Stopped by an off duty Garda.

Mr. Larson

I got pulled over by what I can only assume was an off duty Garda driving a Peugeot. He had alternating flashing lights on the front (not blue or anything) so that was enough to make me pull over for him.

Anyway he got out of the car stood about 10 feet in front of the car and pointed to the ground, indicating I had to get out and stand in front of him so he could lecture me on my driving.

He flashed his garda badge and then proceeded to lecture me for a few minutes..

"are you a doctor on your way to an emergency?"
No...
"are you a (blah blah blah)
No...
etc.

Anyway he asked me had I any penalty points, to which I answered 'No' because I don't. He told me I was on the way to getting some if I kept it up, told me he rang in with my registration and if I'm caught again I will be prosecuted for dangerous driving.

Is this common or have I been a very bold boy?

tyview

Sounds a bit suss to me. Was it in Dublin? I know my husband was driving on a straight stretch of road near where we live and a car came up behind him with the same sort of lights (headlights flashing alternating from right to left) After a minute or so he decided to pull in but the driver just waved at him. I thought unmarked cars have the two blue flashing lights in the front grill too and the two either side of the front bumper?

testicle

Members of the Gardai are never off duty.

Mr. Larson

It was South Dublin, the N11 (Fassaroe).

Now I didn't think I was driving that badly but I accepted everything he said with a yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir (except when he accused me of undertaking - I was pulling back into an empty left lane at every opportunity - if I happened to pass another few cars in the overtaking lane I saw that as their issue and not mine).

He seemed to be pretty wound up about the whole thing which kinda took me by surprise. Have they the right to do that yes? He can't give me any points though can he? I mean he was off duty in a regular car.

2qk4u

testicle wrote: »

Members of the Gardai are never off duty.

Even when drunk or taking drugs ?

Hal1

Did he say "I know what your thinking punk, does he carry 6 shot or only 5".

MetzgerMeister

2qk4u wrote: »

Even when drunk or taking drugs ?

Of course! If they're able to use a mobile while driving then why not :pac:

Cookie_Monster

I would not have pulled over full stop. If it ain't blues'n2s it's suspicious and you never know what could happen.

Mr. Larson

Assuming he was a legitimate Garda - they have the right to do this? Can he slap me with a charge? I think not but would like to know for sure. I'd imagine he can only make a complaint and report like any Joe Soap?

tyview

Did he take look at your licence?

testicle

Jabberwocky wrote: »

Assuming he was a legitimate Garda - they have the right to do this? Can he slap me with a charge? I think not but would like to know for sure. I'd imagine he can only make a complaint and report like any Joe Soap?

Yes they do, as I already said a member of AGS is never off duty.

fenris

You may have gotten off very lightly, as passing on the left is undertaking unless the traffic is moving in queues and is very definitely your issue in the even of a collision.

The Garda may not have been off duty, he may simply have been on a different duty that did not include traffic stuff but having seen something that could potentially end badly was obliged to intervene and did so.

The fact that he didn't go further probably means that he was satisfied with your response to a level that meant that he could get back to whatever he was doing in the first place.

Sounds like discretion was exercised in your favour, take that as a good thing and move on because if he was just after notebook fodder you would waiting for your points to arrive / producing documents in the station etc.

db

This was not a garda. They will not ask you to leave the car. They will always ask you to roll down the window and remain in the car while they speak to you.

I would be very slow to stop for any unmarked car with flashing lights.

andyseadog

would an off duty garda have alternating flashing headlights fitted to his private family car? no.

would any garda after they pull you in point to the ground 10 feet in front of the car and gesture you to get out and stand there face to face with them and lecture you on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway? no. that sounds insanely dangerous and any garda would know better. any time i've been pulled in i simply have to open my window.

i'm sure you can buy a relay etc than can make your headlights do that fairly cheaply, this happened to me down a country road last year heading to my ex's house. car comes shooting up behind me, 2 blue flashing led's in the windscreen so i pull in. then the car (a 306 van i think it was in hindsight) pulls up beside me, its full of young lads dying laughing at the fright of me, then they just speed off.

dangerous carry on if you ask me, impersonating a garda or whatever its called, not nice!

MagicMarker

An off duty garda in presumably a civilian car (since when do they drive peugots?) with flashing lights?

I wouldn't have stopped.

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky wrote: »

(except when he accused me of undertaking - I was pulling back into an empty left lane at every opportunity - if I happened to pass another few cars in the overtaking lane I saw that as their issue and not mine).

That was undertaking and most decidedly your problem if you'd been caught by a real guard
Don't do it

Honey-ec

Yeah, happened to me before, got pulled in coming out of Blessington and read the riot act for overtaking on a continuous white line. The lecture was the end of it, though, nothing more came of it.

As an aside, the law on "undertaking" seriously needs to be looked at, though. If I'm in lane 1 on the N7, doing the speed limit, and I'm catching up on a middle-lane hogger doing 80kmh, common sense would dictate that you should just stay in your own lane. But, under the current law, you're undertaking by doing so. Bloody ridiculous situation whereby it's deemed "safer" to move into lane 2, then into lane 3, overtake the dawdler, then move back across the two lanes of traffic into your own lane.

Madness.

Mr. Larson

bluewolf wrote: »

That was undertaking and most decidedly your problem if you'd been caught by a real guard
Don't do it

Technically you are most likely correct.

However, in a stretch of road a mile long where the left lane in front of me is empty, the right lane is full of cars driving slower than the speed limit, I find it very difficult go against my instinct of moving left when there is nothing in the left lane for me to overtake.

What should I do? Remain in the right lane? Move left but ensure I don't move any faster than the car in the overtaking lane?

smash

I'd have taken his reg number and asked for his badge number and not given any personal details without phoning it in to my local station first.

PrettyBoy

Whether he was a guard or not, sounds like you came across an absolute prat. Doesn't sound right to me though, all details should have been taken by you, maybe you should report it to the guards yourself.

Mr. Larson

smash wrote: »

I'd have taken his reg number and asked for his badge number and not given any personal details without phoning it in to my local station first.

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Whether he was a guard or not, sounds like you came across an absolute prat. Doesn't sound right to me though, all details should have been taken by you, maybe you should report it to the guards yourself.

I might be better prepared if it ever happens again. I wasn't sure what rights he had (or not) so I just toe'd the line - hence my asking on this forum what might come of it and if he was within his rights to do so.

I also had to do a certain amount of holding my hands up... as being honest, I was guity of breaking the speed limit (only by 10/15km/h but I accept that's 10/15km/h too much), I was perhaps too close to the car in front (I wasn't tailgaiting imho but was definitely inside what would be legally safe) and technically I guess I was undertaking)

It was a particularly aggressive line of cars I happened to be following and I was not by a long way the worst offender (not an excuse) but I can't argue or deny most of what he said. Just was a little taken aback by the whole thing is all.

PCPhoto

fenris wrote: »

You may have gotten off very lightly, as passing on the left is undertaking unless the traffic is moving in queues and is very definitely your issue in the even of a collision.

The Garda may not have been off duty, he may simply have been on a different duty that did not include traffic stuff but having seen something that could potentially end badly was obliged to intervene and did so.

The fact that he didn't go further probably means that he was satisfied with your response to a level that meant that he could get back to whatever he was doing in the first place.

Sounds like discretion was exercised in your favour, take that as a good thing and move on because if he was just after notebook fodder you would waiting for your points to arrive / producing documents in the station etc.

No offence to any garda reading this but..... its quite rare for this to happen in relation to a traffic offence....Majority of Gardai that I know will not loose focus of the task ahead of them for a road traffic matter.

From what I have seen the Gardai will only persue a traffic offender when :
a) they want to teach someone a lesson that obeying the traffic laws is an offence.

b) they are in a bad mood

c) they are on traffic duty and the offence is right in front of them and the offender is not in a position to get away

d) the offender is a risk to themselves and/or others

(have to run but I'm sure I can think of others)

Bigcheeze

tyview wrote: »

(headlights flashing alternating from right to left)

That's just French electrics for you.

delly

Gardai can make arrests or similar when off duty but if he didn't have his hat on even though off duty, then it doesn't count. The hat rule loophole is still in place so I wouldn't worry about it.

Bigus

delly wrote: »

Gardai can make arrests or similar when off duty but if he didn't have his hat on even though off duty, then it doesn't count. The hat rule loophole is still in place so I wouldn't worry about it.

So a detective can't make an arrest ?

The Guvnor

LOL @ French Electrics!

I echo the lads who said it seems dead suspect.

Whatever about what happened I'd wager there is no way he followed correct procedure.

Reading more of this kind of thing makes me want to know correct procedure and my rights as a civilian.

As for undertaking on a three/two lane motorway - we've all done it and as for being over the speed limit - once again we've all been there.

The OP already had a lecture from a 'vigilante' or 'off duty cop' so hardly needs another one or two in this thread.:)

OP - did you make a note of the reg number?

Is there not some law that you must only stop for a garda in full uniform?

Bigus - a detective can make an arrest - good point - you could be done for undertaking by the head of the fraud squad but then I'd question why he was bothering with minor traffic offences!

I doubt any points are coming your way and if they do what proof do they have - zero.

I am sure you were under duress and frightened when you answered yes to the questions!:)

Mr. Larson

The Guvnor wrote: »

Whatever about what happened I'd wager there is no way he followed correct procedure.

If I was speeding, then he must have been too as he claimed he was following me "for 5 miles". Also, if he called in to the Gardai I hope he had a hands-free kit in his car. I sat in the car but he beckoned me out so we were both parked up and standing in the hard shoulder on the N11 with traffic whizzing by. It was not exactly easy to merge back into traffic.

The Guvnor wrote: »

Reading more of this kind of thing makes me want to know correct procedure and my rights as a civilian.

Absolutely - me too.

The Guvnor wrote: »

OP - did you make a note of the reg number?

I didn't. My bad. I was in yes sir no sir compliance mode as I didn't want to compound the situation, nor did I want it escalating into something more.

The Guvnor wrote: »

I doubt any points are coming your way and if they do what proof do they have - zero.

I guess so. I'd imagine it's treated as a complaint against me for alleged dangerous driving?

The Guvnor wrote: »

I am sure you were under duress and frightened when you answered yes to the questions!:)

Correct. He succeeded in intimidating me. He could argue that I was intimidating others on the road due to my driving behaviour though I suppose so I'm not trying to play the victim here. I just want to know if it was all legit and above board.

Vicxas

I dont think a garda would pull you out of the car on a busy road, that smells of dodge... and extremely dangerous.

Henry Ford III

Jabberwocky wrote: »

What should I do? Remain in the right lane? Move left but ensure I don't move any faster than the car in the overtaking lane?

The 2nd option I think.

PrettyBoy

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I might be better prepared if it ever happens again. I wasn't sure what rights he had (or not) so I just toe'd the line - hence my asking on this forum what might come of it and if he was within his rights to do so ... Just was a little taken aback by the whole thing is all.

Yeah can understand that you would have been caught up in the whole thing and giving him guff about his badge number etc. may not seem like a great idea at the time. I think you should definitely go back and report the incident now though, whether it was a dope with nothing better to be doing or an actual guard on a power trip it doesn't sound right in the slightest.

Half-cocked

Gardai were alerted to a bogus off duty Garda pulling people over in the Enniskerry area a couple of years back. That's only a stones throw from Fassaroe where the OP was pulled over. I wonder if the bogus Garda is back on patrol?

Mr. Larson

I might just call and report it, although I don't want to compound the situation if it happens to be legit so I feel like I'd need to tread carefully. I don't think making an enquiry to a Garda station about the incident will land me in hot water or at least I hope not.

jsd1004

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I might just call and report it, although I don't want to compound the situation if it happens to be legit so I feel like I'd need to tread carefully. I don't think making an enquiry to a Garda station about the incident will land me in hot water or at least I hope not.

Gardai do not pull you over with any lights except blue. Sounds very suspect. Id report it. Impersonating a garda is a very serious offence.

Tigger

do ministers cars not have lights like that?
he was probably a driver for a cabinate member

DublinWriter

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I might just call and report it, although I don't want to compound the situation if it happens to be legit so I feel like I'd need to tread carefully. I don't think making an enquiry to a Garda station about the incident will land me in hot water or at least I hope not.

Sounds very dodgy.

I'd report it, you won't get into any more trouble, you'll probably be thanked as yer man sounds like he was impersonating a guard.

Tropheus

A couple of years ago I was driving on the Malahide Road beside Clare Hall. I indicated and pulled into the inside lane and cut it a bit fine in terms of a car that that was accelerating fast up the inside lane. He flashed me and overtook me then pulled in in front to of me. He then proceeded to slow down causing me to brake several times. My wife even asked what the hell he was doing. I flashed him a couple of times basically telling him to stop acting the boll*cks.

The next thing, he switched on blue lights and a siren. I pulled over and had my license ready. He came to the window and told me to put the license away. My wife immediately had a go at him over his driving. He asked he to be quiet as she wasn't the driver.

He proceeded to give me a lecture on tail gating and said he'd let me off this time. I just big my tongue. I thought about reporting the incident to Coolock Garda station, but thought better of it. It was a very strange moment.

Pat Mustard

delly wrote: »

Gardai can make arrests or similar when off duty but if he didn't have his hat on even though off duty, then it doesn't count. The hat rule loophole is still in place so I wouldn't worry about it.

The old Garda Hat Act, eh? Not true. Funny though.

langdang

delly wrote: »

Gardai can make arrests or similar when off duty but if he didn't have his hat on even though off duty, then it doesn't count. The hat rule loophole is still in place so I wouldn't worry about it.

Imagine if someone bought up the Garda-hat-making-company, then stole all the existing hats. They could hold the country to ransom for ONE BILLION DOLLARS mwuhahahahahaha :eek: :eek: Where is the contingency for this OMG!

excaliburhc

i was under the belief that you were allowed undertake

from the driving manual

"Q14 When can you overtake on the left or on the inside.?

A. When traffic is moving more slowly in the lane to your right

When driver ahead has moved out and indicated his intention to turn right"

http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/answers.html

PCPhoto

langdang wrote: »

Imagine if someone bought up the Garda-hat-making-company, then stole all the existing hats. They could hold the country to ransom for ONE BILLION DOLLARS mwuhahahahahaha :eek: :eek: Where is the contingency for this OMG!

I see several plans in your flaw !!!

Mr. Larson

The incident has been reported.

The bean Garda at the station admitted it did sound strange but without details there isn't much they can do outside of noting it. It's been noted anyway and I left all of my details - she said if there are other reports they will definitely follow up. She said she might call me back in a while anyway. I just said look, it might be legit but the whole thing didn't sit right in terms of how it all unfolded and the demeanour of the individual concerned so I felt compelled to report it.

delly

The hat thing is a myth??? I'm shocked!


Seriously though, I knew of a family of Gardai in North Dublin, and one of the family would go out while off duty with a scanner and lights hooked up to his car, looking for action. I heard this from a family member who is also a Garda. Maybe this guy was the same.

Antikythera

Once upon a time

Jabberwocky wrote: »

I got pulled over by what I can only assume was an off duty Garda driving a Peugeot. He had alternating flashing lights on the front (not blue or anything) so that was enough to make me pull over for him.

Anyway he got out of the car stood about 10 feet in front of the car and pointed to the ground, indicating I had to get out and stand in front of him so he could lecture me on my driving.

He flashed his garda badge and then proceeded to lecture me for a few minutes..

"are you a doctor on your way to an emergency?"
No...
"are you a (blah blah blah)
No...
etc.

Anyway he asked me had I any penalty points, to which I answered 'No' because I don't. He told me I was on the way to getting some if I kept it up, told me he rang in with my registration and if I'm caught again I will be prosecuted for dangerous driving.

Is this common or have I been a very bold boy?

The end.

corktina

Tigger wrote: »

do ministers cars not have lights like that?
he was probably a driver for a cabinate member

in a Peugeot!!!!

Mr. Larson

Antikythera wrote: »

Once upon a time



The end.

Thank you for your insightful contribution.

dr.fuzzenstein

The lights on his Pug trouble me.
Garda cars are never French, so this would have to be his private car.
AFAIK Garda private cars are not equipped with any special lights, it's a private vehicle, it has no business having alternate flashing lights.
A Garda hat and badge can be bought, made up, etc... anywhere in no time. Costume shop and Epson spring to mind.
Standing away from the car and beckoning you over?
That's just taking the piss.
This just screams dodgy, probably a self-appointed "Road Warrior".
This MUST be reported, if he's genuine the gards won't think less of you, if he isn't, they won't be very happy with him and he'll be in a lot of hot water since impersonating an authority figure is no joke and can be exploited for all sorts of dodgy sh*t.

firefly08

"Q14 When can you overtake on the left or on the inside.?

A. When traffic is moving more slowly in the lane to your right

Haha that's gas. So, you can overtake on the left or on the inside pretty much any time you like then?

Mr. Presentable

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

The lights on his Pug trouble me.
Garda cars are never French, .

Well that's not true - my Da was issued with a Peugeot for a while.

delly

As above. The days of Gardai only being in a specific make or model are long gone. You'd be surprised what they have on the books, so any car is a possibility imho.

You should have asked for a good look at the badge, actually you should have told him to identify himself properly before you getting out of your car. If this chap was a Garda he's a disgrace.

Veloce

The whole thing sounds very fishy...

OP, did the gentleman in the peugeot who stopped you have a proper big garda head on him?