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Continuously being pulled over due to "boy racer" style car

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    #32
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Buy a sensible car that is not used by criminals.


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    #33
    ANSI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭ANSI


    nocheerleader wrote: »
    In the last year I purchased a Toyota Celica - basic model, no extras however it does have tinted windows.

    I am female, 28, this is my 6th car in ten years, my first of this style, I have no previous road traffic convictions (or any convictions for that matter), I would consider myself a safe driver, no crashes ever, no insurance claims etc.

    I purchased the car because I liked the look of it and the colour, I know nothing technical about cars, I also feel no need to speed.

    In the last year I have been pulled over on 6 occassions, once by detectives who took my licence went back to their car and in fairness politely enough told me it was mis-identification.

    Next experience wasn't as nice, had a male Garda shout quiet abusively through my window (at a checkpoint) asking if I knew the rules of the road and when I answered a question correctly he said, word for word "well I am checking your tax and insurance now and if you dont have them I will do you for that", I was ok though because all of my discs were up to date.

    Then, another occassion at a checkpoint, two female Garda stopped me and asked me to get out of the car under the missuse of drugs act and proceeded to search me and my passenger. Again they found nothing and let me go.

    Other couple of times similar stories.

    I am actually quiet nervous now when I am approached by a Garda even though I have done nothing wrong ..except chose the wrong model of car it seems! Last few times I have gone away shaking as the Garda were not very nice to me.

    I am currently now trying to sell this car as it is causing me so much hassle :(

    My question is, has anybody else felt discriminated against because of their choice in car?

    And I am guessing there is no option except sell the car? One friend suggested if I was to encounter another abusive Garda to politely tell them I was going to record them on my phone, can't see that going down well though.
    No garda can be abusive to when "doing his jobs" apologists and or cops put it. Get their name next time and complain to ombidsman if they are nasty to you. Muppet cops on power trip


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    #34
    ANSI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭ANSI


    Reloc8 wrote: »
    I read your post correctly.

    What I highlighted in your post is that you said a complaint to the Ombudsman would, in the circumstances described by the OP, be frivolous, which is wrong.
    +1


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    #35
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    Buy a sensible car that is not used by criminals.
    Oh so people should just cave in because of what could be construed as harassment? Some answer.

    If a person has no criminal record, with all their documents in order, and they don't act the bollocks, then it shouldn't be an issue. Anything else is an abuse of power on the part of the Gardai in question and they do a huge disservice to the perception of the force.

    I know a number of people that have found similar situations with Gardai, and there is definitely a lot of (perhaps older) gardai that have a prejudice based on the age of drivers, for instance one person I know who is around the same age as the OP has been harassed in a standard Mercedes saloon, and he's not someone that's up to no good, he's as clean as a whistle, he's actually preparing for his FE-1s at Blackhall.

    Yet a local Garda, a young fella, has a souped up Mitsubishi Evo, possibly on lowered suspension, with over 30% tints and he's still booting it around the place. Maybe if the law was enforced evenly, then these type of threads wouldn't pop up so often :rolleyes:


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    #36
    ANSI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭ANSI


    Corruptable wrote: »
    Yet a local Garda, a young fella, has a souped up Mitsubishi Evo, possibly on lowered suspension, with over 30% tints and he's still booting it around the place. Maybe if the law was enforced evenly, then these type of threads wouldn't pop up so often :rolleyes:
    why not complain him


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    #37
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    ANSI wrote: »
    why not complain him
    Because he's entitled to drive a car of his choice (assuming it isn't lowered and is otherwise compliant), and I'm not naive enough to think that I wouldn't be subject to mild harassment in future from this individual and/or his colleagues.

    Then I'd have to make a "frivolous" (seemly any complaint attracts this presumption) complaint to the Ombudsman who would sit on the case for a year or two and then throw it away or give a slap on the wrist.

    I'm not a combative person or someone who is anti-garda, I just feel that some discretion should be utilised in dealing with responsible people who are young or driving a roadworthy car which flags their attention but otherwise is compliant with the law.

    Some mutual respect goes a long way.


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    #38
    ANSI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭ANSI


    Corruptable wrote: »
    Because he's entitled to drive a car of his choice (assuming it isn't lowered and is otherwise compliant), and I'm not naive enough to think that I wouldn't be subject to mild harassment in future from this individual and/or his colleagues.

    Then I'd have to make a "frivolous" (seemly any complaint attracts this presumption) complaint to the Ombudsman who would sit on the case for a year or two and then throw it away or give a slap on the wrist.

    I'm not a combative person or someone who is anti-garda, I just feel that some discretion should be utilised in dealing with responsible people who are young or driving a roadworthy car which flags their attention but otherwise is compliant with the law.

    Some mutual respect goes a long way.
    i thought it was lowered is that not illegal.


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    #39
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    ANSI wrote: »
    i thought it was lowered is that not illegal.
    If it's lowered it would be an illegal modification. It looks lowered, but I am by no means an expert on the whole area of cars. I just drive a bog standard saloon myself, but I can understand why people might like to have a car which might seem to me or you to be a bit extravagant.

    I'm sure that if the OP explained contacted the relevant division and explained her situation that it wouldn't be a problem and I'm sure what sounds like a misunderstanding could be cleared up. Thankfully the OP is willing to engage with the Gardai, but I could see how ,maybe a different person might feel forced to sell the car (possibly at a loss) and would hold a chip on their shoulder towards the Gardai after that. That's not a good thing, in my opinion.


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    #40
    ANSI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭ANSI


    Corruptable wrote: »
    ,maybe a different person might feel forced to sell the car (possibly at a loss) and
    if people are going to be abused by gardai so be it . i would not sell it or be harrassedby them

    would hold a chip on their shoulder towards the Gardai after that. That's not a good thing, in my opinion.
    chip on the shoulder is often used by abusers for people who stand up to them


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    #41
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    Fair enough I just wish that there was a bit more understanding and less aggro between young drivers and the gardai, it would ensure a lot higher level of compliance and a wider level of support for the gardai especially when they need all the assistance they can get in detecting and solving serious crimes.

    Obviously I've no problem with checkpoints for drink driving, tax & insurance, drug trafficking, etc. I'm always more than happy to oblige, as I'm sure the OP is, even though maybe her car attracts a certain image which probably isn't true so it's always good for gardai to approach it with an open mind.

    I'm just being constructively critical, but I know a lot of members of the Gardai on here do get a hard time that they don't deserve by people just having a go, and certainly I don't want to be perceived as one of those.


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    #42
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    I know for a fact there is a certain Garda that pulls over every civic that appears in his village. He says that only hudlums and drug dealers drive civics hence why he hates them.


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    #43
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    I know for a fact there is a certain Garda that pulls over every civic that appears in his village. He says that only hudlums and drug dealers drive civics hence why he hates them.
    Strangely enough I heard of him as well. We must be neighbours!


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    #44
    charlemont
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,725 ✭✭✭charlemont


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    I know for a fact there is a certain Garda that pulls over every civic that appears in his village. He says that only hudlums and drug dealers drive civics hence why he hates them.

    There's a fair few old school cops like that around, I bet the same bloke probably thinks any one with a shaved head or an earring is a total thug, Probably hates anyone who isn't togging out on a cold Sunday morning after mass too.

    Cops like that will think of you as a drug addict for having a packet of Rizlas on you.


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    #45
    Reloc8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,857 ✭✭✭Reloc8


    MagicSean wrote: »
    A complaint for the sole purpose of intimidating the next Garda would be a frivilous complaint.

    No it wouldn't. Whether it is frivolous or not would depend on whether the actions complained of amounted to a breach of relevant law, practice or regulations.


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    #46
    MagicSean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,897 ✭✭✭MagicSean


    Reloc8 wrote: »
    No it wouldn't. Whether it is frivolous or not would depend on whether the actions complained of amounted to a breach of relevant law, practice or regulations.

    My god you're right. The word I should have used was vexatious.


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    #47
    Corruptable
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭Corruptable


    charlemont wrote: »
    There's a fair few old school cops like that around, I bet the same bloke probably thinks any one with a shaved head or an earring is a total thug, Probably hates anyone who isn't togging out on a cold Sunday morning after mass too.

    Cops like that will think of you as a drug addict for having a packet of Rizlas on you.
    We all want new school cops now though. People like their policing to be professional, sensitive, caring and soft on the skin and not something like out of The Guard.

    I don't see why it can't be, and still knock lumps off the scummers once their concretely identified as such.


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    #48
    castie
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 3,807 ✭✭✭castie


    In fairness some of the cops at traffic stops can be a bit much and go above and beyond.

    A few years ago they set up a stop on a road about 4 houses down from my girlfriends house.
    I drove down the road and spotted the check but pulled into the curb next to the house to collect my girlfriend.

    All of a sudden theres a garda running up the road towards me. (I ignored it and thought something had gone on behind me)

    Next thing hes hammering at my side window with his baton and begins hurling abuse at me for trying to avoid a traffic stop and quoting laws I had broken by doing so. He then demanded I show him proof that I was collecting someone when I offered it as the explanation.

    The garda in charge of the checkpoint came down the road after a bit of this and I again explained that I was collecting someone at this house and he basically told me to "move away from the area". When I refused as I was waiting for someone he quoted another law to me saying something along the lines of it was an offence to disobey a lawful direction from a garda.

    This was a few years ago and I am a bit fuzzy on the actual laws they quoted.
    Made a complaint to the Superintendent who was chairman of my rugby club and got an apology fairly fast out of both of them in writing.


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    #49
    HellFireClub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭HellFireClub


    MagicSean wrote: »
    nocheerleader wrote: »
    Thanks :)

    Funny enough no garda has ever had a problem or mentioned it but if it helps I will be happy!

    Traffic units now have devices for measuring the tint level and have begun prosecuting for window tints. The car will also fail the nct with tinted windows. You could also call to the local station and ask if there is any particular reason you get pulled over. Your car may have previously been owned by a known criminal and the Garda might be willing to note the change of ownership on the vehicles record.

    Hardly likely, if this was true, there would be no Range Rovers or BMW's left on Irish roads.


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    #50
    Bullseye1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,731 ✭✭✭Bullseye1


    Next time once they have finished giving you verbal abuse calmly ask for their name and their Garda number. Like every facate of live there are always those who let alittle bit of power go to their heads.


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    #51
    Turner
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,931 Mod ✭✭✭✭Turner


    Bullseye1 wrote: »
    Next time once they have finished giving you verbal abuse calmly ask for their name and their Garda number. Like every facate of live there are always those who let alittle bit of power go to their heads.

    If you use your eyes you will see their "number" is written on their shoulder, detectives will always produce id when requested.


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