I thought it would never happen to me...

JohnCleary

Had to pick the GF up from her XMas doo las night at around 2am (Pub closing time). Obviously sober, off I go on the 6 mile trip from Galway city to Claregalway.

I often rant to myself about how all this random breath testing is all over the media, yet i've never been breathalised and I put up about 500 miles a week.

So last night, on the dual-carrageway sure enough a checkpoint. First time ever I got breathalised, obviously had a ZERO reading. Had a quick laugh with the Guard, he said the "Zero" in a kind of 'Fair play' way... there were 2 other cars in front of me pulled in on the footpath.. .full of people my own age (early 20's)

So I continue on my drive and drive onto the N17... when about 2 miles out the road (At back entrance to Ballybrit racecourse).... ANOTHER checkpoint! I arrived up and go "jaez fairplay to ye ye're out in force tonight". he asked "What" in a kind of thick way and I say "Ah I just went through another checkpoint back the road and was breathalised" ... He goes "ah go on so" before saying "Actually no, to be safe" and breathalised me. Again, a Zero.

So fairplay Gardai, out doing breath tests at the RIGHT time, 2am, when people are most likely to try and drive home from the pubs. I was shocked, never been breathalised, and then breathalised twice within 5 minutes! (They were 2 completely different roads so wasn't a waste of recourses imho). And for anyone who likes to have a drink and drive home, just don't bother, eventually you're gonna get caught

BlackWizard

That's pretty awesome. I'm glad he didn't let ya get away with the "I've already been tested and I passed..." trick

jimmycrackcorm

Meanwhile the rest of the country had no checkpoints.

Malteaser!

There's been checkpoints every night that I've come home from work in the last 3 weeks, I work in a bar so I'd be heading home at about 1.30am.

There's usually a whole load of cars pulled to the side, drivers getting tested I presume, they always just ask me where I'm coming from and when they see the work shirt they just let me on through, although sometimes they've been a bit cheeky and said things like 'ah now would it be nice to have a few drinks when the place is shut up' etc...as if I'm going to say yes but I've yet to be tested!

Dermo123

Malteaser! wrote: »

and when they see the work shirt they just let me on through,

So the work shirt does the trick every time eh,
so what type of work shirt would that be?:p

mike65

Dang, from that topic line I thought someone had been caught bang-to-rights!

Mike.

L1011

mike65 wrote: »

Dang, from that topic line I thought someone had been caught bang-to-rights!

Mike.

Same here

I've been random tested twice in a night, second guard said "sure, you could be making that up" when I said "I was tested in Lucan officer...".

Obviously passed both times, as if I hadn't I don't think I'd have got to the second one now would I

Think its 5 times since it came in I've been tested, but I do virtually all my driving other than the daily commute at night, in the danger hours - back from football or clubbing (without drinking) most of it.

JohnCleary

mike65 wrote: »

Dang, from that topic line I thought someone had been caught bang-to-rights!

Mike.

Yeah I wanted to make it an interesting title so you'd all read it

On another note, I heard that the Guards were bagging at 9am on the Galway => Headford road this morning. Can't say I totally agree with the morning bagging but christ I wouldnt even look at my keys after the sniff of a pint! (Not that I ever did in the past)

mick.fr

My father in law has been breathalised 18 times in a single week at different checkpoints.
He never drinks and insisted they were loosing their time with him that the cops after 18 times gave his plate number to all the cops in the area and he never got breathalised again lol.

yayamark

there are no random checkpoints in limerick.

I was talking to a garda and he didnt ming telling me that no overetime has been allocated to these checkpoints athe weekend

ImaBM-man

Ive been bagged twice, both at times where ppl would be leaving the pub. Tbh its the first time the garda out my way have done anything about anything,very lazy out my way. I work in a bar literally 30 seconds from the station and it takes half an hour to get a squad car to come!!

Malteaser!

This was my first night coming home from work now that I wasn't stopped.

They keep on checking the same places most nights so I could easily avoid them if I wanted to!

Senna

I'm just home from work, not usually this late, but would be on the roads 3-4 nights a week at kicking out time, but i've never been breathalysed and its a good 8 months, maybe more, since i went through a checkpoint after 9pm. Its seems in Donegal, unless your driving through a main street or center of town, you don't encounter many garda.

L1011

ImaBM-man wrote: »

I work in a bar literally 30 seconds from the station and it takes half an hour to get a squad car to come!!

This isn't my local by any chance (The Roost), where you can see the guards pootling around the upstairs from the music bar, and yet they pretend theres nobody there if you call :rolleyes:

Santa Claus

ImaBM-man wrote: »

I work in a bar literally 30 seconds from the station and it takes half an hour to get a squad car to come!!

Sounds like your bar need to give a better present to the station at christmas!

I have no problem with being breathalised as I have a zero tolerance approach to drink driving. My record is 4 times in 1 night when driving from Howth over to Sandyford. First checkpoint in Raheny then another in town then third near stillorgan and final one in Sandyford itself. At the final checkpoint I got a reading of 0.1 and said to the garda that I'd been in my car for the past 40 minutes and the previous 3 breath tests were all 0 and he said "Jaysus, you should have told me...I wouldn't have tested ya" followed by "ah sure you must be still zero, these things aren't that accurate"

The girlfriend came up with an idea that the gardai should give you a sticker when you've been checked so that subsequent checkpoints will know you're ok (like when charity collectors give you the lapel sticker). I've tried pointing out to her many times that her "system" is wide open to abuse but she's convinced it's a winner !

ninty9er

yayamark wrote: »

there are no random checkpoints in limerick.

I was talking to a garda and he didnt ming telling me that no overetime has been allocated to these checkpoints athe weekend

That's a load of bull,

was checked on the Shelbourne Road about 2 weeks ago around 12:30am they were doing the traffic both ways. Now there's no room to pass there at Camillisus, there were 8, YES..8 Gardaí out on the one tiny little checkpoint. they had 3 Traffic Corps cars out AND a paddywagon.

They regularly do half hour blitzes at the City East Roundabout on all entries to it there by Pat Keogh's BMW place and they do up by his Nissan showroom every now and again too.

I've been stopped at a checkpoint outside O'Mara's too, but they weren't breath testing there, just checking for tax and insurance.

So to say there's none in Limerick is a bit naive of that Garda.