Stopped by the Garda this morning

paulj13

Hi all

Got stopped by the Garda this morning on the way to work. Was coming down the road leading from summerhill which leadings to Amiens St in Dublin. This road is always full of slow moving traffic and I decided to turn up Sean MacDermott st to cut down a back lane there and get on to Amiens St a lot quicker. However, I was about 20 yards from the turn but there was no traffic on the other side at all. I decided to proceed with caution down that side of the road and guess who was waiting around the corner…. You guessed it two Garda waiting for all the traffic that does the same that time in the morning. I was wrong and they were right and that is that. So one word of warning and one question coming.

Firstly, be careful in and around the Dublin area they seem to be really clamping down lately on ANY violation they can think of. During my grilling they stopped about 8 cars on that corner alone.

Secondly, the reason for writing what can I expect to happen in this matter? They took my details and asked that I present my insurance at the local Garda station. When I asked the Garda what I could expect to happen in regards this matter he said that is “was reckless driving” and that I would be summoinsed and the judge would decide. Seemed slightly over the top and I’m wonder what is the usual procedure in this matter. Also what is the usual penalty, if costs usually how much.

Cheers in advance.

Genghis

The first thing I would be doing would be getting to the police station as quickly as possible, and presenting the insurance details, etc. I would then gently probe further to find out what was going to happen next, never being defensive, but at the same time letting them know this was a moment of weakness, stupidity, etc.

I would say that they were there to teach people like you lessons, and if they did stop 8 others just while you were there, the cynic / realist in me says that that is simply too much paperwork / administration / burden on the justice system.

Remember that what you did was reckless, illegal, potentially dangerous, and they are entitled to pursue you. On the other hand no one was hurt, and their prerogative may well have been simply to stop people doing this in future (thereby preventing future accidents).

Be very grateful that the penalty points system is not fully in place yet. They could've just given you 2 points, with the minimum of fuss and no summons, etc.

Seth Brundle

Were there hatched white lines on the road?
Could make a difference in your defence!

Tommy Vercetti

If they were waiting around the corner, I don't see how they can do you for reckless driving if they couldn't have seen how far you drove along the "wrong" side of the road. Tell them to fuck off and do some real work.

Bluehair

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
Tell them to fuck off and do some real work.

Ah yes a fine defence that always pays dividends with the gardai :rolleyes:

Genghis

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
If they were waiting around the corner, I don't see how they can do you for reckless driving if they couldn't have seen how far you drove along the "wrong" side of the road. Tell them to fuck off and do some real work.

Why, are you allowed travel a certain distance on the wrong side of the road when turning right? In fairness I don't think it is a question of distance as of the act itself.

Tommy Vercetti

well 20 yards isn't far and common sense should prevail

RicardoSmith

Basically what Genghis said...

silver surfer

I had a simlar incident about 2 years ago, albeit it on a different street (Clanbrassil street) and the Guard stopped me and told me that it was a 'Criminal Offence' - i.e. if I got a summons I would end up with a criminal record.

However I produced my insurance and licence at the Garda station the same evening and that was the last I heard of it.

I had a colleague who had the same experience and he just got a slap on the wrist.

IMO - thay are trying to scare the bejaysus out of people not to do it again - i.e. if they catch you again they probably will summons you.

Therefore my advice is to get up to The Garda station tonight when you are free and be as nice as possible to The desk sergeant, as he will most likely have something to do with deciding what happens !!

sceptre

Originally posted by silver surfer
Therefore my advice is to get up to The Garda station tonight when you are free and be as nice as possible to The desk sergeant, as he will most likely have something to do with deciding what happens !!

I'd run with that. You can't really deny it so be apologetic and see where it gets you. They'll almost certainly do you for it if you get caught again.

ford fiesta

paulj13 sorry excuse my ignorance, but what exactly did you do wrong, you havent explained it very well to those of us who are not familiar with the area in question.

unkel

Just be polite, acknowledge that you've done wrong and do it tonight as others have said and very good chance you're let away with it

silver surfer

no right turn/wrong way up a 1 way street I'd guess - that's what I got stopped for

alastair

I'm familiar with the sort of driving that paulj13 indulges in, and would advise any garda presented with his licence to apply the full force of the law in this case.

The man is a menace, and a danger to all the fine people in the summerhill community.

Down with this kind of thing.

silver surfer

you may have a point there, but I think the time used up by Judeges, courts, DPP's office etc. could be better off served pursuing Junkies/muggers/real joyriders/street fighters/child molsters et al. !

Something to think about.

K2

you might not think that way if you knew somebody knocked down as a result of dangerous driving!

paulj13

Alistair is indeed correct but then again I would take any comments from a man trying to getting ride of a dodgy cooker with a pinch of salt
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145631


Those who said "produce your insurance" are indeed correct I think that is the best thing to do, all I need do now is find it :eek:

Superpsycho

I got stopped lastnight for speeding through the park, moaned at for 10min but not points or warning...they just saw me flying down the raod from a distance, so when I stopped to answer my ph the pulled in......ahh what can ye do eh

Calibos

Originally posted by ford fiesta
paulj13 sorry excuse my ignorance, but what exactly did you do wrong, you havent explained it very well to those of us who are not familiar with the area in question.

The way I'm reading it is that he decided to take a short cut down a backstreet, the turn for which was about 20yards down the road on the other side. Instead of waiting till the flow of traffic brought him up level with the turn, he pulled out of his lane and drove up past the line of traffic on the wrong side of the road cause there was no oncoming traffic. He turned right down the backstreet only to see the Gardai lying in wait. Probably there to prevent people using the backstreet as a rat-run. They stopped him from using the rat-run but also did him for making his way up to the ratrun turn on the wrong side of the road. Did I get it right Paul??

unkel

Originally posted by Calibos
Did I get it right Paul??

I think you did

alleepally

I got stopped by a Guard one morning at Nutley lane near RTE in Dublin . There's no left turn on the road from 7 to 10.30 in the morning (or similar hours like that). It was around 7.45 when I turned left on the road and got pulled. The Guard was as ignorant as hell. I let him know what I thought of the situation (waste of time etc etc). Usual stuff, produce the documents to station within 10 days. He said I'd be called to court.

I produced documentation at the station and had a nice chat with the female Guard in the station and we got talking about the star wars film which was on that Saturday night!

Anywho, I've heard nothing since and it's about 8 months since it happened but one thing I do know is that I don't turn down that road anymore and go a little bit out of the way to turn in a cul de sac, double back and take a right turn into the same road which is legal to do.

So I think these things are done as a scare tactic and I really don't believe a case would be taken as there is enough for the courts to deal with than certain road violations.

Don't be bold on that road again dude!

AntiRip

i got pulled a couple of yrs ago in Tralee. I was coming up to a yield sign, i yielded (not stopped) & made my way to the across the road. I noticed a squad car on the road but it was a good distance from me. They pulled me over and this bit/ch of a bangarda said to me "do you know what a yield sign means" and I said yes it means "yield" to oncoming traffic and that ye were a good bit away from me. Basically I couldn't say anything to her as she kept answering me "are you been cheeky to a garda"...I just wanted to tell her to go fuch herself!!! She gave me three summons including driving with a provisional with no full driver!!


Got the three summons in post. Had the last laugh though, I got them squashed!

unkel

Originally posted by alleepally
[BI let him know what I thought of the situation (waste of time etc etc). Usual stuff, produce the documents to station within 10 days. He said I'd be called to court.
[/B]

I know where you're coming from, but that's not the optimal tactic to use when stopped by a Garda. One step worse is to ask him why he is not out to catch a real criminal

Originally posted by alleepally
but one thing I do know is that I don't turn down that road anymore

That is all the Gardai were aiming for m8 - a change, if slight, in your behaviour

alleepally

"I know where you're coming from, but that's not the optimal tactic to use when stopped by a Garda. One step worse is to ask him why he is not out to catch a real criminal"


Oh I know, but human nature and all that!

unkel

Aye, not my natural behaviour either, but your instincts should take over and generate this zero fine, zero penalty points result ;~)

paulj13

The Garda was there again this morning. Needless to say I didn't make the same mistake again but while I was queuing they must have caught about 20 people doing the same thing!

Be careful out there.

RicardoSmith

They do it for a few weeks then stop. They'll come back to it in 6 months time.