Abuse from a Garda member

#1 · 24-01-2014 2:46pm #1

Hi,

I was driving by a crash today and the traffic was really slow. I slowed to let a car out of a lane in front of me so everyone can get by. While doing this I glanced at the crash but I definitely did not hold up the traffic.

A guard then came over to me and said through my window "keep your eyes on the road you ****ing spa"

I parked my car and went back to get his garda number but he had left the accident.

My question is should Guards be allowed to think because they are the law they can get away with stuff like this? Or is there a law about looking at a crashed car if I definitely was not holding up traffic?

cheers

No Pants · 24-01-2014 5:00pm

Get away with what exactly? Being rude?

As the guard said, if you were looking at the car, then you weren't looking at the road.

seamus · 24-01-2014 5:11pm

crossy wrote: »

Or is there a law about looking at a crashed car if I definitely was not holding up traffic?

Failure to drive with due care or attention. If you're looking at an accident, you are by definition not paying attention to your driving.

Gambas · 24-01-2014 5:12pm

His language was inappropriate. Sounds like you deserved a bollocking for rubbernecking, all the same

crossy · 24-01-2014 5:14pm

seamus wrote: »

Failure to drive with due care or attention. If you're looking at an accident, you are by definition not paying attention to your driving.

I wasnt looking at it. I had to drive around it. How could I not see it. And the traffic was stopped. He said it as I was moving off

dpofloinn · 24-01-2014 5:14pm

Would you get over yourself.Gardai at the scene of an accident have enough to be dealing with, least of all being pleasent to rubberneckers.If you had got his number what would your complaint have been? He gave you a legal order to keep your eyes on the road ,fair enough he shouldnt have added the 'you spa' at the end but do you know what its like to have to attend the scene of an accident and the stress that comes with that

Birdie Num Num · 24-01-2014 5:21pm

El_Triboy wrote: »

If everything is to be believed, the guards are having a tough time with cuts etc and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the law but those kind of comments are not expected.

A lot of us are having a tough time of it but if someone in that position said those words they can only expect disrespect from the public. Not a very professional way of doing one's job.

rubberdiddies · 24-01-2014 5:22pm

regardless of whether the OP was in the right or wrong and we cannot judge but only go by what we have been told, the Guard should not ever say what he said to anyone. If he wants to do that in his own personal time then by all means do, but to say that to a member of the public is just shocking and yes it is abuse no matter what way you try to dress it up.

I would say make a complaint at least to have it on record, and maybe, just maybe the guard in question will be given a talking to and at the very least it might make him think twice about it.

Nothing will actually happen to the guard, and I believe nothing should apart from his superior just gently reminding him how to talk to people.

One of my very good friends is a guard and of course he says there are a lot of very ignorant guards out there, as there are in every profession, but thankfully they are in the minority.

Guards do a fantastic and difficult job but there really is no need for that level of abuse when a simple "please move on" would suffice.

Arbiter of Good Taste · 24-01-2014 5:27pm

Normally I would say get over it, but if the facts are as you presented them, then there is no need for that type of language. Even if the Garda misread the situation, all he had to say was move on. How can the Gardai expect respect if this is how they are allowing their members to act.

coylemj · 24-01-2014 5:28pm

crossy wrote: »

While doing this I glanced at the crash but I definitely did not hold up the traffic.

That's what they all say, the fact of the matter is that whether you're prepared to admit it or not, you slowed down to get a look. The cumulative effect of this is that traffic gets backed up for miles behind every stoppage on the motorways, no matter how trivial the event.

Look at it from the Garda's perspective, he's trying to keep the traffic moving and after watching 1,001 cars slowing down to get a look, I can perfectly understand why he'd blow his stop at yet another rubbernecker.

Not the kind of language you'd expect from a pubic servant but you're sitting there bored stiff in your car, he's standing there in the wet and cold trying to keep things moving so cut him some slack.

To answer your question: The Garda on the face of it would be guilty of the disciplinary offence of 'failing to show due courtesy to a member of the public' though in your case, if the word 'due' was applied literally, some people might say that you were due zero courtesy and he was right to give you a bollicking!

No Pants · 24-01-2014 5:30pm

You don't know who the guard is and you have no Garda number, but you should make a complaint anyway. In cases like this, you write a letter of complaint to the Garda Commissioner to express your outrage and explain how offended you were by the guard's behaviour. He'll then arrange for every guard in the country to stop what they're doing and line up. You can then walk down the line, inspecting each guard until you find the one responsible. Here's an example from 1961 after a member of the public complaining about being called "an ignorant, four-eyed bollix":

More recent examples can also be found. This one ended amicably when the offended party accepted that the phrase "Dundalk prick", although inappropriate, was more fact than insult. They agreed to shake hands and leave it at that.

Santa Cruz · 24-01-2014 5:45pm

"Father Maguire, you will address me by my proper title, you little bollix"

mordeith · 24-01-2014 6:05pm

Santa Cruz wrote: »

"Father Maguire, you will address me by my proper title, you little bollix"

Sorry Len

crossy · 24-01-2014 6:10pm

Cant believe there is so many people on this saying I was at fault.

Number one.
I am not stating that I am angry with him for moving me on.
I am clearly stating that using that language towards a member of the public is not on.

Number two.
How can you call it rubber necking when there was 3 lanes of traffic being merged into one and I had to stop to wait and let a guy from an inside lane out in front of me.

Rubber necking or not he shouldnt talk to anyone like that.

Forgot to mention the fact that maybe because I was driving a hi-performance modified car that he singled me out among the 100's of others that passed.

No Pants · 24-01-2014 6:12pm

crossy wrote: »

hi-performance modified car

What is it?

mikom · 24-01-2014 6:15pm

crossy wrote: »

Forgot to mention the fact that maybe because I was driving a hi-performance modified car that he singled me out among the 100's of others that passed.

It was probably the smell of rich mahogany and many leather bound books that annoyed him.

mathepac · 24-01-2014 6:18pm

There can never be any reason or excuse for a Garda member to abuse a member of the public. Pity you couldn't get a badge number OP. He sounds like very definition of an ignorant pig.

intospace · 24-01-2014 6:28pm

if there's one thing i hate, it's chronic rubbernecking!

Kristopherus · 24-01-2014 6:47pm

crossy wrote: »

Forgot to mention the fact that maybe because I was driving a hi-performance modified car that he singled me out among the 100's of others that passed.

That may well be, and if he found that your insurance was not for same spec of car, you then would be in right sh**e.;)

brilou23 · 24-01-2014 6:54pm

mathepac wrote: »

There can never be any reason or excuse for a Garda member to abuse a member of the public. Pity you couldn't get a badge number OP. He sounds like very definition of an ignorant pig.

dont let garda fan boys see what you wrote they get all upset

RebelSoul · 24-01-2014 6:57pm

No Pants wrote: »

What is it?

Toyota Glanza

aujopimur · 24-01-2014 7:01pm

RebelSoul wrote: »

Toyota Glanza

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

mathepac · 24-01-2014 7:03pm

brilou23 wrote: »

dont let garda fan boys see what you wrote they get all upset

If certain members are not sufficiently disciplined or so badly trained that they can't carry out their duties without swearing at passing motorists, then they need to find work more suited to their ill-mannered, provocative temperaments.

crossy · 24-01-2014 7:07pm

No Pants wrote: »

What is it?

A 3 litre m spec bmw.

mathepac · 24-01-2014 7:13pm

crossy wrote: »

A 3 litre m spec bmw.

Not even an M3 or M5? No wonder he wanted you to move

Santa Cruz · 24-01-2014 7:23pm

crossy wrote: »

Cant believe there is so many people on this saying I was at fault.

Number one.
I am not stating that I am angry with him for moving me on.
I am clearly stating that using that language towards a member of the public is not on.

Number two.
How can you call it rubber necking when there was 3 lanes of traffic being merged into one and I had to stop to wait and let a guy from an inside lane out in front of me.

Rubber necking or not he shouldnt talk to anyone like that.

Forgot to mention the fact that maybe because I was driving a hi-performance modified car that he singled me out among the 100's of others that passed.

"hi-performance modified car" definitely a spa

crossy · 24-01-2014 7:54pm

Santa Cruz wrote: »

"hi-performance modified car" definitely a spa

Ok when you know the spec of my car you can start calling me that. U probably know nothing about hi performance or modified cars

Vision of Disorder · 24-01-2014 8:01pm

crossy wrote: »

Cant believe there is so many people on this saying I was at fault.

I know right? What's the world coming to where people dare to have an opinion different to your own?

Galwayguy35 · 24-01-2014 8:10pm

No Pants wrote: »

You don't know who the guard is and you have no Garda number, but you should make a complaint anyway. In cases like this, you write a letter of complaint to the Garda Commissioner to express your outrage and explain how offended you were by the guard's behaviour. He'll then arrange for every guard in the country to stop what they're doing and line up. You can then walk down the line, inspecting each guard until you find the one responsible. Here's an example from 1961 after a member of the public complaining about being called "an ignorant, four-eyed bollix":

More recent examples can also be found. This one ended amicably when the offended party accepted that the phrase "Dundalk prick", although inappropriate, was more fact than insult. They agreed to shake hands and leave it at that.

Have to say this is the funniest post I've read since joining Boards.

Nonoperational · 24-01-2014 8:20pm

FFS man, forget about it.

No Pants · 24-01-2014 8:21pm

mathepac wrote: »

Not even an M3 or M5? No wonder he wanted you to move

Probably a diesel to boot.

Abuse from a Garda member

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