Poor Gardai !!!

ciaran76

I feel bad for even telling this story but what the hell its true and it happened last night.

I had to goto Holles Street hospital and I kinda knew the general area it was in and was walking towards Merrion Square as I knew it was just off here.

Anyway I am walking along Stephens Green and at the top of Dawson street I stop a Garda and ask her how do I get to Holles street from here.
Her answer was....I don't know.

I laughed as I thought she was joking when the next min she whips out her mobile phone and rings the station and asks how to get to Holles Street from Dawson street.

I said no its ok I kinda have an idea but I felt bad as she had rang the station.
Anyway after her call she says you know where Merrion Square is ? I said yes and she said head for there and its on the far side.

She was highly embarrassed and her face was glowing red. Also to note she had a Dublin accent so I assume she was from Dublin too.

I hope there is never an emergency on Holles street and she is called to get there on foot !!!

frizzefreckles

Similar happened to me while at and Ireland match. We came out of the stand and were heading back to the bus but had gotten pushed along with the crowd so were a bit disorientated so stopped and asked a garda which way to go back to the bus. The girl looked at us as though we had two heads, turned to her colleague and asked him and he just said he hadn't a clue.
Eventually we spotted a friend and just followed them back. But it's worrying when the gardai don't know where they are especially when we were little and my ma used to tell us that if we ever got lost to ask a garda!

biko

Ask a taxi driver instead.

drdre

Thats funny, she called the police station

Linford

frizzefreckles wrote:

Similar happened to me while at and Ireland match. We came out of the stand and were heading back to the bus but had gotten pushed along with the crowd so were a bit disorientated so stopped and asked a garda which way to go back to the bus. The girl looked at us as though we had two heads, turned to her colleague and asked him and he just said he hadn't a clue.
Eventually we spotted a friend and just followed them back. But it's worrying when the gardai don't know where they are especially when we were little and my ma used to tell us that if we ever got lost to ask a garda!

So you expect a Garda to know the way back to your bus after a football/rugby match? There were probably hundreds of busses in dozens of different directions!!!!

Slightly different than a Garda standing a few hundred metres away from Holles Street and not knowing where it is...

TerrorFirmer

I live in Galway and if someone asked me for directions from x to y I wouldn't have a clue, apart from the obvious main streets and square.

Nevyn

It is the lesser known of the 3 maternity hospitals in the city.

Kinetic^

Was she a young woman? Could be that she's one of the new recruits or she's either on phase 2 or 4 and is a bit wet behind the ears.

county

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

they`re bloody worse

_feedback_

HavoK wrote:

I live in Galway and if someone asked me for directions from x to y I wouldn't have a clue, apart from the obvious main streets and square.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not a guard. There's a big difference.
Imagine a guard who's meant to be on foot patrol in the general eyre square area and getting a call to go to eglington street on foot ....... and not knowing how to get there!!!!!

Not really a joke in fairness.... even with directions over the phone for them, it's valuable time lost. They should be 100% familiar with the area they are working in.

BuffyBot

OMG someone somewhere didn't know a direction. Call the police or something...

Linford

Thaedydal wrote:

It is the lesser known of the 3 maternity hospitals in the city.

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Mahatma coat

I've lived here in Brisbane for a few years and at this stage I pride myself on knowin my way round, would know most of the CBD and how to get to diferent suburbs and which routes work best.

feckin essential to know if yer tryin to schedule truck deliveries. cant believe a Dublin beat Garda didnt know where Holles st was in relation to Dawson St

frizzefreckles

We asked the way back to the pub the bus was parked at Linford not for the actual bus

humanji

buffybot wrote:

OMG someone somewhere didn't know a direction. Call the police or something...

Don't bother, they'd never find you

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

I've lived here all my life and I've never even heard of the place before now.

Pherekydes

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Yep, the correct name is the National Maternity Hospital.

lennox1

Am not surprised by this as unfortunately,with the retirement of so many experienced Gardai,younger Gardai are not being accompanied to show them the ropes,areas etc. as once happened.How often do you see a white haired Garda now on the beat in Dublin!Mostly young ones who through no fault of their own are being used to make it appear as though all is well.I spoke to a young Garda one day to ask directions and he had just started in Dublin the day before and hadn't a clue but was very apologetic.I felt sorry for him as he was on his own and looked terrified.

Nevyn

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

Stats please ?

Both the Rotunda and the Combe are distinct building were as Holles street blends into the surrounding street.

People may know of it but not where it is or what exactly it looks like.
For a lot of people they are never in a materinity hospital unless they need to be for themelves or a family member is in and they can make the visiting hours.

Both the rotunda and the combe to more OB/GYN services then Holles street.

Zambia

Its not just Dublin , I saw two Police Constables in a squad car lights flashing with the girl in the front seat with a Belfast street map out. It turns out they where going to the Albert Clock.

It should be a basic requirement for any police officer to know where they are going valuable time would be wasted other wise.

John Mason

i used to work in lansdowne road, and i was late getting one saturday afternoon during the summer, the road was closed off at the berekely court, i stopped and told the guard i was working in lansdowne and that i had staff parking in merrion college, he wouldnt let me in and told me to follow the dirversion. now i am not from dublin and wont know that area very well, so i asked how would i get to merrion college from there, now this bloke is diverting traffic all over the shop, told he didnt know to just follow the cars in front of me - if you are diverting traffic, i think you should have some vague idea of where you are sending the cars to!!!!!

gramlab

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

Wanted directions for Dublin - not Warsaw

Linford

Thaedydal wrote:

Stats please ?

Both the Rotunda and the Combe are distinct building were as Holles street blends into the surrounding street.

People may know of it but not where it is or what exactly it looks like.
For a lot of people they are never in a materinity hospital unless they need to be for themelves or a family member is in and they can make the visiting hours.

Both the rotunda and the combe to more OB/GYN services then Holles street.

The Rotunda and Coombe are distinct buildings but they are not on main thoroughfares like the National Maternity Hospital (Holles Street) which is on the corner of Merrion Sq.

I know where the Coombe is and even though my daughter was born in Holles street, I have always known where it is. I have no idea where the Rotunda is other than I think it is close to O'Connell Street. Maybe its because I live on the south side of Dublin and most of my family and friends who have had babies have them in Holles Street or the Coombe.

With regard to stats I recall hearing it before, but perhaps I am wrong.

Fratton Fred

biko wrote:

Ask a taxi driver instead.

He'd direct you via the east link

keizer

elviscostello wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not a guard. There's a big difference.
Imagine a guard who's meant to be on foot patrol in the general eyre square area and getting a call to go to eglington street on foot ....... and not knowing how to get there!!!!!

Not really a joke in fairness.... even with directions over the phone for them, it's valuable time lost. They should be 100% familiar with the area they are working in.

I don't blame the individual guard in fairness. That guard could have only arrived in Dublin a day or two before. ANd I agree with others - should have been accompanied by a more senior guard.

I often wonder if people would have more respect for Gardaí in Dublin if there were more of the senior guys on the streets?

tampopo

Linford wrote:

The Rotunda and Coombe are distinct buildings but they are not on main thoroughfares like the National Maternity Hospital (Holles Street) which is on the corner of Merrion Sq.

I know where the Coombe is and even though my daughter was born in Holles street, I have always known where it is. I have no idea where the Rotunda is

The Coombe is not on a main thorougfare!!! There's a four lane road outside!!! And the Rotunda is by O'Connell St., used to be 6 lanes, now 4 lanes.

If you don't know where the Rotunda is, don't say it's not on a main thoroughfare. You say you've been to the Coombe. Blindfolded, methinks!

lennox1

I read somewhere recently that senior members are leaving as soon as they can retire and those who stay are looking for backroom jobs as the morale has been at rock bottom for some time now.I'm sure younger guards would love to have senior people with them too.After all,none of us knows it all when we start in a job and learn as we go along.
I would love to see senior guards alongside young ones but dont blame them for getting out of an often thankless job while they can.

loz

tampopo wrote:

The Coombe is not on a main thorougfare!!! There's a four lane road outside!!!

two of them lanes are bus lanes - making that one car lane in either direction

_feedback_

tampopo wrote:

If you don't know where the Rotunda is, don't say it's not on a main thoroughfare. You say you've been to the Coombe. Blindfolded, methinks!

It's not about the average joe knowing where a couple of hospitals are... If a guard (originally from an area or not) is posted in an area, they should be completely familiar with it.

keizer

elviscostello wrote:

It's not about the average joe knowing where a couple of hospitals are... If a guard (originally from an area or not) is posted in an area, they should be completely familiar with it.

Even if only there a day or two??

delly

2005 figures FYI:
Rotunda = 6,804 babies
Holles St. = 7,608 babies
Coombe = 7,925 babies

All taken from each hospitals annual report.

_feedback_

keizer wrote:

Even if only there a day or two??

Should be part of their training before they're put in there.

Mitch Connor

keizer wrote:

Even if only there a day or two??

Especially considering she may have known her way to each street, or the names and directions to most streets, just not know that the hospital was there, or maybe what it was called. She may have been easily able to find her way to merrion square without any fuss; just been unaware that Holles Street was there or something.

lennox1

I feel that in fairness to the Gardai and the public,training should be increased to at least four years duration with a fair percentage of that time spent in the area they will be stationed in.While I worked in Dublin it took me quite a while to find my way around,and even then I got lost sometimes.Perhaps student guards should be sent walking around in civilian clothes for some time to familiarise themselves with the area they will work in.Its not enough that they have only two years to train in everything as the job is so complex and wide now.

Nevyn

http://www.rotunda.ie/showpage.asp?p=patient_info#
Has a map showing the hostpital which is right besdie what was the ambassador cinema at the top of oconnell st.

Pherekydes

2004 figures:
Rotunda = ??
Holles St. = 8443
Coombe = 8017


These stats are important because the hospitals implemented 'cap' policies to limit the numbers of births. Without the artificial cap, Holles St is clearly the leader.

Guy:Incognito

I've lived in dublin all my life, and have done about 100k miles of driving around the city. Still a huge amount of places I go to by knowing areas or buildings etc. If you give me a street name I'll very rarely know where it is.

Linford wrote:

I doubt that as more babies are born in Holles Street than any other hospital.

IMO it would be the lesser known one, I certainly havnt a notion where it is.

PeakOutput

i was on thomas street on sunday and 3 foreign lads asked me where the coom was i hadnt a breeze and im from dublin....im not a garda though

boneless

Slightly off topic so apologies...

I was walking in to work early one morning. A Garda car was pulled up beside a car with a flat wheel. The driver- a woman- was trying to "crack" the nuts on the wheel with a brace. The Garda said something to her and drove off. As I was passing she asked me to help her so I did. I asked her why the Garda hadn't helped her and she told me they said that there was a man coming along the road (me) and to ask him for help... now, I could have been a scumbag (I worked on a site at the time so I was not exactly dressed respectable like!!). How could the so-called protectors of the community have taken such a chance and left a (in my opinion) vulnerable woman in such a position?

keizer

elviscostello wrote:

Should be part of their training before they're put in there.

Exactly. You can't blame individual Gardaí. Most only find out which station they're going to approx. three weeks in advance and then they're expected to leave templemore and begin work in their area immediately.

tallus

boneless wrote:

Slightly off topic so apologies...

I was walking in to work early one morning. A Garda car was pulled up beside a car with a flat wheel. The driver- a woman- was trying to "crack" the nuts on the wheel with a brace. The Garda said something to her and drove off. As I was passing she asked me to help her so I did. I asked her why the Garda hadn't helped her and she told me they said that there was a man coming along the road (me) and to ask him for help... now, I could have been a scumbag (I worked on a site at the time so I was not exactly dressed respectable like!!). How could the so-called protectors of the community have taken such a chance and left a (in my opinion) vulnerable woman in such a position?

Where I do agree that they could have done a bit more, they aren't the AA and probably had something more pressing to attend to. Personally I wouldn't expect them to stop and help, but it's definetly a bit much the way they *passed* the task on to you.

_feedback_

keizer wrote:

Exactly. You can't blame individual Gardaí. Most only find out which station they're going to approx. three weeks in advance and then they're expected to leave templemore and begin work in their area immediately.

I never said they were to blame individually. But yeah , agree with you 100% on that ......

Judt

You learn the streets by walking them. If she didn't know her way around, she should have been with somebody who does. Can't expect her to have GPS in her head.

luckat

Of course a Garda patrolling near one of the country's major hospitals should be able to direct a pedistrian to it.

Bit nuts that she didn't have any kind of GPS device, I suppose - though I'm surprised that any Dub wouldn't know Holles Street.

SimpleSam06

Say what you like about the Guards, some clowns were rattling the back door of the house last Saturday, at 1.45 am, and giving it a kick too for good measure. I gathered all and sundry into the hall and called the guards on the mobile. About three minutes later there were eight guards out the back, and scouring the neighbourhood directly afterwards. They sent in a couple of plain clothes lads first, I thought they were the knackers that had been trying the door! Presumably to catch them off guard, had they been there.

I won't be complaining about paying my taxes after an experience like that, I can tell you.

timmywex

how can you expect a garda that is from more than 20 miles away at least to know the area in such detail??the chances are she could be newly stationed there and is just gettying to know the area, thats a reason she would have been on foot patrol by herself as far as i can gather.

and what about her having to use her phone, the gardai need a good relaible system fast, byt i must say the procurement contract has been signed for a new tetra system for ALL bluelight services, just to show how bad the system is:

3 gardai were rushed to hospital by emergency ambulance over the weekend in wexford, one needing 16 stitches to the head after being assualted by a group of drunk 20 year olds, they were in the station in blackwater when locals informed them of a crowd of youths fighting, they requested help from wexford and enniscorthy by phone,it was just seen as not too serious, they then went to try calm the situation before being seperated and assualted, they had no working radio system available to call for urgent help or an ambulane and were left lying on the footpath until a local alerted the gardai to the severity of the situation when they then rushed to the scene

see the need for a good system??