Things you wish were common knowledge.... but aren't!

Hooch

brayblue24 wrote: »

Ya can't beat the young 'uns for the knowledge. I always let someone else read the circular then give me the general jist of things. I have a reputation as a general waste of space to uphold you know!

That makes too of us too. In Traffic we just leech off one of the student on their two week placement;)
Amazing what you learn from the pups!!

Hooch

deadwood wrote: »

Nicely back on topic too!

O you know me too well dw:D

csm

i just randomly came upon this thread off the front page and was wondering, what's the thinking behind gardai being allowed to use their mobile phones behind the wheel? they are just as likely to be distracted and cause an accident as anyone else.

TheNog

csm wrote: »

i just randomly came upon this thread off the front page and was wondering, what's the thinking behind gardai being allowed to use their mobile phones behind the wheel? they are just as likely to be distracted and cause an accident as anyone else.

First off its not only Gardai who are allowed to use their mobiles while driving. All Emergency Service personnel are allowed to as well, while on duty, as are civilians who are calling an Emergency Service. So if you are driving home one day and spot another who you think is drunk, you are permitted to use your phone to call Gardai and follow that driver. This happens everyday of the week across the country.

The reason why Emergency Service people are allowed to use their own phones or state issued phones is because of the radio system which is both unsecure, unreliable and patchy at best.

Hooch

csm wrote: »

i just randomly came upon this thread off the front page and was wondering, what's the thinking behind gardai being allowed to use their mobile phones behind the wheel? they are just as likely to be distracted and cause an accident as anyone else.

Because members of AGS who are official drivers are trained above and beyond that of a civilian. It is also required to fufill Policing duties a the moment. As official drivers we are trained to be fully alert while driving and planning every mile of road in advance. So in general a good AGS driver will not be distracted by it.:)

Section 3 (2) RTA 2006 is the legistation.

Also members and public should be aware that this legislation covers two way radios/ CBs that taxis use and also information systems, such as sat navs and in car entertainment systems (aimed at ipods etc):D

csm

seems fair. i presume this is only when on duty, and off duty you revert to the civilian rule of 'only in an emergency'? or does the law make any distinction between an on-duty and off-duty driver?

Hooch

csm wrote: »

seems fair. i presume this is only when on duty, and off duty you revert to the civilian rule of 'only in an emergency'? or does the law make any distinction between an on-duty and off-duty driver?

As a rule yes once you finish work then your under normal RTA law. That said a Garda is always on duty, so if the call is work related then it is in the course of his duties and so he/she would be exempt.

Of course as i said this is all in the course of his/her duties....not calling the wife to have then dinner on:D

tommyhaas

Things you wish were common knowledge........but aren't

brayblue24 wrote: »

The "holding a grudge" bit doesn't happen.

I could a saved meself lookin like a mug...

Hooch

tommyhaas wrote: »

Things you wish were common knowledge........but aren't




I could a saved meself lookin like a mug...

Nobody.....well most arent mugs here:)!!!

Healthy debate is always good!!:D:D

Turner

Say you are going to a suicude. Often control will get your phone number and ring you rather that give it out over the radio.

Why??

Because maybe 100-150 other people might be listeneing to the radio, maybe a relative or friend of the person who is swinging naked from the rafters.

Hardly the way somebody wants to hear somebody is dead, over command and control radio.

So yeah mostly when gardai are on the phone it is for work purposes. Our station radios barelt fork a mile away from the station. They are useless. So we all use our own personal phones.

brayblue24

Chief--- wrote: »

So we all use our own personal phones.

Not me. Under no circumstances and I make no apologies for it.

Hooch

brayblue24 wrote: »

Not me. Under no circumstances and I make no apologies for it.

Same here + 1!!!

GRA told us not to few years back and sticking with it. Were lucky i suppose we have hands free kits in the vehicles

Esel

nice guy always wrote: »

Because members of AGS who are official drivers are trained above and beyond that of a civilian......

Any differentiation regarding drivers with Chief's permission only? Bluetooth headsets could save lives, no? Even if members had to buy their own - it's done for a lot of other equipment, in real life....

[Don't mean 'had to buy their own' to read 'were compelled to buy their own', of course.] Keeping the public safe, at the end of the day.

Hooch

esel wrote: »

Any differentiation regarding drivers with Chief's permission only? Bluetooth headsets could save lives, no? Even if members had to buy their own - it's done for a lot of other equipment, in real life....

[Don't mean 'had to buy their own' to read 'were compelled to buy their own', of course.] Keeping the public safe, at the end of the day.

No difference between chiefs im afraid, an item that is being looked at presently.

Bluetooth head sets were supossed to be issued but never were. Why should members buy head sets???? Do other jobs buy their own equipment??
What members buy is better boots etc (stuff the job supply that is muck)

Also personal protection is an issue. I.E. get out of patrol car with you nice headset and get a slap into the side of the head....it'll hurt!

Keeping the public at safe is part of your job....which we do quite well imo

TheNog

nice guy always wrote: »

Bluetooth head sets were supossed to be issued but never were. Why should members buy head sets???? Do other jobs buy their own equipment??
What members buy is better boots etc (stuff the job supply that is muck)

Also personal protection is an issue. I.E. get out of patrol car with you nice headset and get a slap into the side of the head....it'll hurt!

Keeping the public at safe is part of your job....which we do quite well imo

Also if I remember correctly the State issue mobile phones are not bluetooth enabled so it would be back to the member using their own phones which should not have to be the case.

anyways it could bring up the whole case of "if you were not issued with it, why are you using it" type problem

Thoie

*glances out window, looks surprised* Why would an unmarked car, running on lights and sirens, opt to undertake on the hard shoulder of the M50, rather than in the empty overtaking lane? Someone nearly swerved into him - presumably because they'd lost sight of him and thought he'd be coming up the outside.

congo_90

daithip wrote: »

Or, why aren't you out there catching the real criminals?


Don't ring up the local station and say someone has thrown a parking/building cone into the road, please don't just drive by it, get out and move it yourself.

Even on a dual carriageway at night with cars zooming by at speeds 80+?
where cars are swerving around it?
I made such a call a while ago. won't comment on it. further. I'm enjoying the read on this thread.

Hooch

Thoie wrote: »

*glances out window, looks surprised* Why would an unmarked car, running on lights and sirens, opt to undertake on the hard shoulder of the M50, rather than in the empty overtaking lane? Someone nearly swerved into him - presumably because they'd lost sight of him and thought he'd be coming up the outside.

Depends on traffic conditions. Were not trained to drive up the hard shoulder unless the traffic is at a stand still and i cant back this member if the traffic was moving more than 50kmph.

As for the driver nearly swerving into him that was the driver fault. Too many people panic and do stupid, yes STUPID things. If you only knew:rolleyes:. Compared to the English, Irish drivers are very bad at reacting to blue lights. Hense why you see some patrol cars flying down the road with no blues. Sometimes its easier!

Thoie

nice guy always wrote: »

As for the driver nearly swerving into him that was the driver fault. Too many people panic and do stupid, yes STUPID things. If you only knew:rolleyes:. Compared to the English, Irish drivers are very bad at reacting to blue lights. Hense why you see some patrol cars flying down the road with no blues. Sometimes its easier!

I'd only semi agree that it would have been the driver's fault if he had swerved into him. When I was learning to drive you always pulled left if you heard a siren coming up behind you - jumping into the ditch if you had to Living in Dublin these days with fancy hard shoulders and bus lanes, it can be hard to know what way a noisy flashy vehicle is going to come around you. My instinct still tells me to pull left, but the likelihood is that the bus lane will be freer than anywhere else, so that's the noisemaker will head for :S We should have some public info or something.

Hooch

Thoie wrote: »

I'd only semi agree that it would have been the driver's fault if he had swerved into him. When I was learning to drive you always pulled left if you heard a siren coming up behind you - jumping into the ditch if you had to Living in Dublin these days with fancy hard shoulders and bus lanes, it can be hard to know what way a noisy flashy vehicle is going to come around you. My instinct still tells me to pull left, but the likelihood is that the bus lane will be freer than anywhere else, so that's the noisemaker will head for :S We should have some public info or something.

You have just validated my point!!:D

Driver testing and instructing does not cover this. In England it does. U'll never see an English motorist swerving or slamming on the brakes.....but they are always the first out of the way if you follow.

We def should have a public info presentation, like the ones couple months ago. Good idea.....i'll work on it;)~!

Thoie

nice guy always wrote: »

We def should have a public info presentation, like the ones couple months ago. Good idea.....i'll work on it;)~!

While we're waiting for that can you give us a few clues? Eg. I'm in the left lane of two lanes of choc-a-block traffic, no hard shoulder, no bus lane. A nee-naw is somewhere behind me - what do I do?

Hooch

Thoie wrote: »

While we're waiting for that can you give us a few clues? Eg. I'm in the left lane of two lanes of choc-a-block traffic, no hard shoulder, no bus lane. A nee-naw is somewhere behind me - what do I do?

It depends on traffic and lane position. Check your mirror, see where the vehicle is proceeding (emergency vehicle drivers are normally good at picking the best route through). Then try your best to make way. Generally in two line traffic of dual carrigway at a standstill, the ES vehicle will come up the centre line. This is the easiest as left lane can move left and the right lane can move right, allowing plenty room in the middle for the ES vehicle (a two lane carrigway can take three vehicles and if it can fit, a trained ES driver will make it fit). In city areas this is harder to do as lanes are smaller

Again its common sense really, motorists just panic.

brayblue24

TheNog wrote: »

anyways it could bring up the whole case of "if you were not issued with it, why are you using it" type problem

Yep, if they don't supply it don't use it.

donvito99

Thoie wrote: »

When I was learning to drive you always pulled left if you heard a siren coming up behind you

After you've checked your mirrors. No need to jump in to a ditch straight away.

gussieg

I had no idea there were so many gards on this site. How interestingly wonderful.
Hmmm. I'll be more careful in future.
As for those NCT geezers in NAAS, ooooh....dont get me started. some of them are decent guys just trying to do their job and keep safe cars on the road and unsafe off, but some of them are powerhungry RUDE dodgy chauvinistic bigoted people who seem to get a real kick out of wrecking someones day, by pointing out their left front headlamp is out of range by a few millimeters.
It may be off topic but this is the first thread that came up when i put in the word NCT in the search.

easyeason3

This is slightly off topic & a little bit icky but I have to ask.
I heard a rumour before that a Guard has to give you his cap if you need to do a poo, is this true?

Thoie

donvito99 wrote: »

After you've checked your mirrors. No need to jump in to a ditch straight away.

No, no, it's culchie law. You hear a siren, you leap for the ditch. The number of times the ice-cream van had to tow me out again was ridiculous!

deadwood

easyeason3 wrote: »

This is slightly off topic & a little bit icky but I have to ask.
I heard a rumour before that a Guard has to give you his cap if you need to do a poo, is this true?

Yes, but you've to hold it for him when it's his turn.

Don't forget to take the pin out of his tie when you're wiping your arse with it.

easyeason3

deadwood wrote: »

Yes, but you've to hold it for him when it's his turn.

Don't forget to take the pin out of his tie when you're wiping your arse with it.

So it's up there with pots of gold & lepheracuans then, thanks

deadwood

easyeason3 wrote: »

So it's up there with pots of gold & lepheracuans then, thanks

Well, everyone knows a leprechaun must give you his crock of gold if you need to take a dump.

That's where the phrase "crock of $hit" came from.