Road blocks for events

kerten

Sorry for the rant below before starting but I am fuming at the moment

Due to high profile events in Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Garda is blocking roads around area and apply one way system including St Johns Road West(N4).

I understand why but thanks to their brilliant organization of road blocks, it took me 30 mins to try every road to my apartment complex next to RHK. Every garda at blocks was pointing next possible road as expected. When I arrived in last option, I am told to try the next one. When I explained to garda that he is the 4th one I am trying, he started to tell me story of how big the event is and there are 6000 people there(I saw 20 people in 30 mins of driving around RHK), etc.

I asked him how am I supposed to reach my home if you block access from all directions, he said that park your car here and wait until my boss tells me it is ok.

After 20 mins of waiting in a car and watching an empty road ahead(5 pedesterians and 5 cars used the road in 20 mins), I finally understood that road is blocked to accomodate three huge trucks' exits from RHK. When trucks are gone, I am allowed to use the road and reach home.

/rant over

I am not against managing roads due to events and loads of pedesterians on the roads but blocking access to area with apartment complexes in opposite directions was pure stupidity.

Is there any department in garda which I can contact and explain frustration they cause by not organizing blocks properly ?

the_syco

I think what you need is proof of address? By this I mean some document that is recognized by the Gardai, that says you live at said apartments. Something like what the residents nearby Croake Park have, so that they can leave and enter the "no-access" zone on GA match days.

kerten

the_syco wrote: »

I think what you need is proof of address? By this I mean some document that is recognized by the Gardai, that says you live at said apartments. Something like what the residents nearby Croake Park have, so that they can leave and enter the "no-access" zone on GA match days.

I understand what you mean. I didn't hear anything from management company regarding those permits yet.

Actually one of the guards asked for a parking permit which I didn't have on the temporary car I was driving. then he pointed me to next road block But one let me wait and go afterwards didn't ask for it. I wonder what would happen if he insisted on it.

I was so close to leaving the car in middle of the road and start walking away if it wasn't someone else's car I was driving.

visual

You driving licence has your registeres address.

Im guessing you where only few mins walk from appartments why didn't you park up and walk the remainder

kerten

visual wrote: »

You driving licence has your registeres address.

Im guessing you where only few mins walk from appartments why didn't you park up and walk the remainder

Good point about driving license. Didn't think about it.

All area has pay and display/permit parkings only except military road which I couldnt access anyway. I will need to collect the car before morning again.

Honestly I couldn't think that I will be blocked from all directions and I didn't look for an alternative solution till last block.

djimi

visual wrote: »

Im guessing you where only few mins walk from appartments why didn't you park up and walk the remainder

Why should they have to?

Utter nonsense carry on from the Gardai. Show them your proof of address and demand to be allowed access to your home.

tossy

visual wrote: »

You driving licence has your registeres address.

Im guessing you where only few mins walk from appartments why didn't you park up and walk the remainder

Why should they? They are paying rent/mortgage etc to live and park there he's every right to expect to get back there after a day at work.

Plus,if i knew there was a large event on and there could be 6000+ people walking down that road in the next few hours i wouldn't leave my car parked on that road.

dougie-lampkin

djimi wrote: »

Utter nonsense carry on from the Gardai. Show them your proof of address and demand to be allowed access to your home.

That's not how road closures work. I live beside a big rural sporting venue and have to deal with finding an alternative route home when it's kicking out time, even though I can almost see my house from the closure. This means going 20-30 mins out of my way down boreens.

No amount of "demanding" from the Gardai will get you home if they're under orders to close the road. Unless there are prior arrangements with residents passes (not parking permits) of course, but there doesn't appear to be in this case.

djimi

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

That's not how road closures work. I live beside a big rural sporting venue and have to deal with finding an alternative route home when it's kicking out time, even though I can almost see my house from the closure. This means going 20-30 mins out of my way down boreens.

No amount of "demanding" from the Gardai will get you home if they're under orders to close the road. Unless there are prior arrangements with residents passes (not parking permits) of course, but there doesn't appear to be in this case.

It wasnt kicking out time; according to the OP the road was empty.

Its not acceptable that residents be inconvenienced like that. Surely the license for the event does not allow for such disruptions?

Red Nissan

They are a total pain for any reason. Some won't even recognise officially issued passes, so I can only sympathies with how they treat the general public.

Thoie

For the next few days keep something like a utility bill in the glove box (as well as having your driving license) to show you really live there. If they're looking out for the apartment complex parking permits, and you don't have one, a utility bill in your name may help.

Del2005

djimi wrote: »

It wasnt kicking out time; according to the OP the road was empty.

Its not acceptable that residents be inconvenienced like that. Surely the license for the event does not allow for such disruptions?

It's the Gardaí who close the roads not the event organisers. If the Gardaí don't want a road closed the organisers can't close the road.

Thoie wrote: »

For the next few days keep something like a utility bill in the glove box (as well as having your driving license) to show you really live there. If they're looking out for the apartment complex parking permits, and you don't have one, a utility bill in your name may help.

Unless the OP has an official Garda residents pass they can't let them up a closed road.

OP you need to contact the local cop shop for your area and ask about residents access when events are on, as they're be a lot more now it's summer. So get something sorted now before it becomes a bigger issue, get your management company to follow up also.

kerten

Thanks for good suggestions guys.

I think keeping the road blocks for organizers' ease of exits made this much longer and painful.

I believe pedestrians can leave the place in 20 mins tops when all the roads are blocked. At least bulk of them can leave safely in this timeframe and rest can use pedestrian walks like normal people.

I'll probably avoid driving around the area next couple of days in the evening for sake of my mental health.

Thoie

Del2005 wrote: »

Unless the OP has an official Garda residents pass they can't let them up a closed road.

OP you need to contact the local cop shop for your area and ask about residents access when events are on, as they're be a lot more now it's summer. So get something sorted now before it becomes a bigger issue, get your management company to follow up also.

They have to have some discretion - what if you'd been away on business/holidays in the run up, and didn't have a permit in your car when you got back? What if you had visitors coming to stay for a few nights with a rental car?

Del2005

Thoie wrote: »

They have to have some discretion - what if you'd been away on business/holidays in the run up, and didn't have a permit in your car when you got back? What if you had visitors coming to stay for a few nights with a rental car?

Tough luck the road is only accessible to pedestrians and permit holders, otherwise there's no point in closing it.

ironclaw

visual wrote: »

You driving licence has your registeres address.

Driving license isn't necessarily your address hence why most companies won't accept them as proof. Mine for example is registered in Waterford but I live in Dublin.

Never had an issue gaining access to any area with a Garda on point. Generally comes down to your attitude I find. But that said, the OP's situation seems ridicolous. Most Gardai I find have little to no formal education in traffic management, which you think would be a fairly important part of being a Garda :rolleyes:

visual

Driving licence and passport are the two most recognised form of ID in the state.

but I do understand where your comming from where mobile phone companies seek utility bills and photo ID to confirm your address.

ironclaw

visual wrote: »

Driving licence and passport are the two most recognised form of ID in the state.

I really wish we had a national ID. From travelling the past while in both Spain and America as a driver, it makes so much sense. My friends producing one handy credit card document even for internal flights, and me flustering around with two or three. Nonsense.

Caliden

ironclaw wrote: »

I really wish we had a national ID. From travelling the past while in both Spain and America as a driver, it makes so much sense. My friends producing one handy credit card document even for internal flights, and me flustering around with two or three. Nonsense.

Not to mention that the Garda id has so many holograms on it that it looks fake when you try using it as a form of id abroad.