So got stopped by the gardai today ................

CoalBucket

As the title says I got stopped by the Gardai today whilst driving a work van. The van doesn't have any advertising on it and is a 10 reg transit. This is how the conversation went.

Garda: Can I see your Licence.

Me: No problem (handing Garda licence)

Garda: Why were you on the phone while driving ?

Me: No I wasn't

Garda: Are you calling me a liar ?

Me: what ? No I'm telling you I wasn't on the phone

Garda: Are you saying I'm seeing things ? I saw you with the phone up to your ear.

Me: I don't know what you saw but I wasn't on the phone.

Garda: (Looking into the van) Well then whats that in the passanger seat ?

Me: A phone.

Garda: So you were on the phone and put it down when you say me coming

Me: I have a car kit (pointing to the parrot) There would be no point with me having the phone up to my ear as the sound comes through the speakers and I speak into the mic (pointing to the mic above my head )

Garda: Right (Proceeds to walk around the van, first checking the tax and insurance were up to date and then checking all the tyres. Walks around again to the driver window throws in the licence and says "Go on" and walks away in disgust.

Is this just a revenue raising attempt ? Did he think I was a traveller and just giving me a hard time? Or just an di**head ?

ChunkyLover_53

CoalBucket wrote: »

Me: I have a car kit (pointing to the parrot) There would be no point with me having the phone up to my ear as the sound comes through the speakers and I speak into the mic (pointing to the mic above my head )

Dude...wait...what?

HavingCrack

CoalBucket wrote: »

As the title says I got stopped by the Gardai today whilst driving a work van. The van doesn't have any advertising on it and is a 10 reg transit. This is how the conversation went.

Garda: Can I see your Licence.

Me: No problem (handing Garda licence)

Garda: Why were you on the phone while driving ?

Me: No I wasn't

Garda: Are you calling me a liar ?

Me: what ? No I'm telling you I wasn't on the phone

Garda: Are you saying I'm seeing things ? I saw you with the phone up to your ear.

Me: I don't know what you saw but I wasn't on the phone.

Garda: (Looking into the van) Well then whats that in the passanger seat ?

Me: A phone.

Garda: So you were on the phone and put it down when you say me coming

Me: I have a car kit (pointing to the parrot) There would be no point with me having the phone up to my ear as the sound comes through the speakers and I speak into the mic (pointing to the mic above my head )

Garda: Right (Proceeds to walk around the van, first checking the tax and insurance were up to date and then checking all the tyres. Walks around again to the driver window throws in the licence and says "Go on" and walks away in disgust.

Is this just a revenue raising attempt ? Did he think I was a traveller and just giving me a hard time? Or just an di**head ?

He was looking for a reaction from you i.e. calling him a liar. You did the right thing and didn't fall for his bait. I don't know if you've any grounds for making a complaint against him, probably not I'd imagine.

rebel10

The majority of time, when i see a guy in a white transit van, they do have phones up to their ears. Maybe he just decided to check.

squeakyduck

ChunkyLover_53 wrote: »

Dude...wait...what?

It's a handsfree kit. It acts like a handsfree mic for your phone, sits on your visor. Sounds like the copper was acting the prick. Hate that

freyners

ChunkyLover_53 wrote: »

Dude...wait...what?

its a type of car phone kit

Seriously, the garda sounds out of bounds

larry1

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/03dublinwrx/image001.gif

galwayrush

State needs money real bad.........:rolleyes:

XxMCRxBabyxX

CoalBucket wrote: »

As the title says I got stopped by the Gardai today whilst driving a work van. The van doesn't have any advertising on it and is a 10 reg transit. This is how the conversation went.

Garda: Can I see your Licence.

Me: No problem (handing Garda licence)

Garda: Why were you on the phone while driving ?

Me: No I wasn't

Garda: Are you calling me a liar ?

Me: what ? No I'm telling you I wasn't on the phone

Garda: Are you saying I'm seeing things ? I saw you with the phone up to your ear.

Me: I don't know what you saw but I wasn't on the phone.

Garda: (Looking into the van) Well then whats that in the passanger seat ?

Me: A phone.

Garda: So you were on the phone and put it down when you say me coming

Me: I have a car kit (pointing to the parrot) There would be no point with me having the phone up to my ear as the sound comes through the speakers and I speak into the mic (pointing to the mic above my head )

Garda: Right (Proceeds to walk around the van, first checking the tax and insurance were up to date and then checking all the tyres. Walks around again to the driver window throws in the licence and says "Go on" and walks away in disgust.

Is this just a revenue raising attempt ? Did he think I was a traveller and just giving me a hard time? Or just an di**head ?

Strange. Similar happened to my mum in her car a week or two ago. Guard started shouting at her to get off the phone and she was never on it! She point blank refuses to use her phone when driving

bonerm

Pigs may lie.

KeithM89_old

It was clearly just an attempt to get your number :rolleyes:

00112984

So, were you on the phone?

Cheap Thrills!

CoalBucket wrote: »

Is this just a revenue raising attempt ?

Yea, sure it's a short quarter with Christmas comin! Targets to be met!

Rented Mule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE

CoalBucket

00112984 wrote: »

So, were you on the phone?

No, I'm in sales so the phone is going all day hence the car kit. I'd be off the road over penalty points without it. It's getting fairly bad when they are trying to give you points for not being on the phone !

galwayrush

00112984 wrote: »

So, were you on the phone?

What's that got to do with it?:D

A garda?

Being unreasonable and stupid?

Well I never........

starbelgrade

CoalBucket wrote: »

No, I'm in sales so the phone is going all day hence the car kit. I'd be off the road over penalty points without it. It's getting fairly bad when they are trying to give you points for not being on the phone !

Let me guess.... you sell phone car kits and this a clever marketing ruse to get people to buy more in case the Gardai pull you over for being on the phone.

King of Kings

got stopped 3 weeks ago on a fri night by an unmarked garda car.
3 of them got out and started giving me the ****e that I was on the phone - which I wasn't.
Gave them the phone to check - which they refused - walked away saying I'd hear from them. Still waiting.

Seems odd the amount of people this is happening too.

bonerm

So what are the pigs up to now? Have their arrest quotas been raised this month or something?

Rented Mule

Wuz he a big culchie gard ?

CoalBucket

King of Kings wrote: »

got stopped 3 weeks ago on a fri night by an unmarked garda car.
3 of them got out and started giving me the ****e that I was on the phone - which I wasn't.
Gave them the phone to check - which they refused - walked away saying I'd hear from them. Still waiting.

Seems odd the amount of people this is happening too.

Maybe they'll ring you when you are driving

CoalBucket

Rented Mule wrote: »

Wuz he a big culchie gard ?

Is there any another kind ?

Bodhisopha

I'd have gone straight into the the phone log on the phone and proved him wrong. Simple as that.

MagicSean

galwayrush wrote: »

State needs money real bad.........:rolleyes:

You'd swear we worked on commission.

Absurdum

probably saw you scratching your head or something

starbelgrade

You should have said, "No, how could I possibly drive, **** & answer the phone at the same time?" in a Cork accent.

Gyalist

There was a Garda crackdown a few weeks ago on vans that were being used privately without paying the higher rate of motor tax. Maybe they assumed that the van was being used privately because it didn't have any logos on it.

CoalBucket

starbelgrade wrote: »

You should have said, "No, how could I possibly drive, **** & answer the phone at the same time?" in a Cork accent.

strangely I had taken some nurofen + earlier

bonerm

starbelgrade wrote: »

You should have said, "No, how could I possibly drive, **** & answer the phone at the same time?" in a Cork accent.

Nothing like having a nice long prendeville while driving.

charlemont

thats a disgrace but they get away with whatever they want, i haven't had it happen me yet though..

x in the city

CoalBucket wrote: »

As the title says I got stopped by the Gardai today whilst driving a work van. The van doesn't have any advertising on it and is a 10 reg transit. This is how the conversation went.

Garda: Can I see your Licence.

Me: No problem (handing Garda licence)

Garda: Why were you on the phone while driving ?

Me: No I wasn't

Garda: Are you calling me a liar ?

Me: what ? No I'm telling you I wasn't on the phone

Garda: Are you saying I'm seeing things ? I saw you with the phone up to your ear.

Me: I don't know what you saw but I wasn't on the phone.

Garda: (Looking into the van) Well then whats that in the passanger seat ?

Me: A phone.

Garda: So you were on the phone and put it down when you say me coming

Me: I have a car kit (pointing to the parrot) There would be no point with me having the phone up to my ear as the sound comes through the speakers and I speak into the mic (pointing to the mic above my head )

Garda: Right (Proceeds to walk around the van, first checking the tax and insurance were up to date and then checking all the tyres. Walks around again to the driver window throws in the licence and says "Go on" and walks away in disgust.

Is this just a revenue raising attempt ? Did he think I was a traveller and just giving me a hard time? Or just an di**head ?

another guarda on his high horse

usless f***er

Dunjohn

You have a parrot kit in your car?

So why was the phone on the passenger seat?

RobTheLad

the parrot kits work through bluetooth so it can be anywere in the van

zenno

bonerm wrote: »

Pigs may lie.

and pigs can fly, i.e the garda helicopter.

CoalBucket

Dunjohn wrote: »

You have a parrot kit in your car?

So why was the phone on the passenger seat?

Its a van and the glove compartment is well out of reach. I'm in and out of the van all day so I keep the phone close for when I'm getting out.

karlog

Probably thought you were a traveller. Everyone hates a traveller, especially guards.

Ronin247

They have private contractors doing the speed cameras so they have to look busy somehow,cannot all hide in dunkin donuts.

gizmo

CoalBucket wrote: »

Garda: Why were you on the phone while driving ?

Me: No I wasn't

Regardless of whether people were or weren't on the phone, that is probably the most popular reply given by motorists. The Garda probably thought he saw you on the phone and decided to push you to see if you'd admit to it, especially after seeing the phone on the passenger seat. Given the fact that you had a hands-free kit, there was obviously no chance you would have been on the phone so he dropped it and left. While it would have been nice if he had been more civil once he realised this it's hardly worth getting ones knickers in a twist.

User Friendly

karlog wrote: »

Probably thought you were a traveller. Everyone hates a traveller, especially guards.

he is a traveller.

so OP were you scratching your head or what?the cop said he saw you holding a phone to your ear,so he saw your hand to your ear i presume:D


someone is telling porkies.......:):):);)

CoalBucket

gizmo wrote: »

While it would have been nice if he had been more civil once he realised this it's hardly worth getting ones knickers in a twist.

No knickers in a twist just thought he was a bit of a dick

rainbowdrop

zenno wrote: »

and pigs can fly, i.e the garda helicopter.

A pork chopper!!

CoalBucket

User Friendly wrote: »

he is a traveller.

so OP were you scratching your head or what?the cop said he saw you holding a phone to your ear,so he saw your hand to your ear i presume:D


someone is telling porkies.......:):):);)

The garda is

User Friendly

CoalBucket wrote: »

The garda is

thought that.

geespot

majority of gardai are thick as a plank i drive for a living and admit i often use the phone and nearly every second time i meet the gardai the driver is on the phone one law for them and all that

drunkmonkey

rainbowdrop wrote: »

A pork chopper!!

I think you've just created a new Joke, legend:D

ebbsy

Tip on down to the ombudsman my friend. See how smart he will be with a complaint against his name.

BostonB

CoalBucket wrote: »

...
Garda: Are you calling me a liar ?...

...are you saying I called you a liar...


Much as I feel they have a hard job. Some of them have a real attitude problem, do themselves no favours. Never take the bait. They are just waiting for that.

geespot

dont worry about rising to the bait every time they stop me i give them as much abus as i can and have to say it usally goes like this they give me abuse i give them abuse and they make some ideal threat and walk away and i get of scott free

looksee

Then there was the driver of the artic I saw earlier this week, negotiating a roundabout with one hand holding a phone to his ear.

In fact, judging by the number of drivers of commercial vehicles, including buses, you see using mobiles as they drive, maybe it should be compulsory for hands-free sets to be installed in the cabs.

PCPhoto

BostonB wrote: »

...are you saying I called you a liar...


Much as I feel they have a hard job. Some of them have a real attitude problem, do themselves no favours. Never take the bait. They are just waiting for that.

totally agree with this ...... I had a similar experience several months ago.

I was driving in the bus lane at 6.30pm (I know I know.... get up there on yer high horse) .... pulled into the traffic (I was in the filter lane and continued up the bus lane to try get back into the traffic - 2 normal lanes merge into a normal lane and a bus lane)

Anyway - back to my story about me....
few secs after I get back into traffic a garda car pulls up alongside me .... tells me to pull over

I ask where and was told into the loading bay up ahead (where the road widens) ....anyway...I pull over do the whole licence thing.....and the garda then starts telling me I was on my phone - I deny and give him my phone to check ...he checks and then tells me that I nearly knocked over a cyclist too - I asked when and he tells me when I was pulling into the loading bay, I told him there was no cyclist and he started asking me more questions....

seems like the gardai seem to want to throw out anything and hope you admit to something ...how feckin lazy are they getting !!!