covid checkpoints on Facebook

It’s good to see people finally having a bit of cop on and acting like adults.

horse7

"leave their homes up to 5 kilometres for exercise or a drive as long as they avoid all contact with other people" Thanks I think that clears that up.

NH2013

batman_oh wrote: »

The 5km was only for exercise - the message on travel is continue to avoid non essential journies. However it seems like there is a bit of confusion as I think a drive was mentioned and the Garda themselves don't seem to know. So some will turn you back and some won't

If you're driving within 5km to partake in exercise though such as a swim then that is considered essential and comes under the list of approved essential travel. The only restriction on exercise is that you must take your exercise within 5km of your home, no restrictions on how you get there.

Jim_Hodge

horse7 wrote: »

"leave their homes up to 5 kilometres for exercise or a drive as long as they avoid all contact with other people" Thanks I think that clears that up.

Not quite. It was directed at those cocooning. Going for a drive just to get out of the house is not on for others. However you can drive within the 5km to take exercise elsewhere within the 5km.

RugbyLad11

mynamejeff wrote: »

no

Is it not a bit of a grey area? Because anglers are now allowed to go angling if they live within 5km of the river. I doubt they are walking there with all their gear?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DXuVtoo-ng&t=5s

Pawwed Rig

I think the Gardai are using common sense approach. What they are looking for are groups in a car that are not family units or people clearly daytripping. They are not trying to stop someone nip down to the bottle bank.
There is the letter of the law and the reason behind the law. Good to see pragmatism win out.