Garda Observation Platforms

rcunning03

http://www.fiannafail.ie/breaking_news.php4?id=2677

Enforcement of Road Traffic LegislationAs part of extensive co-operation on road traffic management and with a view to facilitating Garda enforcement of road traffic legislation, including checks on speed, the Authority will finance the construction of Garda observation platforms on major national routes.

I'm having Orwellian visions here, can someone explain to me what these will actually be like, Surely they won't be like the observation towers in the north.

Morpheus

They may be the platforms that exist all along the new motorway stretch from balbriggan to swords, they are simply raised gravel strips with plenty of visibility along the road in both directions, they have signs posted saying Garda Vehicles Only on them.

Discovering

I live in Cork and pass one to work every day.

However I have only seen the Garda use it once!

It even saw them 250m from it checking for speed at an entrance to a field.

Now I do not want to sound cynical or anything but it was obvious they were trying to hide and that the Garda Observation Platforms made them too easy to see.

sprogman

Now I do not want to sound cynical or anything but it was obvious they were trying to hide and that the Garda Observation Platforms made them too easy to see.

Is that not the point ? Like the speed camera's (Not that thats works)

Discovering

my point is why build more when they dont use the ones they have!

knifey_spoonie

There is 4 on the new kildare bypass but you can see them from about 300m back

rymus

surely putting them on elevated platforms would detract from the obvious sexual pleasure they derive from hiding in the ditch with their radar guns though?

Just a thought...

JohnBoy

Discovering: Don't suppose you mean the one near the corbett court?



In general I think these are totally effective using laser guns, but not radar due to the higher range/accuracy of laser

leeroybrown

Originally posted by rymus
surely putting them on elevated platforms would detract from the obvious sexual pleasure they derive from hiding in the ditch with their radar guns though?

Perhaps some prefer exhibitionism to voyeurism!

rymus

Originally posted by leeroybrown
Perhaps some prefer exhibitionism to voyeurism!

Ah true... I never thought of it like that.

unkel

Originally posted by leeroybrown
Perhaps some prefer exhibitionism to voyeurism!

Borzoi

Driving up and down to Belfast regularly on the new M1 I've yet to see GArds use the 'observation platforms', but I have seen plenty of speed traps with the cops hiding under the bridges being the most common location.

I suppose they act as a similarly to fake cameras, the question you gotta ask is do you feel lucky?









Well, do ya punk?:rolleyes:

pclancy

they're on the new kidlare bypass as well and they do be up on them a good bit. I would have to say i'd absolutly kill to see them reverse up a bit too far one day and fall off the tall end. That would be classic.

unkel

Originally posted by Borzoi
the question you gotta ask is do you feel lucky?









Well, do ya punk?:rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

maybe they are not on the platforms because they are busy catching people like this-

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from ireland.com/motors
Not only can they conceal themselves, but they don't even have to stop you. On the M1 motorway we have noted the use of the two-car tag team approach to speed checks, whereby an unmarked car records your speed while a second marked car up the road apprehends transgressors.

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rcunning03

There is nothing more irritating than crawling along at 30 mph on a road that should have a 40 limit and seeing a garda passing you at around 50mph (without their sirens on). It really rubs it in that we can do nothing but the gards can do what they want.

Nuttzz

I lived in fairview in dublin, more than once I have seen a cop car with the lights flashing & siren going to bust its way through traffic.............just to stop at the chinese takeaway.

rcunning03

Can anyone pinpoint when we turned into a police/nanny state ?

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by rcunning03
Can anyone pinpoint when we turned into a police/nanny state ?

When McDowell was appointed minister. :mad:

Jip

Originally posted by rcunning03
Can anyone pinpoint when we turned into a police/nanny state ?

What are you waffling about ? The job of the guards is to enforce the law, to speed is to break the law. What's your problem with the guards doing their job ? You'd still be moaning if they hid behind bushes rather than being in plane view :rolleyes:

rcunning03

What's your problem with the guards doing their job

My problem with the gards is they don't obey the speed laws and they rub in our faces by passing us at 50mph+ when we have to crawl at 30mph. If they are going to a job they should have their sirens on but they don't, they'll over take you on the left and basically do whatever they want.

Also my problem with the gards they are more likely to harass normal members of the public for stupid little things like smoking in a pub, or god forbid, not washing their hands before handling food. It's normal decent people that get harassed by the gards and not the scum that go around intimidating people on a night out, cause the gards know that if they hassle people like that they could get a good kicking.

The gards can do what they want and we have no recourse against them, that is my problem with the Landed Anglo-Irish protection force.

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by rcunning03
My problem with the gards is they don't obey the speed laws and they rub in our faces by passing us at 50mph+ when we have to crawl at 30mph. If they are going to a job they should have their sirens on but they don't, they'll over take you on the left and basically do whatever they want.

Also my problem with the gards they are more likely to harass normal members of the public for stupid little things like smoking in a pub, or god forbid, not washing their hands before handling food. It's normal decent people that get harassed by the gards and not the scum that go around intimidating people on a night out, cause the gards know that if they hassle people like that they could get a good kicking.

The gards can do what they want and we have no recourse against them, that is my problem with the Landed Anglo-Irish protection force.

Hear Hear!

What's happening is we are slowly heading back to what happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930's ie a slow and complete elimination of our civil rights and the imposition of a police state.

rcunning03

Cheers !

Jip

For starters, get one thing straight to begin with, it's the Guards, not the Gards.

Secondly, when was the last time someone was arrested for not adhering to proper standard when handling food ? I don't know either, that's a funny one ! Plus it's also usually the Food Safety Authority of Ireland who prosecute and investigate dirty premises. And when has anyone ever been harrassed for smoking in a pub by the guards ?

Thirdly, how does the guards not using their siren when passing you at 50mhp suddenly turned the country into a police state ?

Get serious would the two of you, when you're stopped on the street, asked for you papers and where you've been to and going to, then you may insinuate the country becoming a policy state.

Turner

Originally posted by rcunning03
There is nothing more irritating than crawling along at 30 mph on a road that should have a 40 limit and seeing a garda passing you at around 50mph (without their sirens on).

Although they are exempt from road rules they could be heading to a call locally and do not want whoever they are travelling to to hear their sirens..

rcunning03

For starters, get one thing straight to begin with, it's the Guards, not the Gards.

If you do a search on the net, you will see "gards" as being a valid word. Guards is an english word.

when has anyone ever been harrassed for smoking in a pub by the guards ?

We'll see after the 29th.

Thirdly, how does the guards not using their siren when passing you at 50mhp suddenly turned the country into a police state ?

It doesn't, but it still very annoying.

Get serious would the two of you, when you're stopped on the street, asked for you papers and where you've been to and going to, then you may insinuate the country becoming a policy state.

That's a fair point and your right, but I just hate the government preaching all the time telling us how we are all filthy polluting scum that drive recklessly and let our children have unrestricted access to porn sites, they even think they have to tell us to wash our hands.

I would love to know how much money was spent on all the government campaigns, when there are rat-infested schools and health centers not opening cause they won't spend an extra €8 million to equip it.

Andrew Duffy

A year of speeding fines wouldn't quite cover that eight million euro health centre. Maybe we should get them increased?

Our man in Havana

We have a troll!

Victor

Originally posted by rcunning03
If you do a search on the net, you will see "gards" as being a valid word. Guards is an english word.

The Garda = one Garda or the overall organisation
A Garda = one Garda
Gardaí = more than one Garda
Guards = more than one guard

It's an Irish word so it should take an Irish plural.

Originally posted by rcunning03
they even think they have to tell us to wash our hands.

Oh, woe betide anyone who should take an interest in Public Health, damned interfering Big Brother. They should get rid of them thar sewers and refuse collections as well.

rcunning03

A year of speeding fines wouldn't quite cover that eight million euro health centre. Maybe we should get them increased?

Besides the ivory back scratchers, what else do the speeding fines pay for ?

Guards = more than one guard

Would it not be gards ? That seems to be what they write in the newspapers.

They should get rid of them thar sewers and refuse collections as well.

That's a bit extreme.

Blitzkrieger

Originally posted by rcunning03

they even think they have to tell us to wash our hands.

You mean you don't?

rcunning03

You mean you don't?

Of course I do, everybody does, what's next ? A campaign telling us to exhale after we inhale, why waste money on the painfully obvious ?

dam0cles

because we have repeatedly proved that we need to be told, more than once, what the painfully obivious is, and why it's bad to do it.

sceptre

Originally posted by rcunning03
Would it not be gards ? That seems to be what they write in the newspapers.

I'd be greatly pleased if you could find me a few idiot journalists who use the word "gards"

spudulike

Some things will never change - we will always pay taxes, we are all going to die.... and you are always going to get opinions like those i've read above. It's typical of people in this country (mabey all countries) to moan and give out about the Guards. But personally I'm sick of it.... In my opinion Guards do a bloody tough job that most people wouldn't last a week at.... I witnessed a horrific rta a few weeks back - padestrian got run over by a truck.... and i tell you the guard that had to deal with that deserves praise and credit not abuse. They are unsung hero's in my book.... and sure they give out speeding tickets but hey - try slowing down and saving lives - Ireland if full to the brim of crazy lunatic, speeding drivers.... in my opinion we should have a dedicated traffic division that solely monitors the roads and gives tickets to people who speed....
One other thing - a Guard will only sound the siren to get some idiot who doesn't look in his rear view mirrors out of the way. They do not sound them willy nilly, only when necessary to clear the way...

rcunning03

I'd be greatly pleased if you could find me a few idiot journalists who use the word "gards"

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2002/01/13/story312377.asp

State auditor to probe Gards'a €4.2m video deal contract
Sunday, January 13, 2002

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I know it's just a link http://www.freeflow.ie/gards.htm

When I did a search on gards most of the times it appeared was in a forum page of newspapers (possibly people making same mistake as myself), so I concede your right, but a good few people made the same mistake as me.

Ireland if full to the brim of crazy lunatic, speeding drivers

The average speed in dublin is about 5 mph, the majority of people would only drive fast when it is safe e.g. empty dual carraigeway etc

spudulike

The average speed in dublin is about 5 mph, the majority of people would only drive fast when it is safe e.g. empty dual carraigeway etc

This doesn't explain an avergae death rate of well over 1 person per day being killed on Irish roads.... is this careful drivers????? not in my book.

Seth Brundle

you are forgetting that most fatalities happen at night over the weekends and often involve alcohol.
However, when was the last time you saw a drink-dirve checkpoint?
I haven't seen one since Christmas.

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by kbannon
you are forgetting that most fatalities happen at night over the weekends and often involve alcohol.
However, when was the last time you saw a drink-dirve checkpoint?
I haven't seen one since Christmas.

In 8 years of driving i have never come across a drink-drive checkpoint. In the last 5 years I have only been stopped 2 times.

spudulike

Statistics show that speed in the cause of the majority of fatal road accidents - regardless of the time of the accident.

In my opinion a we need a traffic department of the Guards to crack down on both speeding and drink driving.... and just plain bad drivers of which we have plenty...

rcunning03

This doesn't explain an avergae death rate of well over 1 person per day being killed on Irish roads.... is this careful drivers????? not in my book.

That's because we have single lane carraigeways between our main cities, when the motorways get built the death rate will drop significantly, also when people have to do more than just pass a theory test to get onto the roads that will also reduce accidents. The government are doing a good job getting the motorways built (slower and smaller than I'd like) and they are planning to increase the training given to people before than can drive. In ten years these are the factors that will reduce death rates more than cracking down on speeding.

In realtion to speeding what I would like to see is 30kmh speed limits outside schools and in residential estates and the speed limit outside schools being enforced by speed cameras (not bumps) and not having cameras on the Stillorgan dual carraigeway with a 40 mph speed limit (you constantly have to take your eyes off the road to watch the speedo). When your on a motorway and it's clear you should be allowed to decide what speed you feel is safe, despite what politicians say we are not going to drive in a way that could endanger our lives.

Jip

Originally posted by rcunning03
....not having cameras on the Stillorgan dual carraigeway with a 40 mph speed limit (you constantly have to take your eyes off the road to watch the speedo)......

I'm always amused by the people who say you constantly have to take your eyes of the road to check your speed and insinuate that in doing so is dangerous. If people think that then they are bad drivers. Glancing down at the speedo shouldn't even take a second, if you sneeze your eyes are off the road for longer.

What do you do all the other times, do you never check your speed when driving unless there's speed cameras around ?

rcunning03

What do you do all the other times, do you never check your speed when driving unless there's speed cameras around ?

I go with the flow of traffic

Victor

Originally posted by rcunning03
In realtion to speeding what I would like to see is 30kmh speed limits outside schools and in residential estates and the speed limit outside schools being

Actually it is something that should be studied, there is no harm in having a mix.

Originally posted by rcunning03
enforced by speed cameras (not bumps) and not having cameras on the Stillorgan dual carraigeway

You have to remeber that this is a residential road with houses fronting dirsectly onto many parts of it

Originally posted by rcunning03
When your on a motorway and it's clear you should be allowed to decide what speed you feel is safe

The rules need to be made for the stupidest 10% of the population. I am not saying whether you are in that 10% or not.

Originally posted by kbannon
you are forgetting that most fatalities happen at night over the weekends and often involve alcohol.

More acciednts happen by day than night, more during the week, than weekend, when it is dry rather than wet, with sober people than drunk. All you need is for one thing to go wrong for an accident to happen.

rcunning03

You have to remeber that this is a residential road with houses fronting dirsectly onto many parts of it

Personally I would prefer speed cameras on my road as opposed to speed bumps, for a start it does less damage to you car, but other people would probably not want cameras on their road. If I had to choose between speed bumps or speed cameras I would choose cameras.

The rules need to be made for the stupidest 10% of the population.

So they tell us.