Erratic Garda Driving

antodeco

Hi Folks,

Was driving down chapelizod by-pass lat night around 10pm. Speed limit there is 80. Went upto 100 for around 5 seconds, overtaking a car and dropped back down (Anyone who knows the road knows how it easy it is to go over the speed limit. Empty dual carriageway downhill). Around 5 seconds later a mondeo flew down behind me, and started drving around 2 foot from my bumper. I could see there was one driver, but couldnt see the roof to see if it was a garda (aerials). I assumed it wasnt seeing as he was in the car on his own.

Anyway, he then swung out beside me and maintained the same speed as me right beside the car. Swung right back behind me again. repeated this 2 or 3 times. Then He overtook and flew off, then I saw he was a garda(1 front, 1 rear, 1 bullet aerial). The way he was driving was so dangerous. I got the feeling he was doing it to get me to speed up so he could catch me for speeding. I then saw him a few minutes later weaving in and out of traffic around the lucan/palmerstown roundabout. I just couldnt believe the way he was acting and could have caused a severe accident if I wouldve had to jam on the breaks.

Has this ever happened to people before?

Seth Brundle

I see them driving like that frequently. They are above the law!

Owen

I've yet to see a Garda car actually driving 50kph.

egan007

There is a new forum for that....

http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/

Turner

Sick of saying this but..

Unless you are in a Garda car listening to what ever call is being given out on the radio you do not know what was going on.

maybe a car similiar to your had just been stolen,
maybe somebody had just been dragged into a car similiar to yours
maybe shots had just been fired at somebodys house by somebody in a car similiar to yours
maybe the Gard thought he had seen Santa Claus sitting in the back seat of your car.

The Gardai do actually deal with more serious crime than trying to goad decent motorists into speeding :rolleyes:

Thats why all our prisons are full.

MrPudding

antodeco wrote:

Then He overtook and flew off, then I saw he was a garda(1 front, 1 rear, 1 bullet aerial).

Are you basing you opinion that he was a garda solely on the configuration of the cars aerials?

MrP

rowanh

Chief--- wrote:

Sick of saying this but..

Unless you are in a Garda car listening to what ever call is being given out on the radio you do not know what was going on.

maybe a car similiar to your had just been stolen,
maybe somebody had just been dragged into a car similiar to yours
maybe shots had just been fired at somebodys house by somebody in a car similiar to yours
maybe the Gard thought he had seen Santa Claus sitting in the back seat of your car.

The Gardai do actually deal with more serious crime than trying to goad decent motorists into speeding :rolleyes:

Thats why all our prisons are full.

I dont see how any of those points would give the gard reason to do what the poster mentioned. Fact is many gards do think they can do whatever they want and think they are above the law. At the same time many dont. Tehy are not aloud break any traffic laws if they dont have their siren on, at least as far as i know that is the law.


Also id say are prisons are totally over crowded, not sue to the gards more due to the totally insufficient space in our prisons. Heard on the radio the other day that in several large areas of dublin the prosicution rate for rape, murder and arson is 0%

drdre

You should have reported him.Garda think they are above the law.They arent

dubtom

What about the guys who pretend they are guards. Was stuck on the M1 last night and this F****r in an opel vectra with a foney siren was weaving in and out of traffic, what made it worse was that everyone got out of his way.I don't have a problem with speeding kops, I do have a problem with sh*theads with clifford alarms that can go woo woo and not a real guard in sight to catch them.

gyppo

Chief--- wrote:

Sick of saying this but..

Unless you are in a Garda car listening to what ever call is being given out on the radio you do not know what was ordered:

A curried chips and a batterburger,
smoked cod 'n chips,
donor kebab with chips,

could be anything really.:D

The Gardai do actually deal with more serious crime than trying to goad decent motorists into speeding - unless their takaway is getting cold.

Turner

rowanh wrote:

Tehy are not aloud break any traffic laws if they dont have their siren on, at least as far as i know that is the law.

Its not.


I can see it now.

"Yes sir I thought i saw the car your wife was just dragged into but unfortunatley i was in a 50km/ph zone so couldnt catch up to the car who was travelling at 60km/ph. Also he went through a red light which im not allowed to do so i let him off!

timmywex

rowanh wrote:

Tehy are not aloud break any traffic laws if they dont have their siren on, at least as far as i know that is the law

the gardai are exempt from prosecution while in the course of their duties,

as said, any type of incident could have occured, the detective could have been trying to see if it was you they were looking for or a different car, if he had just tryed to pull you over, you could have speeded up and it would have been a pursuit, and pulling you over would take so much longer,

say,for example, if someone was missing, the first hour is the most important, so they would try to look at as many cars as is possible

Colonel Sanders

timmywex, I understand what youre saying but from what the OP is saying this seems to just be a case of abusing their powers. You will often see gardai turn on their sirens in heavy traffic when they get close to the station to avoid tailbacks. Many times i have seen this and there is never anyone in the back of the car.

I also know a few gardai who openly admit they carry on like this during rush hour.

Mitch Connor

Chief--- wrote:

Its not.


I can see it now.

"Yes sir I thought i saw the car your wife was just dragged into but unfortunatley i was in a 50km/ph zone so couldnt catch up to the car who was travelling at 60km/ph. Also he went through a red light which im not allowed to do so i let him off!

so...they see someone getting dragged into a car and don't put on the siren....hmmmmmmmm.

timmywex

Tauren wrote:

so...they see someone getting dragged into a car and don't put on the siren....hmmmmmmmm.

thats the idea of a unmarked car, if they had have been bombing around with lights and sirens, anyone would have gotten suspicious and would have speeded up or pulled onto a small road


colonel sanders, im not going to deney that happens but how do you know something didnt happen requiring immediate attention??it does happen but a lot of the time, it can be genuine

antodeco

Whilst I agree that he may be baseing his acts on grounds of a radio command, the fact he continued to drive dangerously further up the road was where my main concern lay. If he wanted to pull me over, I wouldnt have. As rightly mentioned. there are lots of "fake" gardai out there, so I wouldve pulled into the garage further up the road.

Regarding assuming he was a garda based on the aerials, that is correct. There was also a unit mid dash, which admittingly couldve been a GPS system, but if it looks like a garda car, Im going to assume it is!

jesus_thats_gre

ned78 wrote:

I've yet to see a Garda car actually driving 50kph.

Regularly see it myself.

BeardyGit

Yeah - I regularly see the Gardaí driving at the speed limit too....

stipey

I'm disappointed now.... i read the thread title as "Erotic Garda Driving".

Not that such a thread would have turned me on in any way - i was just curious as to what constituted erotic garda driving.

Turner

Im sure helicopter pilots looks at the Garda helicopter in flight and say "that fella is flying like a flippin lunatic. Hovering for ages, then flying again then hovering, the feckin madman"

But then again they dont know whats goin on at the time.

unkel

Chief--- wrote:

But then again they dont know whats goin on at the time.

Good point, Chief---

We don't know what's going on, so who are we to judge?

daedalus2097

Absolutely! There could well be a guy on the other end ofthe radio shouting "swerve left!! No, no, swerve right!!"

In fairness, without sirens on it's dangerous for them to drive unpredictably. If they didn't have the sirens on for reasons of remaining inconspicuous, they could do a lot better than swerving all over the place - kinda defeats the purpose of not having the sirens on in the first place don't you think?? Also, in the example given there earlier - if they break a red light to follow someone they think has pulled someone into a car, they're gonna stick out like a sore thumb to anyone watching their tail anyway, so why not use the siren and make the whole thing a bit safer to fellow motorists and pedestrians alike?

_Kaiser_

Ah you gotta love Boards really..

Someone highlights an incident where there is clearly no legitimate excuse for a Garda's behaviour, and the usual suspects jump in to explain that (in this latest case) the Garda was weaving all over the place because he was probably responding to a call??

Even if that was true, are they not trained in advanced driving techniques that would allow them to drive at speed without putting other road users at (potential) risk - oh wait, I forgot all they need to get behind the wheel of a squad car is "dispensation" from the chief super! Or maybe the OP is just paranoid/has an axe to grind/made it all up? :rolleyes:

I regularly see them illegally parked outside the chipper at 6pm while one of them is inside ordering dinner beside me. No doubt that's a "legitimate" case too, or am I making it up as well?

Fact 1: A lot of Gardai (no, not all) think they are above the law.

Fact 2: Pretending it doesn't happen will not solve the problem!

Far too many people on this website are apologists for the Gardai when the evidence is there to show there are a lot of individuals in the force that are corrupt, incompetent and abuse their authority. Don't believe me? Ask the victims of that abuse, or the (all too few) Gardai that have been prosecuted for it!

Turner

True Kaiser, alot are not trained to drive and are forced to drive in situations of high speed pursuits and defensive driving without any training at all. They are not happy about that at all and the GRA is trying to get more driver training facilites.

Believe me every Garda wished he was trained to the standard of UK police but the facilities just are not there to train them all.

As for parking on double yellows, Its quite clear that any garda on duty has to have quick access to his car. I dont think any reasonably minded person would have a problem with that.

"Yes i was on my luch break and the only garda car in the area but i couldnt provide an escort for your heavilly pregnant wife to hospital because i had to park my car 500m away from where i was having my break, sorry"

daedalus2097

Chief--- wrote:

True Kaiser, alot are not trained to drive and are forced to drive in situations of high speed pursuits and defensive driving without any training at all. They are not happy about that at all and the GRA is trying to get more driver training facilites.

Does the OP make it sound like this was a high speed pursuit? Not to me... The unmarked squad car that knocked a friend over several years ago while speeding in a bus lane without sirens wasn't in a high speed pursuit either. She got the pins out of her legs last month.

colm_mcm

Chief--- wrote:

Im sure helicopter pilots looks at the Garda helicopter in flight and say "that fella is flying like a flippin lunatic. Hovering for ages, then flying again then hovering, the feckin madman"

But then again they dont know whats goin on at the time.

Yeah, it's hard to fly a helicopter and eat garlic chips at the same time.

DonJose

Kaiser2000 wrote:

I regularly see them illegally parked outside the chipper at 6pm while one of them is inside ordering dinner beside me. No doubt that's a "legitimate" case too, or am I making it up as well?

Did you this point this out to the Guard when he was beside you that he was parked illegally. Bet yer fecking arse ye didn't, but you come this onto the forum and bitch about it like a 16 year old girl.

ballooba

dubtom wrote:

What about the guys who pretend they are guards. Was stuck on the M1 last night and this F****r in an opel vectra with a foney siren was weaving in and out of traffic, what made it worse was that everyone got out of his way.I don't have a problem with speeding kops, I do have a problem with sh*theads with clifford alarms that can go woo woo and not a real guard in sight to catch them.

I saw two guys bombing past my house in hot hatches (maybe Astras) the other day with sirens on. They didn't look like typical Garda cars do I thought it looked strange. Do people actually do this?

_Kaiser_

DonJose wrote:

Did you this point this out to the Guard when he was beside you that he was parked illegally. Bet yer fecking arse ye didn't, but you come this onto the forum and bitch about it like a 16 year old girl.

I'm guessing you're a cop yourself then?

For the record I have made numerous complaints to the Gardai about the Gardai but it's like an "old boys club" for the most part where they all look after each other.

Anyway, how does your post address (either way) any of the points raised so far other than abusing me? Reported.

franksm

You can buy sirens on Ebay, as well as the device that makes the headlights flash left/right/left/etc

I saw something similar in Lisburn recently - unmarked sh!tbox driving like mad through a major car park with old-fashioned nee-naws.

Called the local copshop later with the reg and they checked it there and then - said the guy was a part-time fireman, and must've been called into the fire station there.

Think I might get a set for my Omega - would help me down the "fast lane" on the M50 in the morning

DonJose

Kaiser2000 wrote:

I'm guessing you're a cop yourself then?

For the record I have made numerous complaints to the Gardai about the Gardai but it's like an "old boys club" for the most part where they all look after each other.

No I'm not a Guard but if I found a Guard doing something illegal I wouldn't shiver away.

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Anyway, how does your post address (either way) any of the points raised so far other than abusing me? Reported.

It addresses the point that theres a lot of spineless people out who have nothing better to do than bitch about Guards (who have a tough job) on private forums instead of confronting them about the issues at hand.

Vikings

I'm going to have to agree with Chief on this one, who knows why the Garda was driving like that... maybe it was the end of his shift or maybe he was dealing with a Garda issue, as we dont know its easy to throw out accusations.

I'm pretty sure everyone here has seen far worse driving on our roads than the driving of our Gardai yet you wont see half as many posts about those nutters as you will the Gardai. And I know that the Gardai are/should be trained drivers but without knowing all the facts give them a break, for all we know he was trying to catch up with a lunatic driver further on and the OP wouldnt get out of his way?

And it's more so every driver on the roads who think they are above the law than the Gardai, why else do we see so many posts complaining about the Gardai when people are caught speeding or doing doughnuts in industrial estates

tallaghtoutlaws

Normally im the first to defend the Gaurds but after last night Im not. At the N81/M50 roundabout lights about to head northbound on the M50. Light was red then went green. Two cars in front of me.

Driver 1 was in a world of his own messing with his dashboard and Driver 2 a Guard messing with something on his centre console.

After 60seconds of the light being green I tapped the horn to let them know there was a green light both heads jumped up to move their asses. The guard didnt take kindly to it though.

As we hit the slip road the unmarked car lit up and pulled over and as I went by he followed me onto the M50 and then pulled me over.

He told me Im not allowed to beep my horn at lights as it was against the law. My words "Guard 60 seconds had gone by and neither your car or the one in front had moved. I was simply letting you kno the green was lit."

This pissed him off he start making up bull**** then by saying I was starting to speed down the sliproad and was on my phone. Now ask incredible bulk above me here my van couldnt speed even if I wanted to. As for the Phone bs how would he know he wasnt even paying attention the twat.

He became very rude and a twat. So I simply asked him to charge me with something and let me on my way and I also asked him for his number and name. At this point he walked off and that was that. Got his licence plate and took his description and reported the fooker this morning.

Some of the garda are decent guys doing their jobs others are just pr*cks.

Nephew

ned78 wrote:

I've yet to see a Garda car actually driving 50kph.

Actually on the N11 just before Kilmac, its a 50km zone because of the roadworks. There was a squad car in front of me in the inside lane doing exactly 50km/h. When some gob****e came up in the outside lane doing about 65km/h, he slowed down to 50km/h when he seen the cop car ahead, he continued at this speed for a few seconds. When all of a sudden he decided it would be a good idea to speed up and overtake the squad car at 65 or 70km/h in a 50k zone. Needless to say the blue lights went on and he was pulled over. What a bloody moron, 2 points for complete stupidity.

Wishbone Ash

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

After 60seconds of the light being green I tapped the horn

Do you really expect us to believe that you waited 60 seconds before you "tapped the horn"? Most traffic light sequences don't wait that long before changing. :rolleyes:

tallaghtoutlaws

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Do you really expect us to believe that you waited 60 seconds before you "tapped the horn"? Most traffic light sequences don't wait that long before changing. :rolleyes:

Yes they do 1minute 33 secs timed them earlier tonight. And I dont give a flying fook whether you believe it or not. Both morons should have been paying attention for the green light not messing with their radios or whatever etc etc.

Oh and Ash yes I tapped the horn why put it in "". I drive for a living im no boy racer moron and I knew the car in front was an unmarked Garda car. I wasnt born yesterday.

Wishbone Ash

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

Yes they do 1minute 33 secs timed them earlier tonight

Fair enough but that would be quite unusual.

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

And I dont give a flying fook whether you believe it or not.

Charming! Why bother posting then?

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

im no boy racer moron

I didn't suggest that you were. But now you've sown that seed of doubt!

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

I knew the car in front was an unmarked Garda car

Which begs the question why did you wait 60 seconds before you "tapped the horn"? I would have waited about 5 seconds!

colm_mcm

or probably given them a little nudge

tallaghtoutlaws

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Fair enough but that would be quite unusual.
Charming! Why bother posting then?

I didn't suggest that you were. But now you've sown that seed of doubt!


Which begs the question why did you wait 60 seconds before you "tapped the horn"? I would have waited about 5 seconds!

Why wait because there is the difference between beeping impatiently and pushing hard of the horn or letting the two drivers know politely with a tap on the horn. If I had have slammed the horn after 5 seconds the Garda would pulled staright away no question. By tapping I presumed he would leave it but obviously he didnt the tool.

And I have sown the seed of doubt Brilliant why don't you just come out and say it now sewn the seed is taking the long way round calling me a moron Ash. Cant be seen to call someone names as a moderator no??

Oh and Im far from a boy racer. I dont or have I ever driven a modified car of any sorts I despise them. I drive vans mainly. Current Van a renault Kangoo.

Wishbone Ash

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

Oh and Im far from a boy racer. I dont or have I ever driven a modified car of any sorts I despise them. I drive vans mainly. Current Van a renault Kangoo.

Relax tallaghtoutlaws. You keep bringing up boy racers. I've never referred to you as one.

tallaghtoutlaws wrote:

Cant be seen to call someone names as a moderator no??

No. I'd lose my substantial boards.ie salary, perks, bonuses, expenses, car, beer money etc. It's not worth it.

ballooba

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Which begs the question why did you wait 60 seconds before you "tapped the horn"? I would have waited about 5 seconds!

It may not be on the driving test, but you generally don't beep your horn at Garda cars or any other behaviour likely to piss them off.

unkel

colm_mcm wrote:

or probably given them a little nudge

LOL! Sometimes trolling = good

McSpud

Guard in squad car driving behind me on the Old Cabra road to Hallons Corner last week in the morning. He is just tipping along as traffic backed up from the corner. As soon as I stop in traffic with him behind me he flips on the siren & skips all the traffic down to the junction & heads towards Phoenix Park HQ.

It would be some coincidence that he just a call at that very moment, seemed more like he didn't fancy waiting a few minutes in traffic :rolleyes:

dubtom

Turning the siren on and skipping the traffic is surley a perk of the job isn't it. Just like if you work in a chinese you get extra curry sauce,or the county council you get to do nothing, or a teacher you get every second tuesday and thursday off and call them training days. Personally I have no issues with Garda speeding or skipping the Q in the chipper, it's a perk.

Fey!

dubtom wrote:

Turning the siren on and skipping the traffic is surley a perk of the job isn't it. Just like if you work in a chinese you get extra curry sauce,or the county council you get to do nothing, or a teacher you get every second tuesday and thursday off and call them training days. Personally I have no issues with Garda speeding or skipping the Q in the chipper, it's a perk.

...or taxis stopping anywhere!!! (couldn't resist!)

Rovi

The thing is though, Chinese restaurant staff, county council staff, teachers, and taxi drivers have no power or authority (or 'duty') to invoke sanctions on anyone else who eats extra curry sauce, does nothing, takes Tuesdays and Thursdays off, or parks anywhere.

MarkN

dubtom wrote:

I do have a problem with sh*theads with clifford alarms that can go woo woo and not a real guard in sight to catch them.

A Clifford alarm can HARDLY be used as a siren in a moving car. :rolleyes:

colm_mcm

I was driving a white jeep once, there was a fault with the alarm, so it kept going off, had to drive a few miles down the road. Everyone got out of my way!

ballooba

colm_mcm wrote:

I was driving a white jeep once, there was a fault with the alarm, so it kept going off, had to drive a few miles down the road. Everyone got out of my way!

Sister's bf had the lights in his Passat go funny on the way into work one morning, they started flashing on and off. The traffic cleared to let him through, so felt he had to do so. He said he was too embarassed to just sit there with the lights flashing. :rolleyes:

Longrangedriver

ballooba wrote:

Sister's bf had the lights in his Passat go funny on the way into work one morning, they started flashing on and off. The traffic cleared to let him through, so felt he had to do so. He said he was too embarassed to just sit there with the lights flashing. :rolleyes:

I had an incident a few months back when I was driving at night on the Naas Rd.
I had to stop at the lights at the Kylemore Rd-Walkinstown Ave Junction, next to Nissan Ireland. Now I had a snooper radar detector on the dash, and it went off for the camera at Bil Griffins garage, with the LED's flashing real bright red and blue, all of a sudden cars in front started to move out of the way. Luckly the lights changed and I took off ahead and kept going, needless to say I was embarassed to hell.:o

unkel

dubtom wrote:

Turning the siren on and skipping the traffic is surley a perk of the job isn't it

I was going to post something very similar. It's the Garda's prerogative. Not for us to know if he's in a situation that calls for a certain behaviour, or if he's just skipping the queue or something