Irony in the Herald (unintentional)

tbh

Did anyone see the report in the Herald yesterday about squeegee merchants approaching cars stopping in traffic? It was pontificating about how these guys were a traffic hazzard. If they want to sort out this problem, I think maybe they could look a little closer to home!

smartypants

took a while for the penny to drop lol


...i get what ya mean!

flogen

tbh wrote:

Did anyone see the report in the Herald yesterday about squeegee merchants approaching cars stopping in traffic? It was pontificating about how these guys were a traffic hazzard. If they want to sort out this problem, I think maybe they could look a little closer to home!

Did they really write about that?! Ha! Brilliant... got a scan of it by any chance?

Between this and Eoghan Harris' rant about The Irish Times, IN&M really seem to be taking the approach of "when we do it it's ok, when everyone else does it they should be hung".

tbh

flogen wrote:

Did they really write about that?! Ha! Brilliant... got a scan of it by any chance?

Between this and Eoghan Harris' rant about The Irish Times, IN&M really seem to be taking the approach of "when we do it it's ok, when everyone else does it they should be hung".

I have the paper at home, forgot it today, but will get it tomorrow. I went from to :rolleyes: to :mad: and then back to :rolleyes: again!

tbh

The Dirty Tricks of Windscreen Wash Gangs

by Kevin Doyle


The were once the bane of the Dublin motorist's life, before appearently disappearing from out busiest junctions - now squeegies are making an unwanted return.

Gardai are particularly worried that the illegal roadside window washers are targetting female drivers in an effort to intimidate them and get money.

Despinte having all bu disappeared a number of years back, the the window washers have steadily increased in numbers, particularly at interchanges along the M50.

Apart from being a hazard at busy junctions during rush hours, gardai say they are more concerned about the fact that they are "intimidating motorists".

Gardau are now urging motorists not to interact with the illegal raodside merchants. "We do actively target them and when a garda patrol comes across squeegies they are moved on. We don't allow it to persist".

However, the spokesperson added: "You would want a policeman standing at every roundabout and every junction"

Likewise the AA have called for squeegies to e removed from Irish roads altogether as they see them as a distraction for drivers. Apart from putting themselves in danger, squeegies are a hazard for motorists who sometimes have to jump lanes to avoid an accident.

A spokesperson for the AA said "Even though it is less widespread than it used to be, we are still concerned about the intrusion they cause to motorists"

the spokesperson said drivers "should keep their doors locked and not let their windows down", adding "Motorists should wave them away and not give them money - that only encourages more to do it".

Cabaal

haha the irony is delicious

monument

Are roadside newspaper sellers a hazard?
http://www.blurredkeys.com/2007/06/are_roadside_ne.html

blue4ever

Strange but true – they are protected under the constitution selling newspapers in public (no licence needed etc), however they ‘may’ fall foul of health and safety selling in the traffic

KTRIC

Oh the ironing, won't somebody think of the children !!

flogen

blue4ever wrote:

Strange but true – they are protected under the constitution selling newspapers in public (no licence needed etc)

Uh? How's that? Was that an actual legal decision or does The Herald just say it's so?

blue4ever

The distribution of ‘printed material’ does not need a trading licence – democracy and all that.

Where they get into trouble is if they mess with the health and safety side– or traffic violations.

Ruen

How are the guards going about stopping the window washers then, no actually how's that illegal I'd have thought that was just as legal as selling a newspaper? That's really a weird one

flogen

blue4ever wrote:

The distribution of ‘printed material’ does not need a trading licence – democracy and all that.

Where they get into trouble is if they mess with the health and safety side– or traffic violations.

Is that in the constitution?

blue4ever

Well not exactly, I was perhaps embellishing a tad – although its ‘roots’ are constitutionally based.
You don’t need a casual trading licence to sell newspapers or other printed matter (and ice cream!). This is a pillar of democracy (not the ice cream)– we have the freedon of speech and the printed word.

‘squeegies’ don’t add much to the democratic process – bar clarity!!!!

Ruen

blue4ever wrote:

Well not exactly, I was perhaps embellishing a tad – although its ‘roots’ are constitutionally based.
You don’t need a casual trading licence to sell newspapers or other printed matter (and ice cream!). This is a pillar of democracy (not the ice cream)– we have the freedon of speech and the printed word.

‘squeegies’ don’t add much to the democratic process – bar clarity!!!!

Yeah but do you need a licence to legally wash a window?