An Garda Siochana - an example to us all

Padraig Mor

Yes folks, it's another 'anti-Garda' thread!

With all the current focus on road safety etc., one would imagine that the boys in blue would be leading by example when it comes to rules of the road etc. If the Garda I was behind this morning is a typical example, it's no wonder our drivers are so pathetic.

Coming along Horgan's Quay in Cork, a Garda car pulls from a 'straight on' lane into a 'left' lane - across a solid white line! He then proceeds over the bridge and stops at the lights - in the clearly marked cyclists' area! When the light goes green, two cars from the 'perpendicular' road are still going through having broken the red light - he ignores them! He then proceeds into the junction and stops on a yellow box. Moving on further he turns into a bend from the (clearly marked) wrong lane, cutting another car up in the process. The last I see of this brave warrior is him blatantly running a red light at the next junction. All of this happened in the space of about two minutes. Unfortunately I didn't think of taking his plate. I guess it must have been shift change time! Note that he had no lights going etc and certainly did not seem to be responding to an emergency etc.

Some of you might remember me posting a thread here a few months ago after I reported some extremely dangerous driving to the Gardai. Guess what? I never heard from them again! So it looks like the Gardai can't be bothered doing anything about reports of dangerous driving and can't be bothered driving safely themselves. Keep up the good work lads!

declanoneill

Not so much dangerous driving, but I saw a Gard driving one of their 4x4s yapping away on a mobile. I found it funny more then anything else.

KTRIC

Why are you all surprised by this ?? When will people learn that they don't give a sh!t about upholding the law.

Every so often, especially on bank holiday weekends they show themselves just to make it look like they are doing some work.

Since the founding of our nation in the early 1900's the Gardai have been a joke and they always will be.

2 Espressi

I for one am sick of this garda bashing, it's boring. Get over it already!

Thomas_S_Hunterson

2 Espressi wrote:

I for one am sick of this garda bashing, it's boring. Get over it already!

Certainly officer

maidhc

We should get in the Coast Guard to watch them!

declanoneill

That it! Where's my sack of doorknobs?

unnameduser

ah jaysus! If i had a penny for everytime i saw a cop do something he / she shouldnt id........................ have alot of pennies.

its life. welcome to planet earth! you should have followed behind him and beat the morning traffic. nothing like a decent escort

overdriver

It's a long tim,e since they drove escorts.

Fey!

Oh my gawd, a garda being irresponsible! That means all 12,000 of them must by morons!!!

I had a mechanic work on my car who didn't do the job right; does that mean that every mechanic in the country is an incompetent chancer? Or that every builder follows after the one who did my driveway so badly?

Build a bridge and get over it.

rondeco

KTRIC wrote:

Since the founding of our nation in the early 1900's the Gardai have been a joke and they always will be.

Jeez, you're old. Did they batter innocents back then or is that a new thing they learn in templemore. I'd say they were so corrupt. Taking potatoes in brown envelopes and all that.

I saw a guard yesterday and he wasn't arresting someone. Lazy ba$tard.

fatboypee

I find the "Get over it" commentary a little confusing. I understand the sentiment of "Get over it" allright but the point for me, here is well made that if we (the average punters) digress and we get caught, we get punished.

When the force that is charged with upholding the law and prosecuting our digressions blatantly flouts those exact same laws, I think we have every right to feel affronted and short changed. Be it one rogue Garda or the whole 12000.

If we have no recourse when we see these digressions ourselves (whether carried out by another person, or a Garda) it makes people wonder what the point of observing the laws is.

This then, is the reality. Lacksadaisically or ill enforced laws blatantly disregarded by our so called peers.

So, no, sorry, I for one can't just "Get Over" stuff like this. Its because alot of people do say "Ahhh well... what can ye do??" that we're in this mess in the first place.

Guess we get what we deserve in terms of a Policing service eh..

FBP.

FX Meister

KTRIC wrote:

Why are you all surprised by this ?? When will people learn that they don't give a sh!t about upholding the law.

Do you ever think before you open your mouth? You make some of the most ignorant statements I've read here on boards. I can't even bring myself to laugh at you.

event

KTRIC wrote:

Since the founding of our nation in the early 1900's the Gardai have been a joke and they always will be.

helluva statement there chief?

what are all the people's jobs here, that love to bash the gardai

Fey!

The whole get over it comment comes from the consistency of the threads on here. Once I've seen a thread saying fair play to the Gardai for something they did. All of the others brand every one of them as lazy, good for nothing gombeens. In their defence, where I live and work (city centre Galway), I see them doing their patrols and taking an interet in what's going on. Most of the times that I've had to deal with them I've found them courteous and fairly conscientous.

I agree that there are those who don't pull their weight and who should be shown the door (but can't because their union is so strong), but I refer you back to my previous post about builders and mechanics.

If you don't like it, run in the next election, get elected, and do something about it. Or get on to your duly elected local politician and get some answers from them as to why things are the way they are. Or get the Gardas number and report them, but follow it through.

Of courese, maybe you're not willing to do something other than b1tch and moan. After all, that's so much easier.

Padraig Mor

Fey! wrote:

Oh my gawd, a garda being irresponsible! That means all 12,000 of them must by morons!!!........................
The whole get over it comment comes from the consistency of the threads on here. Once I've seen a thread saying fair play to the Gardai for something they did. .

The reason I posted this was because I was amazed at how many rules this Garda broke in the space of two minutes (5 and ignored breaking of rules by others). I was not amazed at a Garda pulling stupid manoeuvres as it is something I see regularly. What I take from this is that maybe not all 12000 Gardai are bad drivers - but many of them are. The reason it annoys me is that I PAY these guys' salaries to, among other things, POLICE THE ROADS. If they can't be bothered to obey the rules of the road themselves I think it indicates just how disinterested they are in road safety. Surely you agree that they should have to obey the rules themselves? You seem to be arguing that they should be above criticism because they are Gardai - I don't agree. Either they play by the rules, or they don't - simple. If they don't, how can they expect the rest of us to take them seriously? My original point is that they should be role models for the rest of us to follow - driving safely would be a start.

Fey! wrote:

Of courese, maybe you're not willing to do something other than b1tch and moan. After all, that's so much easier.

As I mentioned in the original post, I recently reported dangerous driving to the local Garda station (taking time off work to do so), yet they couldn't be bothered getting off their lazy holes to do something about it.

breanoh

Ok, by and large I don't have a problem with the Gardaí (not guards btw) They are courteous and hard working for the most part. The problem is that they are under resourced. This I do have a problem with. I always hear about Bank holiday crackdowns, but I never see them. Where I live i am 5 miles outside ennis town, and Am on a road where there are constantly crashes, with one fatal in the last 10 years. I have never seen a Garda doing a speed check, or a tax/insurance/drunk check on the road where people regularly shatter the 80kmh limit. Outside my house there is a 60kmh limit, boy racers in their ****ty pimp'd cars regularly drag race up the road at speeds in exess of 70 mph, and where are the Gardaí? In town patrolling the streets trying to keep order, and doing speed checks in the 50kmh limit, where they put points on your liscence for doing 51kmh. This is rediculous, they go out on the newmarket bypass (a motorway with a 100kmh limit, stupid!) and do you for 101! no one is killed within town limits, rarely even crashes, no one killed on motorway, people killed on back roads, the only place with no Gardaí! This madness has to stop!

mikedragon32

Breanoh, if you're going to correct someone else's language in your posts, the least you could do is take some care with your own!

OP, you have a point, but I don't know what can be done to change their behaviour. On my travels I've seen a Garda not only driving whilst using his mobile phone, but also with a cigarette between the fingers of the hand he was using to drive the 4x4!

Perhaps if one was to carry a video camera and film such events and then send on the findings to various media outlets, the Gardaí may be forced to pay attention.

breanoh

i wasn't correcting anyones language, just pointing out that our policing force is called An Gharda Síochána, Singular= Garda. plural= Gardaí. That is all I was doing, not having a poke at anyone, I didn't get on to anyone for leaving out na sínte fada, just making a point. People in this country are not using the correct name for An Gharda Síochána. Sorry if I have offended. And apologies if my english spelling is not up to scratch, I don't use it very often.

elexes

dono if any of you know tullamore but outside the libary last week i spotted a garda car parked for 2 hrs in a disabled space without paying for the parking in the aera .

tullamore dosnt have many disabled spots infact in the aera he was in the only one .

the guarda station in tullamore is less then half a mile from the libary

rondeco

Padraig Mor wrote:

The reason it annoys me is that I PAY these guys' salaries to, among other things, POLICE THE ROADS. .

What the? Mr McDowell? Is that you? Oh I get it. You mean you pay taxes. So therefore you pay their wages. Gotcha. But then dont they pay taxes too? So are they on the same level as you? Or are they paying themselves to work? Or should I say batter old women in their homes.

Lissavane

breanoh wrote:

i wasn't correcting anyones language, just pointing out that our policing force is called An Gharda Síochána, Singular= Garda. plural= Gardaí. That is all I was doing, not having a poke at anyone, I didn't get on to anyone for leaving out na sínte fada, just making a point. People in this country are not using the correct name for An Gharda Síochána. Sorry if I have offended. And apologies if my english spelling is not up to scratch, I don't use it very often.

Unfortunately, your Irish spelling isn't up to scratch either. It's "An Garda Síochána"

maidhc

Lissavane wrote:

Unfortunately, your Irish spelling isn't up to scratch either. It's "An Garda Síochána"

Exactly.

It would be, say, "Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána".

God I hate Irish grammar, lets not talk about it anymore.

mikedragon32

Lissavane, you'd be right at home with the Spell Czechs! PM Tar, he'll fix hook you up!

esskay

I all fairness, its probably hard enough to do anything about a dangerous driving report made by somebody apart from a Garda. I got reported for dangerous driving last year, imo I did nothing wrong but some lady reported me to the guards. The guards pulled me over about two days after the "incident" and asked me to produce my license and insurance in the local station. i asked if I had done anything wrong to get pulled over and was told I hadn't? Went along to the station and was told I had been reported for dangerous driving. I explained my side of the story, they said they'd talk to the lady and see what she wanted to do. I left them my number and they said they would ring if it was going to be taken further. I never heard from them again. But thinking about it, it would just be her word against mine, she would need to have other witnesses to take it any further. the only way you'll get done for it really, is if a guard see something he deems to be dangerous driving. Reporting a Garda for dangerous driving would be harder again :-)

overdriver

I think they use that " You were reported.." thing as an excuse to stop you. Four of them pulled up outside my house however, at about 4 a.m. one morning as I was putting my gear away frokm the car. Asked me had I driven through Terenure that night. I had to think about it and said I did. he said " Somebody reported you for dangerous driving".

My girlfriend was with me and couldn't believe what was going on. we'd driven within the limits and in absolute safety.

I asked what was I supposed to have done, and he said he couldn't tell me, and couldn't tell me who'd reported me either.

Awkward moment of silence follows...

A guy had fallen into the road with a bollard in his hands buckled drunk at Eddie Rockets, and I had to swerve round him. There was no other traffic oin the road whatsoever. Amazing that the "good citizen " hadn't seen him, though, eh?

Waste of half an hour outside my house on a winter's night with four rozzers all questioning me while my neighbours watched out their windows.

ShinyDiscoBall

declanoneill wrote:

Not so much dangerous driving, but I saw a Gard driving one of their 4x4s yapping away on a mobile. I found it funny more then anything else.

Gardai, the fire service and ambulance drivers are exempt from this law while on duty!!!!

mikedragon32

ShinyDiscoBall wrote:

Gardai, the fire service and ambulance drivers are exempt from this law while on duty!!!!

Do you have a link to that particular piece of legislation?

herbieflowers

Heh, I remember how stringent the Galway council were on Garda cars driving in Eyre Square, particularly on the grass yet I've seen a few Garda cars driving all over the green in th past few weeks, hehe!

ShinyDiscoBall

nope

esskay

overdriver wrote:

I think they use that " You were reported.." thing as an excuse to stop you.

Not too sure about that, when I went in to the station the guy at the desk did a bit of checking on the computer and then went looking for a particular garda which is unusual. I've had to "produce" before and never had to talk to anyone, just show the docs

ShinyDiscoBall

mikedragon32 wrote:

Do you have a link to that particular piece of legislation?

yup i do now, http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2006/2806/b28d06d.pdf page 3 section 25 subsection 3.

25 (b) an act adopted by an institution of those Communities.
3.—(1) A person shall not while driving a mechanically propelled
vehicle in a public place hold a mobile phone.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a member of the Garda
Siochana, an ambulance service or a fire brigade of a fire authority(within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981) who is acting in
the course of his or her duties and holding a mobile phone in relation
to the performance of his or her duties.

Stark

Anyone with a bit of sense would just give them hands free sets instead of enacting that legislation. I guess the legislation saves the pennies.

ninty9er

ShinyDiscoBall wrote:

yup i do now, http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2006/2806/b28d06d.pdf page 3 section 25 subsection 3.

25 (b) an act adopted by an institution of those Communities.
3.—(1) A person shall not while driving a mechanically propelled
vehicle in a public place hold a mobile phone.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a member of the Garda
Siochana, an ambulance service or a fire brigade of a fire authority(within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981) who is acting in
the course of his or her duties and holding a mobile phone in relation
to the performance of his or her duties.

But since the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform doesn't issue every Garda with a mobile phone, I would see it as an impossibility for a Garda to need to use a phone on duty.

ShinyDiscoBall

ninty9er wrote:

But since the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform doesn't issue every Garda with a mobile phone, I would see it as an impossibility for a Garda to need to use a phone on duty.

the gardai now are issued mobile phones when dey leave d station so they can put incidents onto the pulse system, they ring it in.
before u ask the phones can only ring 2 numbers and dont txt.

ninty9er

ShinyDiscoBall wrote:

the gardai now are issued mobile phones when dey leave d station so they can put incidents onto the pulse system, they ring it in.
before u ask the phones can only ring 2 numbers and dont txt.

My dad uses a similar device, but it's not exactly a phone and it's necessary to upload the data until the end of his day and can be done by a passenger or programmed to send unhandled.

There is obviously the need for detectives to have phones, but handsfree kits would be the way forward there

ShinyDiscoBall

ninty9er wrote:

My dad uses a similar device, but it's not exactly a phone and it's necessary to upload the data until the end of his day and can be done by a passenger or programmed to send unhandled.

There is obviously the need for detectives to have phones, but handsfree kits would be the way forward there

You obviously dont understand.ITS A MOBILE PHONE nokia bla bla bla they ring a number and a person answers and they tell the person wat to put on the system!!

Fey!

Padraig Mor wrote:

The reason I posted this was because I was amazed at how many rules this Garda broke in the space of two minutes (5 and ignored breaking of rules by others). I was not amazed at a Garda pulling stupid manoeuvres as it is something I see regularly. What I take from this is that maybe not all 12000 Gardai are bad drivers - but many of them are. The reason it annoys me is that I PAY these guys' salaries to, among other things, POLICE THE ROADS. If they can't be bothered to obey the rules of the road themselves I think it indicates just how disinterested they are in road safety. Surely you agree that they should have to obey the rules themselves? You seem to be arguing that they should be above criticism because they are Gardai - I don't agree. Either they play by the rules, or they don't - simple. If they don't, how can they expect the rest of us to take them seriously? My original point is that they should be role models for the rest of us to follow - driving safely would be a start.


As I mentioned in the original post, I recently reported dangerous driving to the local Garda station (taking time off work to do so), yet they couldn't be bothered getting off their lazy holes to do something about it.

I don't believe they're above the rest of us or beyond reproach. Yes, you encountered an idiot. My point is that not all of them are like that, wheras the general concensus here is that the acts of the few (I'm hoping the minority) bring them all into disrepute, including those who joined in order to make a difference to society. Several Gardai I know well take their jobs very seriously, and behave within the law themselves (these include Gardai who don't flash the badge to get into nightclubs free - a pet hate of mine). These are also the ones who get frustrated because our legal system doesn't always give them the support they need to do their job efficiently; I'm not refering to underfunding/understaffing, I'm refering to the amount of time they build a case only to see some scrote get a slap on the wrist.

As for your reporting one of them, if you had read my post and quoted it right, you would have seen that I mentioned "follow through"; in all business' (and I would regard policing as a business or profession), if you don't get a response to something you keep after it. That said, how do you know that your complaint wasn't dealt with and the Garda invoved reprimanded (although I do feel that it is unlikely that that would have happened!).

And seeing as no Garda pays tax, according to your post, I'm sorry I didn't become a member myself!

Someone mentioned seeing a squad car in a disabled space; I think the local authority should have clamped it, and then let them prove that they were responding to a call and couldn't stop elsewhere. However, this could have a knock-on effect if something happened that they had to get to quickly. As for parking on double yellows, I don't care as long as it's not unduly unsafe (ie, blocking visibility on a corner).

Then theres the "fining people for doing 51kmph in a 50kmph zone" brigade; how many people here have gotten done for 55/60 or under in a 50, or 85/90 in an 80? Actually, save your response to that for a thread I'll start in a minute.

Sonnenblumen

FYI it is not illegal for any car to park in a car space marked for Disabled. It is in correctly assumed by many that such spaces are exclusively reserved, they are not, but what it is the case is that they depend on the general goodwill of the driving public that the spaces be respected so. It is illegal to penalise an Abled body driver for parking in such spaces.

Less whingeing and more fact finding would be better for all.

Sonnenblumen

It is a pain where it hurts to see so many whinge on aboput the Garda this, the Garda that. There is little clarity, few facts but mostly whingeing prejudice to slag off the Garda. Like all jobs/professions there are good ones and some not so good, there are even some corrupt ones. Fundamentally they're performing a function mostly very well and in many circumstances where most people wouldn't have the balls, intelligence or where withall to handle.

Most Garda are above average intelligence, all have LC's and increasingly degrees, a lot more than what can be said for Joe Public.

I hope the whingers never have a situation when they'll require the assistance of the Garda.

Garda stand head and shoulders above any of their international counterparts!

Fey!

For once I have to agree with Sonnenblumen (OMG!!!)

nialler

Sonnen

If by the stats in this country 25% of our population are driving on provisional licences does the same rule apply for the young very young girls I see ripping around in garda vehicles apply, do 3,000 of our garda drive on provisional licences safe in the thought that when they show their badge they can flout the rules. Like any workplace rule when are you going to shop a colleague?

Don't get me wrong I respect the job, I have the utmost respect for them and the job they have to do dealing with the **** we see everyday but please reassure me that every garda/ban garda driving a car is fully licenced and they are adhering to the same rules that apply to us as your normal "joe".

Intelligence and moreso "sense" is a gift, you can be intelligent you can also be the biggest fool in the world.


N

overdriver

I have been stopped in the UK on a few occassions and the difference in UK police manners is staggering, frankly. No rhetorical questions, no sneering at your answers, and they call you "sir".

The Gardai could learn a thing or two.

Fey!

Nialler - they can only drive official cars if they have a full license and the permission of their superintendant, IIRC. Also, if they have an accident any claims (including damage to the official car) may be made against their private motor insurance.

Overdriver - have to agree with you there. Last time I was stopped was New Years Eve, and never have I met such a condescending arse! I was stopped at a red light when they hit the blue lights behind me, I (very safely) pulled forward and left to let them pass, and the passenger got out and read me the rite act for running a red light, at the same time ignoring the 3 taxis that ripped past us through the red! Unfortunately I have NO tolerance for power trippers, and he ended up with his tail between his legs, with his partner cringing behind the steering wheel. Not a normal course of action I'd take (I do actually have respect for the Gardai and the job they attempt to do), but this guy was unbelievable.

nialler

that's all I needed to know fey when some 20 year old with attitude comes up and starts giving me grief.

Fey!

I was working a pub door the other night and pulled a young looking Garda for ID (admittedly to see what his reaction would be!). Wanted to see if he'd pull the badge so I could say "there's no date of birth on there"!!!

He didn't!

rondeco

Fey! wrote:

I was working a pub door the other night and pulled a young looking Garda for ID (admittedly to see what his reaction would be!). Wanted to see if he'd pull the badge so I could say "there's no date of birth on there"!!!

He didn't!

You are the one coming across as a power tripper here.

elexes

Sonnenblumen wrote:

I hope the whingers never have a situation when they'll require the assistance of the Garda.

Garda stand head and shoulders above any of their international counterparts!

ive been in a few situations where i required assistance of the garda this is how ive become to have such a lack of respect to them

ninty9er

ShinyDiscoBall wrote:

You obviously dont understand.ITS A MOBILE PHONE nokia bla bla bla they ring a number and a person answers and they tell the person wat to put on the system!!

If an international company can use a device while stationary and get it to send the details later on, I don't see why a state funded financial wasteland can't do the same.

Sonnenblumen wrote:

I hope the whingers never have a situation when they'll require the assistance of the Garda.

Garda stand head and shoulders above any of their international counterparts!

A brick was thrown through my neighbour's door last week at 1 am and it took the Gardaí 35-40 mins to respond to a frightened teenager in the house with a few friends. It's a 15 minute walk from Limerick city centre so explain what's so internationally "head and shoulders" above about that. Just as well there was another neighbour about to stay in the house with him afterwards.

If it was NY a squad would have been on scene in less than 5 minutes. And I would argue that they're populatively proportionately staffed

rondeco

ninty9er wrote:

A brick was thrown through my neighbour's door last week at 1 am and it took the Gardaí 35-40 mins to respond to a frightened teenager in the house with a few friends. It's a 15 minute walk from Limerick city centre so explain what's so internationally "head and shoulders" above about that. Just as well there was another neighbour about to stay in the house with him afterwards.

If it was NY a squad would have been on scene in less than 5 minutes. And I would argue that they're populatively proportionately staffed

So what do you think they were doing that took them so long? Beating up old grannies? Collecting the pizzas for the lads in the station? Or perhaps they were somewhere where the urgency was more extreme? Its not a first come first served service.

And as for proportianially staffed. The guards in portlaoise have to use taxis to go their calls according to the papers recently. It doesn't matter how many guards there are if there is no tools for them to ply their trade.

elexes

rondeco wrote:

So what do you think they were doing that took them so long? Beating up old grannies? Collecting the pizzas for the lads in the station? Or perhaps they were somewhere where the urgency was more extreme? Its not a first come first served service.

thats nonsence 4 star deliver for free