Gardai with the road manners of a pig.

Big Balls

Driving along yesterday evening in heavy enough traffic I let two cars out of a DART station and while the second car is exiting, a silver Mondeo behind beeps the horn.

Who's in the car behind? 3 coppers!

I looked at the driver in my mirror and just shook my head in disgust.

Fair play lads, setting a great example on the roads.

Our man in Havana

Prehaps you were delaying them getting back to the station to eat their donuts and watch the football?

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

pigs can fly.... but they certainly cant drive

Bluetonic

Big Balls wrote:

Driving along yesterday evening in heavy enough traffic I let two cars out of a DART station and while the second car is exiting, a silver Mondeo behind beeps the horn.

How many cars were behind the silver Mondeo?

_Kaiser_

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

pigs can fly.... but they certainly cant drive

Post of the week!

Henry Ford III

I see a local squad car driving quite frequently - with the front fog lights on :mad:

drdre

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

pigs can fly.... but they certainly cant drive

Big Balls

Bluetonic wrote:

How many cars were behind the silver Mondeo?

None I think.

unkel

Big Balls wrote:

None I think.

In that case, I would not necessarily have let those two cars out. They could have waited until you and the Mondeo passed by. Different if there were loads of cars behind you

Plug

Big Balls wrote:

Driving along yesterday evening in heavy enough traffic I let two cars out of a DART station and while the second car is exiting, a silver Mondeo behind beeps the horn.

Who's in the car behind? 3 coppers!

I looked at the driver in my mirror and just shook my head in disgust.

Fair play lads, setting a great example on the roads.

Hense the name "pigs".

Big Balls

I'm aware of that situation and before I ever let anyone out I see how many cars are behind but like I said, the lights ahead were red, it was simply a gesture which wasn't going to hold anybody up. If the traffic ahead of you is moving along and there's only a handful or less of cars behind, fair enough, you're holding up the traffic.

I just think whether it's a guard texting while driving, running red lights or just expressing general arrogance on the road, it's one rule for them and another for everyone else.

ToxicPaddy

I think I saw that car coming out of Pearse St station yerterday evening, a silver Mondeo with 3 gardai in it.

They were sitting a the lights beside trinity, next thing, sirens blazing, lights flashing, they cut across traffic, then around through another set of lights and onto Westmorland st and turned off the lights and sirens.. Looks like they used it to get through the traffic as they couldnt be arsed sitting in it like everyone else has to.. :rolleyes:

unkel

Big Balls wrote:

like I said, the lights ahead were red, it was simply a gesture which wasn't going to hold anybody up

You didn't say the lights ahead were red

RiderOnTheStorm

i would have done the same, OP. If traffic is not going anywhere, it is only courtesy to let a car or two out of a side road. Its not like they are going to slow down or obstruct your progress (or those in the lane behind you).

Interestingly, it is an offence to sound your horn in a stationary vehicle.

Alun

Well, you didn't actually state whether this was the case, but if I was in that situation and if there was sufficient space for me and the car behind to just continue on up towards the lights so that the junction to the left wasn't obstructed, I'd do that in preference to stopping, letting cars out, starting and then stopping again and forcing the car behind me to do the same. The guys coming out of the side road would have probably got out just as quickly in the end. I'm all for being a considerate and polite road user, but if it doesn't actually give a net advantage to the road users involved then there's not really a lot of point.

Our man in Havana

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

Interestingly, it is an offence to sound your horn in a stationary vehicle.

Not strictly true. You can sound your horn if stationary to warn other roadusers of a impending accident.

Big Nelly

ToxicPaddy wrote:

I think I saw that car coming out of Pearse St station yerterday evening, a silver Mondeo with 3 gardai in it.

They were sitting a the lights beside trinity, next thing, sirens blazing, lights flashing, they cut across traffic, then around through another set of lights and onto Westmorland st and turned off the lights and sirens.. Looks like they used it to get through the traffic as they couldnt be arsed sitting in it like everyone else has to.. :rolleyes:

This has already been discussed on another thread and the most valid point was where do you want a Garda if you need one? stuck in traffic or able to use there lights to get thru it!!!!

RiderOnTheStorm

Bond-007 wrote:

Not strictly true. You can sound your horn if stationary to warn other roadusers of a impending accident.

I sit corrected..... you are quite right. But I think the situation as described does not constitute an impending accident.

Vegeta

Big Nelly wrote:

This has already been discussed on another thread and the most valid point was where do you want a Garda if you need one? stuck in traffic or able to use there lights to get thru it!!!!

well the garda are allowed to use sirens in an emergency but not just to get through traffic for the sake of it

John R

Big Nelly wrote:

This has already been discussed on another thread and the most valid point was where do you want a Garda if you need one? stuck in traffic or able to use there lights to get thru it!!!!

Generally when you need one the last thing you want is a corrupt one.

kluivert

Vegeta wrote:

well the garda are allowed to use sirens in an emergency but not just to get through traffic for the sake of it

Sitting in traffic one day at the brewry in Dundalk beside where the school is and its four o clock (school time) and Gardas sitting behind me in traffic. Three of them. Then next thing sirens and lights on and they go up the middle of the road forcing everyone to pull in.

Anyway anyone who knows the junction at the brewry there you will know the Gardas station is across the road, when I got the the junction I could see them three boys park the car at the station and walk off about there business.

What emerency was that for??

Alot of Gardas on patrol take the piss, using mobile phones while driving, driving with fogs, driving up your arse. P's me off to the height to be honest.

jozi

Seen one this morning turning into a petrol station, no indicator and on the phone :rolleyes:

Good example to the rest of us alright

alfie

ToxicPaddy wrote:

I think I saw that car coming out of Pearse St station yerterday evening, a silver Mondeo with 3 gardai in it.

They were sitting a the lights beside trinity, next thing, sirens blazing, lights flashing, they cut across traffic, then around through another set of lights and onto Westmorland st and turned off the lights and sirens.. Looks like they used it to get through the traffic as they couldnt be arsed sitting in it like everyone else has to.. :rolleyes:

Or maybe they recieved a call to go to a panic alarm and 2 minutes later were informed it was a false alarm ever think of that?

Seth Brundle

The main reason that phones were not banned years ago was so the emergency services could use them. Does anyone know if any services other than the gardai objected to Bobby Molloy's proposals?

alfie

the Gardai have sh*t radios if the radio system was improved there would be no need for them to use their mobile phones.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

alfie wrote:

Or maybe they recieved a call to go to a panic alarm and 2 minutes later were informed it was a false alarm ever think of that?

ya that would be right... so they said we wont check it out.

correct me if I'm wrong, but if a panic alarm is sounded and then deactivated, don't they still have to check it out...

after all if you press a panic alarm in a robbery situation and the thief holds a gun to your head and tell you to deactivate the alarm... shouldn't that alarm still be checked out according to protocol.

but id say your right, the alarm might have been deactivated and the guards in the car said they wouldn't bother following it up, too near lunch time.

good point that raises another issue.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

alfie wrote:

the Gardai have sh*t radios if the radio system was improved there would be no need for them to use their mobile phones.

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

FFS we have spent a couple of million on a computer system to make their work load a lot easier and they want more money to use it, and your saying that they use their phones for work... come off the stage boy will ya,
you must think that we are a right shower of thickos.

and if we improved the radios they would want more money to use them as well i suppose.

andrew_ireland

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

I hope this doesn't start a mad row here but quite a number of them do.

unkel

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

They do use their personal phones for work use...

alfie

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

ya that would be right... so they said we wont check it out.

correct me if I'm wrong, but if a panic alarm is sounded and then deactivated, don't they still have to check it out...

after all if you press a panic alarm in a robbery situation and the thief holds a gun to your head and tell you to deactivate the alarm... shouldn't that alarm still be checked out according to protocol.

but id say your right, the alarm might have been deactivated and the guards in the car said they wouldn't bother following it up, too near lunch time.

good point that raises another issue.

you dont know what your talking about so il explain. A panic alarm is a priority it is therefore common for a number of cars to be dispatched to it, now obviously they wont all arrive at the same time so the first car their will check it out and if its a false alarm they will notify the other cars dispatched to stand down.

alfie

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

FFS we have spent a couple of million on a computer system to make their work load a lot easier and they want more money to use it, and your saying that they use their phones for work... come off the stage boy will ya,
you must think that we are a right shower of thickos.

and if we improved the radios they would want more money to use them as well i suppose.

and as other people have pointed out they do in fact use their personal phones for work use.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

alfie wrote:

and as other people have pointed out they do in fact use their personal phones for work use.

ya and pigs will fly.

alfie

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

ya and pigs will fly.

It's a FACT don't get petty because your wrong.:rolleyes:

cargrouch

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

Just asked a guard - yes, it is common.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

FFS we have spent a couple of million on a computer system to make their work load a lot easier and they want more money to use it

Have you seen most people try to use a computer? Embarassing. I'd be all in favour of the guards, especially older guards, getting properly trained to avoid errors!

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

and if we improved the radios they would want more money to use them as well i suppose.

That's train drivers you're thinking of:D

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

*lalala fingers in ears lalala*

Savman

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

don't even try to say that they use their personal phones for work use...

I have personally seen them doing so, as have other people apparently. You're very very wrong on this...

Stark

Are they able to claim back the costs of the calls on expenses?

alfie

Stark wrote:

Are they able to claim back the costs of the calls on expenses?

As far as i know, no they are not.

unkel

Stark wrote:

Are they able to claim back the costs of the calls on expenses?

Nope. Then again they get paid fixed allowances / expenses for pretty much anything and everything

RiderOnTheStorm

lets not turn this into a 'are cops good or bad' thread, or we will be here forever.

imho if the cops are using thier personal mobiles (which i know for a fact is true!) to make work calls and they are paying for it themselves, doesnt that tell you that that they want to do their job and they want to make a difference? I think it shows that they are not all jobsworths, and are willing to take a personal cost (literally!) to provide the service that the state should be funding.

I would be very reluctant to use my pers mobile to make business calls if I cannot claim it back as expenses!

Big Nelly

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

I would be very reluctant to use my pers mobile to make business calls if I cannot claim it back as expenses!

I needamobile for work so got a company one, have my own personal one for Personal calls so every 3 months just put bills thru. I would never use my personal mobile for business calls.

Also allows me at weekend to turn off work one so I dont have people annoying my head:D

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

lets not turn this into a 'are cops good or bad' thread, or we will be here forever.

imho if the cops are using thier personal mobiles (which i know for a fact is true!) to make work calls and they are paying for it themselves, doesnt that tell you that that they want to do their job and they want to make a difference? I think it shows that they are not all jobsworths, and are willing to take a personal cost (literally!) to provide the service that the state should be funding.

I would be very reluctant to use my pers mobile to make business calls if I cannot claim it back as expenses!

lets not turn this into a cop are good or cops are bad......

and then you rant on how good they are and how they want to make a difference...
bit too obvious and not many people will fall for that one. but nice try

Fey!

\m/ (< >) \m/ - do you EVER have anything positive to say?

I know several Gardai, and whilst most are out to do their job as best they can, some are just punching a clock. Same as in every other business (I know I'll get flanged by people saying "the Gardai aren't a business"; I mean that it's the way segments of all workforces are.

Back to the OP, I've had an unmarked Garda car come down the wrong side of the road against me with no lights or sirens (I knew the car; Galway is a small town!) so that the cop in it could make it to court 30 seconds faster! Not, IMHO, proper use of a state vehicle.

Big Balls

It's gone off topic quite a lot but was there not some deal involving stations and O2? As in most garda stations have O2 masts on them?

I really doubt gardaí are paying for the calls and getting NOTHING for it? No matter how much someone loves their job or wants to do the world nothing but good, they're not going to be so stupid to run up high mobile bills just cause they are such nice people?!

Fey!

BB - I know several Gardai who use their own mobiles and get no compensation/expenses for it.

dingding

Why do we need 3 cops in one car. ?????

Most other countries have one cop. (I saw this both in the US and UK). It would be a better use of resources to have one per car, get more cars and have a better response time. If it is a diffiuclt situation where you need 3 cops just call out multiple cars. For the cost of the pay additional cars would provide a better service and better value for money.

See this the whole time on the SKY cop programmes.

alfie

Well you need 2 in a car but there just isnt squad cars to have 1 in them anyway and good luck trying to find the money for them

dingding

Each additional guard at least 50K per year (more if you factor in the pension costs) One car would do 3 guards i.e. it would work all the shifts.

Car 20K no VRT or VAT

Don't see the problem.

Big Balls

There's quite a lot of guards who do not earn 50k !!!

0lordy

Thought this thread would just go away, but it hasn't, so here's my, and hopefully others', opinion of this.

This thread doesn't belong to the motors forum. It more likely belongs to a forum entitled "Pointless Whingeing" or better still "Posts from People who have a problem with Authority"

The title of the thread is an insult to Gardaí.

This thread points to minor misdemeanours in individual gardaí's behaviour, which I agree shouldn't happen. However, why not balance the discussion by hiighlight individual Gardaí who try to quell mini-riots outside nighgclubs every weekend night, or risk injury or their lives in getting rammed by joyriders, or confront armed robbers in the line of duty.

At the end of the day, my advice to people with this negative perception of Gardaí is this: get yourself down to Templemore if you think you can do a better job. You'll have no problem getting in, because this is a job nobody wants to do; it's far easier to just whinge.

Big Balls

I don't recall saying I could do a better job.

The thread involves MOTORING ie. driving on the road.

And the authority you speak of (quite amusingly I might add) shouldn't be abused, no matter whether's it's just 3 gardaí or the whole force - if they were not guards you can be bloody sure I would've had a word over their complete pig ignorance.

Down off that horse of yours, buddy.

_Kaiser_

0lordy wrote:

Thought this thread would just go away, but it hasn't, so here's my, and hopefully others', opinion of this.

This thread doesn't belong to the motors forum. It more likely belongs to a forum entitled "Pointless Whingeing" or better still "Posts from People who have a problem with Authority"

The title of the thread is an insult to Gardaí.

This thread points to minor misdemeanours in individual gardaí's behaviour, which I agree shouldn't happen. However, why not balance the discussion by hiighlight individual Gardaí who try to quell mini-riots outside nighgclubs every weekend night, or risk injury or their lives in getting rammed by joyriders, or confront armed robbers in the line of duty.

At the end of the day, my advice to people with this negative perception of Gardaí is this: get yourself down to Templemore if you think you can do a better job. You'll have no problem getting in, because this is a job nobody wants to do; it's far easier to just whinge.

Minor misdemeanours?? OK, I'll grant you that this isn't the worst example of some Gardai abusing their authority (because the reality is that's what they're doing), but what about other recently reported incidents here, like:

- Stopping a young guy at night for no other reason than because he's driving a certain type of car - called harassment and discrimination.

- Tailgating people (at speed) in an attempt to coerce them into breaking the limit, thus earning them another easy collar - called entrapment.

- Generally aggressive driving and disregard for the rules of the road simply because they can.

I'll agree that not every cop is like this, but there is a lot of them out there, whether you choose to accept it yourself or not.

I'll repeat my call that all Garda cars (or certainly starting with Traffic Corps vehicles) should be fitted with audio/video cameras and that they should be required to produce the footage for any prosecution.

This serves to not only reduce the time and costs in court (as it's very hard to deny something when it's there on screen), but should also streamline the whole thing, thus making their jobs easier. Plus, it also serves to keep an eye on those Gardai that are abusing their position - but it's this last reason that will prevent this idea (which works very well in other countries) being implemented anytime soon.

Oh if you still doubt that the Gardai themselves need policing (by an independent body) then go back a few pages in this forum to the last thread on this topic, and have a read of the thread I linked to regarding the activities of a certain Dublin station and then come back to me.