Cops on the clock

Quiz Freak

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for. I then came up behind a squad car, but the cop driving would not keep in for me (and I know he could see me because I could see him looking in his wing view mirror) so the first oppertunity I got I overtook him, which was on a double white line and I was speeding. He didn't even batter an eyelid. He had to have known there was something wrong and he didn't even bother to offer his assistance or chase me and pull me. I was hoping he'd help me get through the traffic to the hospital..

I've been told since that he was probably on his way home and couldn't care less.

Then I heard this morning that a woman's handbag was stolen, she contacted the cops, who didn't seem interested in doing anything. She then spotted the man who took her bag and saw 2 ban-guardas walking down the street, she told them her story, one of them looked at her watch and explained how they're going off duty very soon and that someone else would be starting.

This is brutal behaviour by the cops, go easy on me now, i'm a long time reader of AH, first time poster!
And just in case anyone's interested, yes I got my sister to the hospital just on time! Her husband was meeting us there, so I'd rang him and told him to have someone ready and at the door to meet us because the baby was coming, she was out of the car less than a minute when the baby arrived!

delta_bravo

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for. I then came up behind a squad car, but the cop driving would not keep in for me (and I know he could see me because I could see him looking in his wing view mirror) so the first oppertunity I got I overtook him, which was on a double white line and I was speeding. He didn't even batter an eyelid. He had to have known there was something wrong and he didn't even bother to offer his assistance or chase me and pull me. I was hoping he'd help me get through the traffic to the hospital..

I've been told since that he was probably on his way home and couldn't care less.

Then I heard a load of hearsay

Why didnt you stop and ask the gardai to escort you? Seems like a logical option. Second story could be absolute rubbish, you werent there so you dont know what happened

**Timbuk2**

There is no emergency worth putting the lives of others at risk

danniemcq

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

There is no emergency worth putting the lives of others at risk

Did you never see that fly on the wall documentary 24?

qwytre

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I was hoping he'd help me get through the traffic to the hospital..

You mean he didnt even bother to use his powers of telepathy?

HoPpiE

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

There is no emergency worth putting the lives of others at risk

I'd say if the emergency could result everyone on the planet will dieing then I think that would be worth putting others lives at risk.

mikemac

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I've been told since that he was probably on his way home and couldn't care less.

On his way home in a squad car?? No garda does that, unless it's a rural area and the garda station and the house come together. Our village had this
Or do mean to report back to the station with the squad car?

Quiz Freak wrote: »

Then I heard this morning that a woman's handbag was stolen, she contacted the cops, who didn't seem interested in doing anything. She then spotted the man who took her bag and saw 2 ban-guardas walking down the street, she told them her story, one of them looked at her watch and explained how they're going off duty very soon and that someone else would be starting.

Nobody here could verify this, could be bull****
If that women has an issue then all she does is ask for the desk sergeant and make a complaint.
Go to the superintendent if she is not satisfied.
There is a hierarchy and a complaint is easily escalated

Mr Freeze

qwytre wrote: »

You mean he didnt even bother to use his powers of telepathy?

Telepathy or not.

Is it not his job to pull over a speeding dangerous driver, that is a risk to other peoples lives on the road?

Once he had her pulled over, he could have made a call whether to help or issue a ticket and leave them and continue on his merry way to the next emergency.

biko

To get an answer from the only people that actually know this thread has been moved from After Hours to Cops forum.

El Weirdo

biko wrote: »

To get an answer from the only people that actually know this thread has been moved from After Hours to Cops forum.

*gets popcorn

the_syco

qwytre wrote: »

You mean he didnt even bother to use his powers of telepathy?

The bastard :rolleyes:

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph.

Was she wearing a seatbelt? You're lucky you didn't hit anything when you crosses the double white lines.

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for. I then came up behind a squad car, but the cop driving would not keep in for me (and I know he could see me because I could see him looking in his wing view mirror) so the first oppertunity I got I overtook him, which was on a double white line and I was speeding. He didn't even batter an eyelid. He had to have known there was something wrong and he didn't even bother to offer his assistance or chase me and pull me. I was hoping he'd help me get through the traffic to the hospital.

Going over 100mph equals automatic 3 year ban, yes?

I wonder, for the fun of it, would the Gardai fill out an order, to get the IP address of the OP, track him down and charge him for reckless endangerment of other drivers?

Mr Freeze

the_syco wrote: »

I wonder, for the fun of it, would the Gardai fill out an order, to get the IP address of the OP, track him down and charge him for reckless endangerment of other drivers?

Sounds like too much work!

And it could be a her not a him for all we know!

source

Lads....first and only post on boards, and it's an inflamatory tread on the Gardai.....me smells a troll....post reported.

Mr Freeze

biko wrote: »

To get an answer from the only people that actually know this thread has been moved from After Hours to Cops forum.

foinse wrote: »

Lads....first and only post on boards, and it's an inflamatory tread on the Gardai.....me smells a troll....post reported.

Twas started else where and moved here by a mod, may not be a troll at all.

biko

Probably is but I'll let the Cops mods decide.
I like the "I heard" stories from the pubs, some are even true, sometimes.

Quiz Freak

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

There is no emergency worth putting the lives of others at risk

I was never in this kind of situation before, have you? If you were did you stick to the speed limit and the rules of the road and explain to your passenger that it's ok for her baby to be born in the car with someone who wouldn't have had a clue what to do. My aim was to get my sister to the hospital as quickly and as safely as possible. The baby was coming and I panicked. It was only after everything was over that I realised what had just happened.

Quiz Freak

delta_bravo wrote: »

Why didnt you stop and ask the gardai to escort you? Seems like a logical option. Second story could be absolute rubbish, you werent there so you dont know what happened

If I had stopped what's to say the cop would have stopped? My aim was to get to the hospital as quickly as possibly. But if the cop had stopped me then I'd have hoped he'd give me an escort to my destination and I've got there even quicker.
When you're in this kind of situation you don't think rationally. And it's a situation I'd never want to be in again.
And true the second story could be rubbish

El Weirdo

Quiz Freak wrote: »

My aim was to get my sister to the hospital as quickly and as safely as possible.

Erm...

I was driving over 100mph

so the first oppertunity I got I overtook him, which was on a double white line and I was speeding.

Obviously.

Shield

Leaving it open until our resident Traffic Corps Garda has a look, then I assure you it will be closed by him after he comments.

coolmoose

Childbirth is not an "emergency"...it will occur naturally. If you were that concerned you should have called an ambulance and let the ambulance crew deliver the baby at the house and then safely transport mother and child to hospital...not driven like a tw*t endangering yourself, your sister, the as yet unborn child and everybody else.

Panicking behind the wheel of a car and doing over 100mph is not a good combination...ambulances don't even travel at that sort of speed, it's just plain stupidity to do so.

Quiz Freak

foinse wrote: »

Lads....first and only post on boards, and it's an inflamatory tread on the Gardai.....me smells a troll....post reported.

No I'm not a troll .... i told "my story" to a lad at work and he told me to post it on boards to see what people out there thought about the cop not bothering to help me out. I never use boards - only read them when the same lad sends me a link to some thread. So I went against my better judgement and told my story. But at least now I know where not to come if i've a story in future. What a waste of times boards is. Never using it again.

coolmoose

Quiz Freak wrote: »

But at least now I know where not to come if i've a story in future. What a waste of times boards is. Never using it again.

Thanks for stopping by! :rolleyes:

Shield

Hi Quiz Freak.

The first part of your story is something one of our moderators may be able to help you with. If you were doing 100mph and you passed him, if he wasn't a trained pursuit driver, I don't know if he'd be authorised to follow you at that speed. There's just a few things that don't add up, so let's see what a member of the Garda Traffic Corps has to say about it before you decide to leave boards without receiving the answer you came here for?

The second part, starting with "I heard..." is not something we can comment on because it could be complete fiction, and we'd call that hearsay.

NGA - Over to you.

MagicSean

Quiz Freak wrote: »

No I'm not a troll .... i told "my story" to a lad at work and he told me to post it on boards to see what people out there thought about the cop not bothering to help me out. I never use boards - only read them when the same lad sends me a link to some thread. So I went against my better judgement and told my story. But at least now I know where not to come if i've a story in future. What a waste of times boards is. Never using it again.

Not bothering to help you? You didn't ask for help. I don't know any garda who would let that kind of driving go unpunished just beacuse it is near shift change. More likely that he had a prisoner or someone in the car and could not persue you.

guil

k_mac wrote: »

Not bothering to help you? You didn't ask for help. I don't know any garda who would let that kind of driving go unpunished just beacuse it is near shift change. More likely that he had a prisoner or someone in the car and could not persue you.

i remember years ago me and a few friends were brought home by the guards for messing around a building site, i was raging they wouldnt follow someone that broke the lights, the guard said they couldnt cos we were in the car

Quiz Freak

Quiz Freak wrote: »

No I'm not a troll .... i told "my story" to a lad at work and he told me to post it on boards to see what people out there thought about the cop not bothering to help me out.

Yes, because the internet will solve your problem.

Right, so driving your sister to hospital like an idiot. Where to start? What part of the country are you in? City, large town, rural?

Did you bother phoning 999 or 112 to see how long an ambulance would be or to ask the Gardaí for an escort?

When you passed the squad car, could you see how many people were on board? Was there a prisoner in the back?

And finally, how do you know that the driver of the car was not in the middle of dealing with something else that required him to drive directly there?

And you don't need to be pulled over straight away. Your details can be accessed on the computer and you may still get a knock on your door to explain your way out of a summons.

Zambia

With respect Quiz, I drove my Sister for the birth of her first. I think you took a little to many risks. However you were the man on the ground so to speak.

I would also like to hear traffics opinion on it.

pebbles21

TBH i think the OP drove the way he did in the hope, he would attract a Patrol car and arrive in style at the hospital with his Garda escort,alas this didnt happen and bang went his hero story down the local.

Turner

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for. I then came up behind a squad car, but the cop driving would not keep in for me (and I know he could see me because I could see him looking in his wing view mirror) so the first oppertunity I got I overtook him, which was on a double white line and I was speeding. He didn't even batter an eyelid. He had to have known there was something wrong and he didn't even bother to offer his assistance or chase me and pull me. I was hoping he'd help me get through the traffic to the hospital..

I've been told since that he was probably on his way home and couldn't care less.

Then I heard this morning that a woman's handbag was stolen, she contacted the cops, who didn't seem interested in doing anything. She then spotted the man who took her bag and saw 2 ban-guardas walking down the street, she told them her story, one of them looked at her watch and explained how they're going off duty very soon and that someone else would be starting.

This is brutal behaviour by the cops, go easy on me now, i'm a long time reader of AH, first time poster!
And just in case anyone's interested, yes I got my sister to the hospital just on time! Her husband was meeting us there, so I'd rang him and told him to have someone ready and at the door to meet us because the baby was coming, she was out of the car less than a minute when the baby arrived!

As i have said before here before, unless you were in the Garda car or listening to a Garda Radio you do not know what job the Garda in that car was on.

Gardai do not take patrol cars home.

What you should have done is phoned 999 (which you are allowed to do while driving), reported that you needed a Garda Escort given the circumstances.

You would be surprised how many cars/bikes would have shown up to help you.

I have done countless numbers (100+) of medical escorts both on bikes and in cars. It is treated as a high priority call and every member available will help.

There was no need to travel at 100mph overtaking on white lines, that was just crazy.

Muas Tenek

I can't believe that this discussion has been going on for two days and no-one has pointed out that child birth is not an emergency. in fact it has been going on for thousands of years and is a natural occurrence. The emergency part of childbirth is in the event of breach presentation - legs or arm first - which the mother would have been aware of previously. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason to be driving at 100 mph - what if there had been a catastrophic failure in the car ie. tyre blowout or an animal or person suddenly stepping out in front of the car. The danger far out weighs the benefit.
Thankfully in this instance the outcome was a happy one.
Best wishes to mother and child.

coolmoose

Muas Tenek wrote: »

I can't believe that this discussion has been going on for two days and no-one has pointed out that child birth is not an emergency.

ehhhh...ya i did!

Muas Tenek

Oh yeah so you did - my bad
Hopefully we're both getting the message through - leave it to the professionals

Eru

Muas Tenek wrote: »

I can't believe that this discussion has been going on for two days and no-one has pointed out that child birth is not an emergency. in fact it has been going on for thousands of years and is a natural occurrence. The emergency part of childbirth is in the event of breach presentation - legs or arm first - which the mother would have been aware of previously. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason to be driving at 100 mph - what if there had been a catastrophic failure in the car ie. tyre blowout or an animal or person suddenly stepping out in front of the car. The danger far out weighs the benefit.
Thankfully in this instance the outcome was a happy one.
Best wishes to mother and child.

I cant believe this thread has made 3 pages and no one has pointed out Gardai are hired and paid to catch criminals not replace ambulances and trained medical personnel.

Anyway, sounds like complete bull**** to me but then, whats new? I thought the purpose of this forum was NOT for complaints against Gardai?

fastbowler

Eru wrote: »

I cant believe this thread has made 3 pages and no one has pointed out Gardai are hired and paid to catch criminals not replace ambulances and trained medical personnel.

Anyway, sounds like complete bull**** to me but then, whats new? I thought the purpose of this forum was NOT for complaints against Gardai?

You and I both know there is a lot more to a Guard's job than catching criminals..lots lots more... have ye ever had that call to tell you about a fire?? oh ok this is a garda station you just rang, maybe you should ring the FIRE BRIGADE!!!

TylerIE

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for.


This is brutal behaviour by the cops, go easy on me now, i'm a long time reader of AH, first time poster!

With all due respect to your well intentioned wishes of getting your sister to the hospital on time to use the common phrase its better to arrive "late then dead on time", rather than developing what is sometimes called "red mist". A first baby will often (and in my experience usually does) take many hours to deliver after the waters break.

You ask if any people have been in the situation of having to decide whether an emergency was worth risking other lives - I have and am sure many others on the board have...

Calling 999/112 and asking for an ambulance would be the best advice I think that any of us would give to people who are in a similar situation in the future. Then you are in a position to make the expectant mother comfortable, assess the stage of delivery if advised to do so by ambulance control, and if a complication or a delay is likely many HSE Ambulance controls will send alternative responders - e.g. GP or Out of Hours Doctor or in some areas Fire Service First Responders.

If you felt the absolute need to drive her yourself you could have rang 999/112 and asked for an escort. There are expectant mothers escorted to one of the Dublin maternity hospitals by Gardai on a weekly basis - in everything from their private cars, to taxis to (on more than one occasion) a Dublin Bus!!!

I dont know the circumstances but if you were able to reach speeds of 100mph I assume you were in a relatively rural area. The Gardaí may have had a prisoner on board, they may have sent a message for another unit to intercept you, it may have been a driver who did not have appropriate authorization/training to initiate pursuit of someone who appeared to be so reckless, it may even have been a mechanic in the car! He might have been in an older vehicle (many of the Garda vehicles are now 6+ years old with over 200K miles on the clock) that as a long serving member he may have felt it would be inappropriate based on your speed, other traffic, etc to initiate a pursuit that would test his vehicle to the limits...

wicklaman83

Muas Tenek wrote: »

I can't believe that this discussion has been going on for two days and no-one has pointed out that child birth is not an emergency. in fact it has been going on for thousands of years and is a natural occurrence. The emergency part of childbirth is in the event of breach presentation - legs or arm first - which the mother would have been aware of previously. In my opinion there is absolutely no reason to be driving at 100 mph - what if there had been a catastrophic failure in the car ie. tyre blowout or an animal or person suddenly stepping out in front of the car. The danger far out weighs the benefit.
Thankfully in this instance the outcome was a happy one.
Best wishes to mother and child.

Its a bit late when the child comes and there is a complication which has happened to a relation of mine.The husband DID NOT rush but had to pull in as the wife was seconds from giving birth.The child came with breathing difficulties.The operator helped the father with getting the child to breath and when the ambulance arrived they took over.the child never made it but who knows if the father wasnt on his 3rd child and maybe did panic a little bit maybe the child would be here today.
So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

TylerIE

darren254 wrote: »

Its a bit late when the child comes and there is a complication which has happened to a relation of mine.The husband DID NOT rush but had to pull in as the wife was seconds from giving birth.The child came with breathing difficulties.The operator helped the father with getting the child to breath and when the ambulance arrived they took over.the child never made it but who knows if the father wasnt on his 3rd child and maybe did panic a little bit maybe the child would be here today.
So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

Many of the people on the board are registered or licensed healthcare professionals who will be well aware that less than 10% of births (IIRC the Hanly report states about 4-6% of births) are complicated... Our colleagues in AGS will tell us the hugely increased chances or likelihood of crashing if driving at 100mph, esp if panicing as worried over the childbirth.

In the UK many ante-natal classes will advise people to drive at their leisure to hospital once waters break, and NOT to call an ambulance, as its NOT an emergency. If one feels there is an emergency or is concerned, The ambulance service are there to transport ill and injured people.

As for thinking a little, the professionals who use this forum have plenty to think about, like the mangled bodies from collisions involving speeding cars... or about the times they had to do CPR on a pregnant/expectant mother... or the times they had to inform grandparents that their daughter and the grandchild they never met had died...

coolmoose

darren254 wrote: »

So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

Why not just ring 112/999 and have a trained ambulance crew rush out to you instead?? Ps & APs are highly experienced in responding on lights and sirens, and travelling at speed, so why not let them take this risk instead of someone who has never driven at speed trying to do so whilst under pressure, risking everyone elses lives on the road too?

I have thought about what I'm saying...and you're still wrong to think that it's okay for somebody to take this kind of risk...it's stupidity of the highest order to take the kind of risk the OP took. An ambulance would have been on-scene just as quick in the vast majority of this country.

Muas Tenek

darren254 wrote: »

So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

Watch this video to see what happens to a car crashing at 100mph and decide if the risk is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkn37BDvTw

shampon

Muas Tenek wrote: »

Watch this video to see what happens to a car crashing at 100mph and decide if the risk is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkn37BDvTw

ouch.

Muas Tenek

Muas Tenek wrote: »

Watch this video to see what happens to a car crashing at 100mph and decide if the risk is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkn37BDvTw

And then add in the speed of the car coming in the opposite direction.

Turner

Ok, OP you know for the next baby thats on the way to ring for an escort if it is an emergency.

Chief---