Given out to by garda for eating my lunch...

keithsfleet

I work in a shopping centre with an open air car park and always spend my lunch hour in the car to get away from the madness that is my place of work.
Just an hour ago I had a detective visit me in the shop (all staff cars are listed by the car park attendant) quizzing me as to what I was doing in my car at 12pm yesterday.
I told him I was eating my lunch and he (nearly) accused me of watching a securicor van with the intention of marking its whereabouts!
I told him to leave the shop as I've worked here and eaten my lunch in my car for a long time.
He told me to stop eating my lunch in the car and I laughed in his face.

He left the shop then and went over to have a good look at my car and the details in the window.

I know crime prevention is important but that was taking the biscuit.
The car park staff would of told him I was staff here for a long time.

djimi

You could be staff there for a long time and still checking out the movements of a Securicor van to be fair.

I understand where he is coming from, but honestly I would have said the same. If Securicor dont want the movements of their vans to be obvious then they shouldnt run on a predictable schedule...

knucklehead6

keithsfleet wrote: »

I work in a shopping centre with an open air car park and always spend my lunch hour in the car to get away from the madness that is my place of work.
Just an hour ago I had a detective visit me in the shop (all staff cars are listed by the car park attendant) quizzing me as to what I was doing in my car at 12pm yesterday.
I told him I was eating my lunch and he (nearly) accused me of watching a securicor van with the intention of marking its whereabouts!
I told him to leave the shop as I've worked here and eaten my lunch in my car for a long time.
He told me to stop eating my lunch in the car and I laughed in his face.

He left the shop then and went over to have a good look at my car and the details in the window.

I know crime prevention is important but that was taking the biscuit.
The car park staff would of told him I was staff here for a long time.

How did he NEARLY accuse you? Was the big bad garda asking you questions and you put 2 & 2 together to get 14598765416354687?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Hes watching too much Love/Hate, that fella.

mitosis

Somebody, probably the Securicor driver, reported you. Kudos to the Gardai for doing their job!

Iano_128

deccurley wrote: »

Hes watching too much Love/Hate, that fella.

Maybe it was a scene for Love/Hate!

road_high

keithsfleet wrote: »

I work in a shopping centre with an open air car park and always spend my lunch hour in the car to get away from the madness that is my place of work.
Just an hour ago I had a detective visit me in the shop (all staff cars are listed by the car park attendant) quizzing me as to what I was doing in my car at 12pm yesterday.
I told him I was eating my lunch and he (nearly) accused me of watching a securicor van with the intention of marking its whereabouts!
I told him to leave the shop as I've worked here and eaten my lunch in my car for a long time.
He told me to stop eating my lunch in the car and I laughed in his face.

He left the shop then and went over to have a good look at my car and the details in the window.

I know crime prevention is important but that was taking the biscuit.
The car park staff would of told him I was staff here for a long time.

I think you were over reacting a little OP. He was just doing his job to be fair. Just explain calmly and rationally what you were up to. Afterall, you have nothing to hide so there's no problem.
Lucky all was up to date with your car or else he could have thrown the book at you.

keithsfleet

I thought it was a bit much sending a detective. I don't know the movements of securicor drivers but I'd imagine they use the same driver on the same route so they can notice things out of the normal but I wouldn't be out of the normal, same spot in the car park, same time every day and usually the same car.

CiniO

road_high wrote: »

I think you were over reacting a little OP. He was just doing his job to be fair.

If someone told me

He told me to stop eating my lunch in the car

I'd be quite anxious too.

No Pants

keithsfleet wrote: »

was taking the biscuit.

He took your biscuits?

dodderangler

No Pants wrote: »

He took your biscuits?

Call the Garda. A crime has been committed!!!!

Kenny Logins

I wouldn't be laughing if a detective took my biscuit.

aaabbbb

keithsfleet wrote: »

I wouldn't be out of the normal, same spot in the car park, same time every day and usually the same car.

The fact you manage to get the same parking space everyday is a little unusual , unless theyre reserved or something ?

catastrophy

In fairness op, he was prob following up on something you know nothing about and then you told him to leave the shop?

RoboRat

He was just doing his job up until this:

He told me to stop eating my lunch in the car.

Where you eat your lunch is your choice and he has no right to dictate to you where you should eat it.

And this was downright petty IMO but you shouldn't have laughed in his face

He left the shop then and went over to have a good look at my car and the details in the window.

markpb

aaabbbb wrote: »

The fact you manage to get the same parking space everyday is a little unusual , unless theyre reserved or something ?

Or maybe the OP parks there before the shops open in the morning? People are creatures of habit, most people in my workplace park in the same spaces every day.

JohnBoy26

catastrophy wrote: »

In fairness op, he was prob following up on something you know nothing about and then you told him to leave the shop?

The detective may have been following up on something, however the op done nothing wrong and the detective had no right to tell the op to stop eating their lunch in the car.

It was a ridiculous request to be fair.

Bits_n_Bobs

What were you eating for lunch??? I've long held suspicions that the gardai have a most bigoted attitude for sangwidges containing muck like rocket, smelly-cheese or fancysmancy foreign ham.....

Chris_Heilong

if the OP has to park in the same spot everyday then it would be too much of a coincident that he was also a criminal that was just lucky enough to have goten a job where his parking spot allowed him to spy on security vans.

Corkbah

(put on conspiracy theory hat)
OP ....how do you know he was a detective (did he show you an ID badge ...was it real ? ...would you recognise a real one?)

he could have been a criminal trying to ensure his people have the best spot to view the van or best spot to park for a better getaway.

(takes off conspiracy theory hat)

CarrickMcJoe

Kenny Logins wrote: »

I wouldn't be laughing if a detective took my biscuit.

And he wouldn't be laughing if I opened my lunchbox !

BMJD

so when are you gonna hit the cash van Nidgy?

Supergurrier

What a joke

StompToWork

If a detective tried to tell me where or where not to eat my lunch, I would laugh in his face too. From what the OP says, I back up what the detective says, right up to the point where he tried to dictate where the OP should not eat his lunch. In that case, it would be a great big "would ya ever feck off, you gimp ya" to the detective's face.

Riesen_Meal

Gardai or not, that's a Douchy move, I would have told him to take a long walk off a short pier, and I have 3 uncles on the force!

Cheek of him, fair dues for running him from the shop - and keep having your lunch there, don't mind him....

hansfrei

He was calling you fat OP. Tis the garda way.

aujopimur

Was he wearing his cap, if not you should have told him to fvck off.

yop

I wonder would they tell Gilligan to do the same thing.
I bet he was eyeing you sandwich for himself

Supergurrier

Did you take the last spicy chicken fillet roll in the deli, you pushed him over the edge man !

Frank Black

keithsfleet wrote: »

I work in a shopping centre with an open air car park and always spend my lunch hour in the car

Such a sad sentence.

jimgoose

I suppose it's easier and safer to fill in an hour slapping you around and doing the hard man than it is to step up to some actual criminals.

Frank Black wrote: »

Such a sad sentence.

^^^
Not as sad as this one.

keithsfleet

I have the utmost respect for an garda siochana and I have family and friends that are members of it but that detective was a complete tool.

I'm sure they would of ran the reg of my car through pulse and then ran my name through, both of which would of come back completely clean.

To then come into a busy shop and quiz me in front of customers from the get go instead of asking if we could talk somewhere quietly!
I had no choice but to run the idiot. I'd done nothing, I'm sure he suspected I'd done nothing but had to follow up on it anyway. I had forgot to say I'd patiently answered several questions off him before I started getting cheeky.

To who ever was asking about my car spot, it's not reserved but I'm here 30 minutes before any of the shops open so I pretty much of a choice of the "good" parking spots.

keithsfleet

Frank Black wrote: »

Such a sad sentence.

I'm sorry I'll stop sitting in my car for my lunch because you think it's sad.

Frank Black

Frank Black wrote: »

Such a sad sentence.

Such a nonsense statement.

Donnelly117

aaabbbb wrote: »

The fact you manage to get the same parking space everyday is a little unusual , unless theyre reserved or something ?

Thats not unusual in the slightest. :rolleyes: I park in the same spot in an unreserved car park with 600 spaces every morning...

dgt

Maybe he wanted some of your lunch....?

BanzaiBk

Somebody else already mentioned it but he was probably acting on a 'complaint' by a Securicor driver. Around where I work is a fairly busy bank. One area where staff at my workplace can congregate on breaks looks onto the side entrance of said bank. The Gardai both plain clothes and uniformed have approached a certain group of us (i.e. the slightly younger crowd) on multiple occasions about why we were 'staring' at the money transfer van, drivers etc...! It stopped being funny a long time ago and resulted in HR complaining to AGS but it still happens.

Saab Ed

Doing their job and ensuring I wasn't up to anything scurrilous is fine. Telling me not to eat my lunch in the car would have resulted in me closing the window and turning up the radio.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

dodderangler wrote: »

Call the Garda. A crime has been committed!!!!

Thats a civil matter there boss

Blue Punto

As already stated the "detective" was more than likely following up a complaint from someone who saw you in your car and at the same time a Cash In Transit vehicle was in the area.
It may well of been the driver of the CIT van who would not have been aware of your lunch break activities but saw you sitting in your car.
This in itself would mean nothing to you(OP) but for the CIT driver he is only being observant and doing his job.
Its better to be safe than sorry ,nobody enjoys a gun being put to there head in the course of their work.
It could even have been a member of the public who reported it.
Afterall the hype of love hate and they were doing their civic duty.


Securicor no longer exist it was G4S/Brinks/GSLS or Omada

doolox

Unlike many places of work, shops and other front of house jobs require a private "staff only" refuge where staff can go in order to have their often unpaid lunch break without interference from customers looking for a "quick favour" etc and feeling agrieved if a uniformed staff member does not jump to their beck and call at once.

This practice of spending lunch time in a car is not unusual especially in small shops and offices where private back room space is limited or non existent. Many non car owners spend their time standing around nearby shopping centers in a "suspicious" manner. Should they be castigated as well???

The cop was probably agrieved that he had chased up a red herring and was probably looking for revenge for his wasted time when told to leave the shop.

While telling him to leave the shop was a tad unprofessional ( I like to deal with unprofessionally difficult people with punctiliious politeness so that overhearers can know I am dealing with a difficult situation ) the cop was being totally unprofessional in looking over the workers car in search of revenge.

Frank Black

keithsfleet wrote: »

I'm sorry I'll stop sitting in my car for my lunch because you think it's sad.

Good idea - spend some time socialising and chatting with your colleagues/co-workers as opposed to sitting on your own in your car eating your lunch.

You'll be less likly to come to the attention of the Gardai and may end up enjoying your lunch breaks more,

Corkbah

Frank Black wrote: »

Good idea - spend some time socialising and chatting with your colleagues/co-workers as opposed to sitting on your own in your car eating your lunch.

You'll be less likly to come to the attention of the Gardai and may end up enjoying your lunch breaks more,

obviously missed the scarcasm !!

Cee-Jay-Cee

What were you having for lunch?

renofan

Frank Black wrote: »

Good idea - spend some time socialising and chatting with your colleagues/co-workers as opposed to sitting on your own in your car eating your lunch.

You'll be less likly to come to the attention of the Gardai and may end up enjoying your lunch breaks more,

Bloody 'ell, there are some nonsense posts on here today but that has to be tops. I'd like to strangle some of my co-workers never mind spend my lunch hour with them. :mad:

Frank Black

LIGHTNING wrote: »

How about you let the bloke decide what he does on lunch and not judge him on what he does? What kinda of nanny state are we in that you cant eat your lunch in your car!

I wasn't judging.
The word 'sad' was used in the context of 'feeling sorry for' as opposed to 'considering him pathetic'.

Of course you can eat lunch in your car - but it doesn't sound very pleasant or socially healthy to be doing this every day.

Supergurrier

I eat my lunch in my car every day as if I don't I will get collared with a customer or a question or a quick job.

Its my 30 minutes of Jim time.

I like spending time with Jim. He is the nicest guy I know and buys me my lunch and let's me sit in his car.

Frank Black

Frank Black wrote: »

Good idea - spend some time socialising and chatting with your colleagues/co-workers as opposed to sitting on your own in your car eating your lunch.

You'll be less likly to come to the attention of the Gardai and may end up enjoying your lunch breaks more,

Loads of people have their lunch sitting at their desk browsing the internet how is sitting in your car eating your lunch in peace while listening to the radio/reading the paper/going on the internet on your phone or tablet etc etc any different? Others who live near work go home for lunch everyday, how is that any different?

Btw I don't currently eat my lunch in the car but I see nothing wrong with it either.

Supergurrier

Joe Duffy or nothing

dnme

Motoring issue ??

No Pants

dnme wrote: »

Motoring issue ??

Read the thread. The Gardai stole his biscuits out of his car.