Cheeky speed cop with cam inside a bus shelter on Merrion Road.

Run_to_da_hills

I came across a cheeky cop with a hand held speed gun inside a bus shelter south bound close to the British embassy on the Merrion road. I was on a motorbike in the bus lane. I thought this was rather cheeky as one wouldn’t have noticed him until you got right up to the shelter.

However this guy was sound because he didn’t do me for riding a motorbike in the bus lane.

I would have suspected that the Gardai would have to seek permission from Dublin Bus to use their shelters for carrying out these duties as these would be technically considered a premises.

bikki

They are there for ur own safety, not to make money.

I was going to arklow not so long ago and they had set up in the central reservation between the duel carrage way so they could zap both directions.

I dont understand that if they want to deter speeders then why dont they make them selves nice and visable. Instead they let speeders blast by and tell them off 2 months later lol

Run_to_da_hills

bikki wrote: »

They are there for ur own safety, not to make money.

I agree 100%. I prefere to see a human being catching speeders rather than some automated ANPR cam spitting out summonses. I just thought the location of this guy was a cheeky.

bikki

Dont get me wrong, im all for speed cameras just wish they would make them as a visual deterrent and put them in practical locations where they will make a difference and not being used to make profit.

L1011

Dublin Bus don't own the shelters, for a starter...

pixbyjohn

MYOB wrote: »

Dublin Bus don't own the shelters, for a starter...

Who owns Dublin Bus shelters???? Dublin Bus apply for planning permission to erect them

L1011

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Who owns Dublin Bus shelters???? Dublin Bus apply for planning permission to erect them

Adshel do.

My post was a response to RTDH suggesting they'd need to ask Dublin Bus for permission, forgot to quote that bit so it looks rather out of context.

Run_to_da_hills

MYOB wrote: »

Adshel do.

My post was a response to RTDH suggesting they'd need to ask Dublin Bus for permission, forgot to quote that bit so it looks rather out of context.

Off topic a bit, im surprised there is not a no smoking ban in them, anyone been in Scotland recently? :eek:

SV

There for our own safety and not to make money?


lol..how naive can you get.

bikki

ClioV6 wrote: »

There for our own safety and not to make money?


lol..how naive can you get.

Very...

Which is gonna stop u speeding more a big noticeable deterrent/being pulled there and then or getting 2 points 2/3 months later? Or let me guess u never speed.

Id rather c cameras set up coming into villages/towns/schools/crap irish black spot roads then nabbing people on duel carriage ways doing 10/20 kph over the speed limit.

Bearcat

what makes me puke is these traffic motor bike cops in their skin tight leather apparel will not do the biker but heaven forbid we put a mm of a tyre into that bus lane we are gonners. They probably do the bikers in other ways but thats just speculation to the extreme........

mikemac

Meh, bikes don't cause congestion and don't slow anybody down in the bus lane. Common sense applied here. If you drive a bike safetly down a bus lane you'd be very unlucky to be pulled. And they just love it when you wear hi-vis gear.
But if you drive a moped like a fool in the buslane and are wearing a skanger tracksuit and no gloves, you definitly will be pulled.
Yes, some rules are enforced and some aren't.
Much like taxi drivers aren't supposed to use this bus lane unless they have a fare or on their way to collect a fare. I've never heard of a taxi driver fined for abusing this.

I suppose that makes you puke also, it's the same offense; driving in the bus lane where you aren't supposed to.

Besides, everyone knows a car driver can use a bus lane for hundreds of metres as long as they put on their left indicator for the left turn that is way, way up the road

Bee

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I came across a cheeky cop with a hand held speed gun inside a bus shelter south bound close to the British embassy on the Merrion road. I was on a motorbike in the bus lane. I thought this was rather cheeky as one wouldn’t have noticed him until you got right up to the shelter.

However this guy was sound because he didn’t do me for riding a motorbike in the bus lane.

I would have suspected that the Gardai would have to seek permission from Dublin Bus to use their shelters for carrying out these duties as these would be technically considered a premises.

A cheeky cop?

Was it one of the usual leather clad moustachioed motor cycle cops holding his tool behind the shelter?

Once again you get very little so called "speeding" along this area

It is about time these time wasting public servants took instruction from the public who pay their wages as to where to site their joke "speed" traps.

There are numerous incidents of dangerous driving that the Gardai should be enforcing the law against especially at the junction past where this chappy was exposing the Gardai to public ridicule.

It's all too easy to supposed to be enforing the law whilst doing bugger all for road safety.

By the way as a motorist I fully support open access to bus lanes by motor cyclists as well as all general traffic.

SV

bikki wrote: »

Very...

Which is gonna stop u speeding more a big noticeable deterrent/being pulled there and then or getting 2 points 2/3 months later? Or let me guess u never speed.

Id rather c cameras set up coming into villages/towns/schools/crap irish black spot roads then nabbing people on duel carriage ways doing 10/20 kph over the speed limit.

What are you on about?

I speed regularly. I adovcate it in most cases.
I'm just saying that if you think that most speed 'traps' (called that for a reason) are there to promote safety then you're being very naive,

bikki

lol think we got our wires crossed. I was being sarcastic in my first post. Then thought u where saying i was being naive saying they wherent for making money.

L1011

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Off topic a bit, im surprised there is not a no smoking ban in them, anyone been in Scotland recently? :eek:

They generally only have three sides (back/one side/roof) meaning they're not classed as enclosed structures. The one outside my estate only has two (one wall / roof).

cyclopath2001

The issue being missed here is that the Gardai are detecting people who think it's OK to break the law when they think they won't be caught. I would like to personally thank those Gardai for their work in protecting my safety and that of my family.

BostonB

Maybe they'll clamp down on cyclists turning left on a red light.

cyclopath2001

BostonB wrote: »

Maybe they'll clamp down on cyclists turning left on a red light.

Or motorists failing to stop on amber?
You know where this discussion will lead...let's not go there.

Other than concealing the speed cameras, I can't think of any other way of detecting people who break the law thinking that there's non-one looking.

BostonB

So lets enforce the letter of the law for one group, and not another. Regardless that has little serious impact on road safety.

SV

bikki wrote: »

lol think we got our wires crossed. I was being sarcastic in my first post. Then thought u where saying i was being naive saying they wherent for making money.

lol..sorry about that!

Sarcasm is hard to pick up without the use of the smilies

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The issue being missed here is that the Gardai are detecting people who think it's OK to break the law when they think they won't be caught. I would like to personally thank those Gardai for their work in protecting my safety and that of my family.

Yeah, I guess when someone goes 10kph over the speed limit they've really increased the risk of this driver killing your family in a crash. :rolleyes:

Johnny Utah

Saw something similar a while ago. There was a cop on his own with a speed gun standing in front of the bus shelter where the advertisement is.

However, this was late at night in middle of winter, so obviously it was quite dark. The advertisement on the side of the bus shelter was a luminous yellow, which coincidentially was a perfect match for the Garda's hi-vis jacket. This was the sort of camoflauge job that you'd more likely see from the SAS, and was actually very hard to spot. Lucky, nobody crashed into the 'bus shelter' that night :pac:

Run_to_da_hills

MYOB wrote: »

They generally only have three sides (back/one side/roof) meaning they're not classed as enclosed structures. The one outside my estate only has two (one wall / roof).

Makes no difference in Scotland even if it has no roof, once its any location used by the public for getting a bus. Smoking is also banned on all open railway platforms.

L1011

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Makes no difference in Scotland even if it has no roof, once its any location used by the public for getting a bus. Smoking is also banned on all open railway platforms.

And this isn't Scotland

Run_to_da_hills

MYOB wrote: »

And this isn't Scotland

I was referring to the previous post where I mentioned that I was surprised they didn't ban smoking at bus shelters as they do in Scotland.

D_murph

cyclopath2001 wrote:

The issue being missed here is that the Gardai are detecting people who think it's OK to break the law when they think they won't be caught. I would like to personally thank those Gardai for their work in protecting my safety and that of my family.

ClioV6 wrote: »

Yeah, I guess when someone goes 10kph over the speed limit they've really increased the risk of this driver killing your family in a crash. :rolleyes:

i wouldnt take much notice of him TBH, he goes on like a broken record and about this subject only also :rolleyes:

i would suggest that he should actually go and thank these Gardai in person at the local barracks. if it buys us some time from his constant drivel about speed limits, it would be worth it for us all :pac:

Eru

As is constantly stated and quickly ignored by the usual crowd, a Garda standing in an area in itself reduces speeding which has a knock on effect of reducing crashes and accidents in that area. They then move to other areas that have seen a number of crashes and voila, that area becomes safe.

Basically what Im saying is that they are standing in no crash zones to make them no crash zones and keep it that way. There wont be accidents where the Gardai are standing because people generally dont speed in front of Gardai.

Likewise, areas that are known for having speed checks tends to lead to drivers slowing down on the basis that there mat be a speed check.

And before the same tired old angry rant is made, Gardai dont do checkpoints on twisting roads, in the dead of night when its raning because that would more than likely cause more accidents than it prevents and is dangerous for the Gardai and road users.

I also cannot believe people still try to make out its about money when its been pointed out numerous times that your 80 euro fine wont cover the wages of the Garda, the cost of the car and speed gun, the clerical staff and costs involved in processing your ticket and payment or cover even less, the cost involved in taking you to court. The fine would need to be about 500 for the process to break even.

And can someone please explain how a Garda in a yellow jacket standing on a straight road at least 100 metres from a clearly visible sign can be a 'trap'?

And yes, 10 miles an hour can make a significent difference between life and death. stopping distance and force of impact is greatly reduced or increased with every single mile per hour.

congo_90

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Likewise, areas that are known for having speed checks tends to lead to drivers slowing down on the basis that there mat be a speed check.

I've noticed this on the M50 North bound after the tallaght bypass exit where people used to slow fly by and slam on the brakes until clear of the gatso where they continue being idiots 'in a rush'

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

And can someone please explain how a Garda in a yellow jacket standing on a straight road at least 100 metres from a clearly visible sign can be a 'trap'?

the term trap is supposed to mean that you're bein caught speeding hence trap. The other poster just interpreted it wrong me thinks

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

And yes, 10 miles an hour can make a significent difference between life and death. stopping distance and force of impact is greatly reduced or increased with every single mile per hour.

This is true. and i've had this proven in real life situations before where meters matters. The limits are there for a reason people. The garda prevent accidents this way. I'd much rather see them on suburban roads more than dual carriageways though. I've often been curious enough to speed match other cars up to 90km/h in a 50 zone! now how would a child survive that?

If your son/daughter got hit by a speeding car would you be happy knowing
if the car was going at proper speed it would've stopped safely in time?

D_murph

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

I also cannot believe people still try to make out its about money when its been pointed out numerous times that your 80 euro fine wont cover the wages of the Garda, the cost of the car and speed gun, the clerical staff and costs involved in processing your ticket and payment or cover even less, the cost involved in taking you to court. The fine would need to be about 500 for the process to break even.

hence the need for mass production

TheNog

Bee wrote: »

Once again you get very little so called "speeding" along this area

Did you not think the reason why there is little or no speeding on this road is because speed checks are regularly done here?

Bee wrote: »

It is about time these time wasting public servants took instruction from the public who pay their wages as to where to site their joke "speed" traps.

What?? That is a completely laughable idea. Speed checks are done where they are needed subject to safety of the road users and the garda conducting it. If you ever become a Garda and set up a speed check you will know what I mean.

Bee wrote: »

There are numerous incidents of dangerous driving that the Gardai should be enforcing the law against especially at the junction past where this chappy was exposing the Gardai to public ridicule.

The Gardai do prosecute many people for dangerous driving each year but this is only the driving that the Gardai see themselves. It is also good to note that many of the people who report dangerous driving scream and shout about it but are unwilling to make a statement and go to court.

Bee wrote: »

It's all too easy to supposed to be enforing the law whilst doing bugger all for road safety.

This statement is so untrue. In my district in the last year and a half alone we have had two fatalities, one was a cyclist who cycled into a parked truck during a cycle race and the other was a man who had a heart attack. Neither one could have been prevented by the Gardai but with the numerous speed checks that are done I reckon it has impacted on road safety.

L1011

congo_90 wrote: »

I've noticed this on the M50 North bound after the tallaght bypass exit where people used to slow fly by and slam on the brakes until clear of the gatso where they continue being idiots 'in a rush'

And the more serious idiots who still do this because of the lines on the road and no GATSO

brendansmith

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I came across a cheeky cop with a hand held speed gun inside a bus shelter south bound close to the British embassy on the Merrion road. I was on a motorbike in the bus lane. I thought this was rather cheeky as one wouldn’t have noticed him until you got right up to the shelter.

However this guy was sound because he didn’t do me for riding a motorbike in the bus lane.

I would have suspected that the Gardai would have to seek permission from Dublin Bus to use their shelters for carrying out these duties as these would be technically considered a premises.

Its the speeders who are the cheeky ones! HAHAHAH

cyclopath2001

ClioV6 wrote: »

Yeah, I guess when someone goes 10kph over the speed limit they've really increased the risk of this driver killing your family in a crash. :rolleyes:

The faster the speed, the more the damage.

SV

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The faster the speed, the more the damage.

the faster the speed does not equal the increased liklihood of crashing, it's all about the situation.

doing 60kph on the motorway will increase your chances of crashing.


stop looking at rsa adverts and thinking they're gospel.

I.S.T.

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Basically what Im saying is that they are standing in no crash zones to make them no crash zones and keep it that way. There wont be accidents where the Gardai are standing because people generally dont speed in front of Gardai.

That is complete rubbish. The Gardai in many cases are not visible (hiding behind bus shelter, in bushes, etc) so the driver may not know they have been caught until they receive the fine in the post (up to six months later). So all these dangerous drivers the Gardaí are supposedly concerned about slowing down will continue to speed for a further six months. How is that improving the safety rate in the zone?

BostonB

I don't have a problem with speed checks I wish they'd do more if them. Its more where they do them. We have people doing x2 times the speed limit in local estates, using them as rat runs and delivering Pizza's etc. People racing through town breaking lights, doing illegal turns, using bus lanes on a daily basis at certain junctions. But where do we have the cops? On big wide roads where theres hardly any accidents where the speed limits are too low and catching a ton of people hardly over the limit. I'd say I see fewer than 10 speed traps a year, almost always in inexplicable locations.

If you going to have punishments that are too light, and too infrequent, and then seen to be poorly used. People aren't going to take it seriously. Thats exactly whats happening.

I cycle a bit and have as many if not more problems with dangerous cyclists than I do motorists. Near misses as they break read lights and weaving up on way streets. Hardly any enforcement there either.

Run_to_da_hills

I believe that particularly stretch on the Merrion road was reduced to 30mph a number of years ago.

I.S.T.

TheNog wrote: »

but with the numerous speed checks that are done I reckon it has impacted on road safety.

Why do you have to reckon, why don't you know? Why are there not definitive figures released on this? Why do the Gardaí not publish fatality and accident rates BEFORE and AFTER the installation of a speed camera? Are they hiding something? Maybe there no real improvement at the location of most of these cameras? If the Gardaí want to convience the public that speed cameras improve road safety they need to show us these figures.

TheNog

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

That is complete rubbish. The Gardai in many cases are not visible (hiding behind bus shelter, in bushes, etc) so the driver may not know they have been caught until they receive the fine in the post (up to six months later). So all these dangerous drivers the Gardaí are supposedly concerned about slowing down will continue to speed for a further six months. How is that improving the safety rate in the zone?

Its not rubbish cos Karlito is talking about a Garda standing on the roadside with a radar gun and speeders are stopped there and then whereas you are talking about getting a speeding notification in the post from a Gatso or fixed camera.

I.S.T.

TheNog wrote: »

Its not rubbish cos Karlito is talking about a Garda standing on the roadside with a radar gun and speeders are stopped there and then whereas you are talking about getting a speeding notification in the post from a Gatso or fixed camera.

Substitute the fixed gatso for a regular mobile trap location then. It's the same thing. If they are going to tell us these traps are improving road safety then prove it with stats.

TheNog

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

Why do you have to reckon, why don't you know?

You have taken my post out of context by not including the point where I said there has been no fatalities in my district which could have been prevented by Gardai.

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

Why are there not definitive figures released on this? Why do the Gardaí not publish fatality and accident rates BEFORE and AFTER the installation of a speed camera? Are they hiding something? Maybe there no real improvement at the location of most of these cameras? If the Gardaí want to convience the public that speed cameras improve road safety they need to show us these figures.

I agree that there should be figures available for back spots where there is now a fixed camera but for other areas where there was no serious accidents, how can figures be provided. Speed checks on most roads are preventative measures only

I.S.T.

TheNog wrote: »

You have taken my post out of context by not including the point where I said there has been no fatalities in my district which could have been prevented by Gardai.

Sorry, it was not a personal attack, I was trying to make the point that nobody really knows if these cameras and mobile speed checks improve safety. You say there were no fatalities but how do you know this was linked to speed checks?

TheNog wrote: »

I agree that there should be figures available for back spots where there is now a fixed camera but for other areas where there was no serious accidents, how can figures be provided. Speed checks on most roads are preventative measures only

Again, there is no proof they are preventing accidents. They are about to spend €25m per year on a roll out of more speed cameras yet they don't provide us with any proof they work.

TheNog

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

Sorry, it was not a personal attack, I was trying to make the point that nobody really knows if these cameras and mobile speed checks improve safety. You say there were no fatalities but how do you know this was linked to speed checks?


Again, there is no proof they are preventing accidents. They are about to spend €25m per year on a roll out of more speed cameras yet they don't provide us with any proof they work.

Well I can't say for sure that speed checks have reduced fatalities in my district by its own but you must agree that it does to some extent.

Speed checks are just one small part of the whole process though. If you look at the RSA adverts on TV they talk about speed, drink driving and driver behaviour but in my opinion they should also include information for people to report such incidents of bad driving and what would be needed from them for a prosecution. It cannot continue that the majority of dangerous driving convictions that are successfully prosecute is the driving that gardai see themselves. The Gardai cannot be everywhere and see everything but the public do. More people need to take that step forward make that complaint and go to court. Only with speed checks, drink driving, checkpoints, behaviour modification and with public assistance can a real difference be made.

Slig

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you can only smoke in a structure that has 3 walls max and no roof or a roof and no walls