Balbriggan Garda Station

scouse1990

All,
sorry in advance but this just annoyed me on Saturday. Pretty much every day for the last 9 months I take my son for a walk and end up heading into the Garda station car park (He is 2 btw). He is obsessed with garda cars and goes in and counts them.

We headed in on Sat morning and he did his usual counting and then headed over towards the gated off section (for impounded cars I presume), and counted the garda cars inside there. I always stop him before he gets to the gate as I presumed members of the public wouldnt be allowed in there.

Anyway, a plain clothes garda came out and asked me where I was from and what I was doing there - naturally i told him and explained that my son likes counting the garda cars. He told me I wasnt allowed into the "section" (gated area), I said I never went in there. He was getting kinda testy at this point and said that we werent allowed into the car park/station at all unless on official business (he used the term sir in a manner that suggested I was anything but...). I pointed at my son and said he's 2 and enjoys coming in - at which point he again said I wasnt allowed into the car park/staion.

Anyway, this just annoyed the hell out of me. There surely better things to be doing then chucking 2 year old kids out of the car park??? anyway end of rant.

delly

No need for such a narky attitude from the Garda tbh. Don't stop going in and if he gives you hassle again, just go into the public office and get a drivers licence application form.

scouse1990

No need for such a narky attitude from the Garda tbh. Don't stop going in and if he gives you hassle again, just go into the public office and get a drivers licence application form.

That was my plan for this evening but it was so annoying to be talked down too by someone who had never approached me before. I can understand no one going into the impound area (that makes sense) and even if he said that to me, I could accept it but I think it was just because I answered him back he decided to get narky with me. There are enough things the Gardai could be doing......

dubmick

no need for that behaviour at all from the Gard

..but by any chance were you wearing a Liverpool jersey?

The Hill Billy

OP - Maybe pop in to the front desk & explain that your young lad likes looking at/counting Garda cars & "Is it OK if I bring him in to see the cars when we're out for our father-son stroll?" Put it in such nice & fatherly terms that whoever you're talking too can't disagree.

That way, if Gda Narky-ass or anyone else challenges you in the future you can say that you'd cleared it with the Duty Sargeant/whoever & had been told that it was OK.

FFS - Yer man has little to be thinking of. Surely a positive attitude to the Gardai (even if it is just counting squad cars as a 2-year-old) is a good thing?




Move along now. Nothing to see here.

Fyr.Fytr

No need for the attitude, but the thing about being there on businnes could be quite valid due to insurance etc, i know your son wants to count the cars but hey welcome to the compensation culture

scouse1990

..but by any chance were you wearing a Liverpool jersey?

Not that day!!!

BTW, as regards the insurance compo stuff as far as I'm aware its the car park is a public place so I would be responsible for my son anyway?? I know what you're saying but it didnt come across as that sort of an issue at all. As I said it was just annoying because it is something that i have done regularly and, to be fair, my son has had waves from Garda in cars heading out of the station and even out of the window of the canteen.

dylbert

Whats the story with gards, they have the personality of wet wallpaper, are they even human, I know they have a job to do but they really should cheer up a bit.....

MAYPOP

I went in there one Saturday morning after my car got broken into and there was nobody there

Some of them are sound down there, they would probably be happy to show you and your son around the place.

Fyr.Fytr

Sounds like just one bad egg, i have fair bit to do with them through my job and volunteer work with the order of malta and the mojrity are grand soun people but just like everything else there are a few twats who ruin it fr the lot

Dublin's Finest

It's about time they cracked down on out-of-control toddlers in this country. Good to see they have their priorities straight.

manor41

Ah me first post.

yev got 2 options - complain about him and then when you need help they'll never come or ask the nice sarge on a quiet tuesday morning if your son could sit in a police car with a cop as he want to be a garda when he grows up - and they don't mess with their future colleagues - possibly even a future seargent or nay say a chief of police (but only if if follows Everton!)!!!

Did I say Everton - them lads at the top of the table (for another few minutes anyway!)

T-Maxx

2 golden rules to remember when dealing with cops:

1. The cops are always right.
2. When in doubt, refer to rule 1.

Spitfire666

manor41 wrote:

Ah me first post.

yev got 2 options - complain about him and then when you need help they'll never come or ask the nice sarge on a quiet tuesday morning if your son could sit in a police car with a cop as he want to be a garda when he grows up - and they don't mess with their future colleagues - possibly even a future seargent or nay say a chief of police (but only if if follows Everton!)!!!

That wouldnt be allowed due to being up **** creek if the car was in an acc or something. even people who are in transition year doing work placements are not SUPPOSED to be in the cars.

Wishbone Ash

Spitfire666 wrote:

That wouldnt be allowed due to being up **** creek if the car was in an acc or something. even people who are in transition year doing work placements are not SUPPOSED to be in the cars.

I think the previous poster was referring to sitting in a patrol car at the station - not actually out in patrol!