Drink Driving.

Stavros Murphy

Had to go collect a genny for work there, so headed off in the van and went through a couple of midlands towns on the way. I noticed a fair few staggering out of the pubs and heading for cars, and away they went. The biscuit was, when I pulled up to wait for the lad I was meeting, a chap literally staggered past eating a bag of chips. I was joking with the eldest, who was beside me, that yer man was gonna get himself run over if he kept staggering out into the road like he was.

A minute later, the eldest goes - "jasus, the neck on him!" - and it's staggery himself, heading off in his car, utterly locked. And from the look of the late night traffic toddering along at 20 kph, he wasn't on his own either..

Was there a moratorium on drink-driving this evening, or am I missing somthing due to leading a sheltered life?? And no, I didn't get his reg, and no, I didn't report him. My job was collecting a genny, I'd enough to keep me busy.

ProudDUB

There will always be perpetual eegits chancing their arm, especially on days like today. The Guards can't be every where all the time. Fingers crossed every single one of the muppets met a checkpoint & got busted for their stupidity.

Capri86

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I'd enough to keep me busy.

Shame on you. That's an awful attitude. How would you feel if this person killed someone. Maybe someone you knew! You may not have got the reg but a description and general direction would have been useful.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Went to a work colleagues 40th a while back. Same craic. Rural pub, car park full at 9pm, 2/3rds empty at 5am. Didn't see many ordering lemonades all night either, not without a side of voddy anyway.


Best one was a fella driving a few people to their b&b. He was well scutteted himself, but someone realised there was going to be people left behind. El Scuttero said he'd drop the first load, and pop back for the second

In some areas it's because the nearest cop shop is 10+ miles away, the chances of getting caught are fairly slim.

Stavros Murphy

Capri86 wrote: »

Shame on you. That's an awful attitude. How would you feel if this person killed someone. Maybe someone you knew! You may not have got the reg but a description and general direction would have been useful.

Jasus, I was waiting for it to be my fault!
1. I didn't see his reg.
2. I'm not a Gard.
3... there were dozens of them at it, what should I do, start off in pursuit with my hazards flashing and my Baton drawn?? Shame on me?? Feck off! Who was I going to tell? Mammy? There were no Gards to be seen anywhere.

razorgil

unfortunately, its not limited to paddys day. every weekend you see clowns who obviously think they're great, gettin in to their motors and drivin off into the moonlight. i don;t particularly mind if they kill themselves on the way home, but what about the poor bastard doin it right, walkin home after his scoops, gettin hit by these assholes, lock em up i say

Capri86

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Jasus, I was waiting for it to be my fault!
1. I didn't see his reg.
2. I'm not a Gard.
3... there were dozens of them at it, what should I do, start off in pursuit with my hazards flashing and my Baton drawn?? Shame on me?? Feck off!

You're not a Gard? How is that a reason?? All it takes is a phone call..

Supergurrier

Just the piss poor Irish attitude in action is all

CiniO

Problem seems to exist because drink driving is socially accepted in this country.
Unless this social acceptance will change, we are going to have big amount of drunk drivers on our roads.

Stavros Murphy

Capri86 wrote: »

You're not a Gard? How is that a reason?? All it takes is a phone call..

You ring them. You're an accessory now too, by your logic. I was kinda hinting at "should there not be the odd checkpoint?" as it happens, not looking to get a lecture down on my sober as5 tbh. I'll be honest here, I usually am asleep or indoors at this hour, worn out from work, so I don't see chucking out time too often. I thought, obviously naively, that drink driving was kinda gone with the dodo tbh. I was just surprised.

Jesus.

Capri86 wrote: »

Shame on you. That's an awful attitude. How would you feel if this person killed someone. Maybe someone you knew! You may not have got the reg but a description and general direction would have been useful.

Farce post

Sam Kade

razorgil wrote: »

unfortunately, its not limited to paddys day. every weekend you see clowns who obviously think they're great, gettin in to their motors and drivin off into the moonlight. i don;t particularly mind if they kill themselves on the way home, but what about the poor bastard doin it right, walkin home after his scoops, gettin hit by these assholes, lock em up i say

Lock em up you say and it will cost the taxpayer 70 k/year to keep them there. I say take them off the road simpler and cheaper.

JohnBoy26

Capri86 wrote: »

Shame on you. That's an awful attitude. How would you feel if this person killed someone. Maybe someone you knew! You may not have got the reg but a description and general direction would have been useful.

Jesus.

This is the only Forum in the known World that the OP would be attacked within the first few posts.

Its none of anyone's business if they see someone coming out of a pub and getting into a car. They're not the law. Unless like the OP said a guy was literally staggering (although I think a bit of poetic licence might have been added there) and then sat in behind the wheel. But even in that scenario I certainly wouldn't get involved. Its none of my business. I honestly couldn't care less if he could barely stand up. Not my problem.

razorgil

Sam Kade wrote: »

Lock em up you say and it will cost the taxpayer 70 k/year to keep them there. I say take them off the road simpler and cheaper.

easier said than done sam, when was the last time you were stoppd at a garda checkpoint, during the day, not to mind at night-time!! they're not out there anymore, so its worse its gonna get in my opinion

JohnBoy26

Jesus. wrote: »

This is the only Forum in the known World that the OP would be attacked within the first few posts.

Its none of anyone's business if they see someone coming out of a pub and getting into a car. They're not the law. Unless like the OP said a guy was literally staggering (although I think a bit of poetic licence might have been added there) and then sat in behind the wheel. But even in that scenario I certainly wouldn't get involved. Its none of my business. I honestly couldn't care less if he could barely stand up. Not my problem.

It is your business though as you and your family share the road with these people.

Stavros Murphy

Like an eejit, I was doing my typical Irish thing of making sure i looked 100% sober out driving tonight, despite the strongest drink I'd had being tea, thinking it would be check-point central out there with the night that was in it. Kinda like the lad walking through customs with an empty suitcase, trying not to look "suspicious"..

I needn't have bothered, no-one was stopping in the 150 odd kilometers I drove anyway.

Sam Kade

razorgil wrote: »

easier said than done sam, when was the last time you were stoppd at a garda checkpoint, during the day, not to mind at night-time!! they're not out there anymore, so its worse its gonna get in my opinion

I didn't see a checkpoint in over a year before that I must have been stopped at least 4 times in one year checking for tax and insurance

pebbles21

Whats a genny ?...sorry had to ask !

Sam Kade

pebbles21 wrote: »

Whats a genny ?...sorry had to ask !

Generator

razorgil

well, it seems that road safety isn't worth paying for anymore, fewer guards, fewer checkpoints, more willing to take a chance on drink driving, less chance of gettin caught

BigEejit

Quite some time ago I was in Annascaul down near Dingle and a guard came into the pub in the wee hours and gave everyone their marching orders .... so we all finished up our drinks and loads of them right in front of the local guard got into their cars and drove off home at 10mph. He even warned a few to take it handy. I was staying in the village so was walking but some of those lads were well and truly ossified.

BMJD

pebbles21 wrote: »

Whats a genny ?...sorry had to ask !

A transsexual donkey. The op condones drunk driving whilst being a sexual deviant.

Sam Kade

razorgil wrote: »

well, it seems that road safety isn't worth paying for anymore, fewer guards, fewer checkpoints, more willing to take a chance on drink driving, less chance of gettin caught

There are a lot of motorists chancing it without valid tax discs also even with the new regulations :mad:

Stavros Murphy

I'm just wondering at the justice of it all - I know one woman who had a single glass of wine with her lunch, I was on the juice as I had a van and digger outside, but she had the one small glass of wine. She got pulled a mile down the road and got a 1 year ban. Cases like her seem to pale into insignificance going by the amount of utterly, totally locked people I saw heading off there tonight, I mean struggling to walk, not just a bit tipsy. Ah well.

L-M

All Ill say is local pubs have a full car park during the evening and empty ones at night. And the pubs are still open so they aren't drinking water.

Jesus.

Jesus. wrote: »

This is the only Forum in the known World that the OP would be attacked within the first few posts.

Its none of anyone's business if they see someone coming out of a pub and getting into a car. They're not the law. Unless like the OP said a guy was literally staggering (although I think a bit of poetic licence might have been added there) and then sat in behind the wheel. But even in that scenario I certainly wouldn't get involved. Its none of my business. I honestly couldn't care less if he could barely stand up. Not my problem.

Until they crash into your or someone you know and kill or seriously injure them.
Is it your problem then?

How can you seriously think this is none of your business?
Road safety is everyones business, especially those on the roads.

razorgil

Sam Kade wrote: »

There are a lot of motorists chancing it without valid tax discs also even with the new regulations :mad:

no tax doesn't kill people though

Sir Arthur Daley

The fella that drove in the OP was more than drink driving he was drunk driving.

Stavros Murphy

bubblypop wrote: »

Until they crash into your or someone you know and kill or seriously injure them.
Is it your problem then?

How can you seriously think this is none of your business?
Road safety is everyones business, especially those on the roads.

Kinda like a "Citizens Traffic Corps"? Do I get a flashing blue light and a warrant card? Do you know the number of every cop shop in the country, cos I damn sure don't. Most are closed anyway, so you'd be doing a fair bit of ringing.

After an hour or two, they'd arrest you, for being a nuisance ringing every five minutes.

Stavros Murphy

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Kinda like a "Citizens Traffic Corps"? Do I get a flashing blue light and a warrant card? Do you know the number of every cop shop in the country, cos I damn sure don't. Most are closed anyway, so you'd be doing a fair bit of ringing.

After an hour or two, they'd arrest you, for being a nuisance ringing every five minutes.

999

CiniO

Jesus. wrote: »

Its none of anyone's business if they see someone coming out of a pub and getting into a car. They're not the law. Unless like the OP said a guy was literally staggering (although I think a bit of poetic licence might have been added there) and then sat in behind the wheel. But even in that scenario I certainly wouldn't get involved. Its none of my business. I honestly couldn't care less if he could barely stand up. Not my problem.

And that's the example of this social acceptance of drink driving in Ireland.
You are wasted in the pub - grab your car keys and go - no one says a word - none of anybody's business.
Then he staggers between pub door and his car - lots of people see it - but no one says a word - none of their business.
Eventually he drives zigzacking through the country road - again - no reaction from any other driver - none of their business.

Remote pub in the country side - everyone comes in a car. Everyone drinks. Everyone drives back home. No one says a word.

That's nothing more than full social acceptance of drink driving.

Completely other story with speeding.
Speed limit of 50km/h. But someone sees a boyracer car with loud exhaust going through. No matter that he is doing 45km/h. All witness seen him speeding, and all of them are willing to report it.

Sad but true.

Stavros Murphy

bubblypop wrote: »

999

"Hi, I just saw fourty five different people drink driving, heading off in every direction in these towns, the names of which I missed, SEND THE SQUAD!" sort of thing?

Do I need to do this every weekend from now on? Am I a bad person if I miss a weekend?

Here's another idea - lets pay some people, and make it their job to set up check-points, and focus on packed pubs with cars outside. We could call them, erm, ohh, I don't know, maybe "Drink Monitors" or somthing. Or maybe Gards, i don't know. I'm starting to believe they should have arrested me, just for noticing, like, going by some of the responses here.

ProudDUB

You are over thinking this Stavros. Just dial 999. Tell the operator where you are and that you need to report several cases of dangerous/drunk driving. The operator will either take your information and forward it to where it needs to go, or they will connect you to someone else who will take your information. Then let the powers that be do what ever it is that they do.

The Guards can't be everywhere at once. They can't be expected to know everything and to stop every single dangerous situation from developing, if no one ever tells them what is going on. Give them the info and let them figure out what they want to do with it.

I know that the 999 number is only supposed to be used for emergencies. But they can hardly expect people to always have the phone number of the nearest Garda station handy, if they need to report something that could be potentially life threatening to others.

Pinch Flat

bubblypop wrote: »

999

Ive done this before, easiest way to ring and report a suspected drunk driver. They will alert the nearest manned station. I think its the least a responsible adult should do. Drunk drivers need to be stopped and taken off the roads. We introduced random breath testing here a number of years ago and tighter alcohol limits as well - whether you've had one or 10 drinks and you are caught over the limit you deserve everything coming to you

Sir Arthur Daley

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Ive done this before, easiest way to ring and report a suspected drunk driver. They will alert the nearest manned station.

In a rural area this could be over an hour away and do you think a guard is going to rush to the scene?

Pinch Flat

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

"Hi, I just saw fourty five different people drink driving, heading off in every direction in these towns, the names of which I missed, SEND THE SQUAD!" sort of thing?

Do I need to do this every weekend from now on? Am I a bad person if I miss a weekend?

Here's another idea - lets pay some people, and make it their job to set up check-points, and focus on packed pubs with cars outside. We could call them, erm, ohh, I don't know, maybe "Drink Monitors" or somthing. Or maybe Gards, i don't know. I'm starting to believe they should have arrested me, just for noticing, like, going by some of the responses here.

Depends on your social conscience. Drink driving here would be eliminated overnight if pubs were targeted by check points randomly in rolling nights as you suggest. Dwindling garda resources and the political regime here, incuding the disproportionate level of influence the vintners association have here, prevent this from happening

BigEejit

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

"Hi, I just saw fourty five different people drink driving, heading off in every direction in these towns, the names of which I missed, SEND THE SQUAD!" sort of thing?

Do I need to do this every weekend from now on? Am I a bad person if I miss a weekend?

Here's another idea - lets pay some people, and make it their job to set up check-points, and focus on packed pubs with cars outside. We could call them, erm, ohh, I don't know, maybe "Drink Monitors" or somthing. Or maybe Gards, i don't know. I'm starting to believe they should have arrested me, just for noticing, like, going by some of the responses here.

Hi, I'm from the Special Operations Command of the High Horse Brigade. I am hereby charging you with aiding and abetting drink driving. Its your fault that they got away. None of your lip now, the guards would have been on the spot in some rural village within a short time-frame (relative to continental drift) if you had rung them and then run out and jumped on the bonnet of their cars holding onto the windscreen wipers. Its your fault they got away with it!

Pinch Flat

WikiHow wrote: »

In a rural area this could be over an hour away and do you think a guard is going to rush to the scene?

I am not responsible nor can comment on garda response times - I realise they are using dwindling pools of stations and patrols due to cut backs. I personally would report it

pablo128

WikiHow wrote: »

In a rural area this could be over an hour away and do you think a guard is going to rush to the scene?

Well, yes, but you'd have to give him a few minutes to finish his pint first!:pac:
On a more serious note, being Paddy's day/night, I would imagine they are fairly busy tonight.
I have to say now and again I cover some of the delivery runs in work, anything up to 500 kms in a day. There are literally no guards out there. The job had to put trackers in to slow the drivers down. In a way, it's kind of like a golden age of motoring at the moment for the enthusiastic driver.

Jesus.

razorgil wrote: »

well, it seems that road safety isn't worth paying for anymore, fewer guards, fewer checkpoints

And not a bad thing either. If some people on here had their way this would be a police State. The vast majority of people have personal responsibility and don't need the Nanny State taking them by the hand through everything.

bubblypop wrote: »

Until they crash into your or someone you know and kill or seriously injure them. Is it your problem then? How can you seriously think this is none of your business? Road safety is everyones business, especially those on the roads.

I've bigger things to be worrying about than giving a toss about some bloke I never seen before, coming out of a pub and into his car. Like I said, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I'm not the law and I'm not out patrolling fellow citizens. If the guy was that boozed up, someone in his company or the barman in the pub would/should drive him home.

Yet you'd expect a complete stranger who just happens to be going about his business to start ringing police? To be honest, I think a lot of people who would say on here that they would do X, Y and Z in such a scenario are just bullshi*ters. They'd give a "tut tut" to themselves and be on their merry way without giving it a second thought.

Its time to be honest here.

Pinch Flat

Jesus. wrote: »

And not a bad thing either. If some people on here had their way this would be a police State. The vast majority of people have personal responsibility and don't need the Nanny State taking them by the hand through everything.



I've bigger things to be worrying about than giving a toss about some bloke I never seen before, coming out of a pub and into his car. Like I said, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I'm not the law and I'm not out patrolling fellow citizens. If the guy was that boozed up, someone in his company or the barman in the pub would/should drive him home.

Yet you'd expect a complete stranger who just happens to be going about his business to start ringing police? To be honest, I think a lot of people who would say on here that they would do X, Y and Z in such a scenario are just bullshi*ters. They'd give a "tut tut" to themselves and be on their merry way without giving it a second thought.

Its time to be honest here.

Bit of the "I'm allright jack" going on there - I'm not saying everyone should be busy bodies reporting to the guards every half an hour, but social conscience would say you should report suspected drunk driving. It's at your own discretion whether you so this or not. Driving standards here are poor at the best of times and there is way too much tolerance of drink drivers.

So mick down the road likes heading home tanked up and you do nothing about it - then wipes out you or a family member. Apolgies for sounding a tad intolerant of drunk drivers but my wife and extended family were almost wiped out in a head on collision involving a drunk driver. They are retards of the highest order and need to be removed off our roads.

matt70iu

Capri86 wrote: »

Shame on you. That's an awful attitude. How would you feel if this person killed someone. Maybe someone you knew! You may not have got the reg but a description and general direction would have been useful.

No need for that.

Jude13

This scares the crap out of me. My folks used to do it when I was a kid.

When I am home and go to the local for a few with the Mrs we walk the approx 2 miles home. We're usually home in the summer so its grand, apart from having to hop into the ditch (there is no footpath) whenever a car nearly mows us down.

keithclancy

CiniO wrote: »

And that's the example of this social acceptance of drink driving in Ireland.
You are wasted in the pub - grab your car keys and go - no one says a word - none of anybody's business.
Then he staggers between pub door and his car - lots of people see it - but no one says a word - none of their business.
Eventually he drives zigzacking through the country road - again - no reaction from any other driver - none of their business.

Remote pub in the country side - everyone comes in a car. Everyone drinks. Everyone drives back home. No one says a word.

That's nothing more than full social acceptance of drink driving.

Completely other story with speeding.
Speed limit of 50km/h. But someone sees a boyracer car with loud exhaust going through. No matter that he is doing 45km/h. All witness seen him speeding, and all of them are willing to report it.

Sad but true.

Same in a lot of Countries.

Was over in Florida a few weeks ago and EVERYONE that goes to a bar drink drives .. EVERYONE and nobody says a word.

I would be of the opposite opinion and Ireland has done a full 360 in recent years.

A bar I went to in Cork would call the Gardai if you left your car keys up on the bar and were seen to be consuming alcohol.

sparts

I don't agree with drink or drunk driving on any shape or form, it is every drivers responsibility not to drink when driving, and yes they should be banned from driving. The OP was merely stating what he observed!

kippy

Id agree with the OP. It had improved fkr a few years but in the past few years I think more people are willing to take that chance and more younger people as well. And thats across the board...tax and insurance disks are getting less common and the NCT is seen as optional.

I play by the book....pay my tax...insurance and get my NCT. I dont drink and drive.
I would clock about average mileage in a year and I can count on one had every year the amount of checkpoints I have gone through. This is the reason we have such issues. Resources have been pissed into dealing with speeding but nothing else.

kippy

keithclancy wrote: »

Same in a lot of Countries.

Was over in Florida a few weeks ago and EVERYONE that goes to a bar drink drives .. EVERYONE and nobody says a word.

I would be of the opposite opinion and Ireland has done a full 360 in recent years.

A bar I went to in Cork would call the Gardai if you left your car keys up on the bar and were seen to be consuming alcohol.

Yep...we are not the only ones with the issue. Its particularily bad in sections of the States.

Greenmachine

What's a genny?

Stavros Murphy

Greenmachine wrote: »

What's a genny?

It's a yoke you use to power the computer up to read the earlier post explaining what a genny is..:D

Jude13

In the middle east it is rife also. We only got breath tests here two years ago.